Every summer, since the very first one, it is clear that Owego has the best counselors from all over the world. Whether they grew up at camp, learned about camp from a friend or a relative, or randomly wound up working at Owego, they are all about giving back to the campers and contributing to making it the best summer ever.

Each day at camp is filled with great energy and excitement. Sports, adventure, swimming, boating, the arts – no matter what the activity is, there is learning, but at the center of it all is fun. It’s summer time, and without fun, we would just be any other camp.

We begin every day with a line-up with the whole camp together. This gives a chance to begin the celebration of a camper’s birthday, followed by the Owego Sports Flash. We get a glimpse of the day’s weather from our world-renowned meteorologist, and the meals for the day.

On top of the daily activities, there are always trips out of camp to keep everyone excited about what’s coming next. Whether it be Intercamps, canoe trips, a trip to the Culinary Institute of America, or sailing on Lake Wallenpaupack, there is something challenging and fun for each camper.

In thinking about Owego, let’s not ignore the best time of day, evening activity. Campfires, Go Bananas, Fruit Punch, Socials, and Owegoween, the level of creativity is always present no matter what the activity. Campers are at the center of each evening activity, as they are always participating in something fun.

Lake Owego Camp thrives on one major theme, brotherhood. The healthy relationships that the campers and counselors have are definitely contagious and spread to all aspects of camp. Whether it’s the chanting in the dining hall between the youngest and oldest campers, the battles that takes place between the tents and the international staff on July 4^th, the breakouts for Olympics and Frontier Week, or the closing ceremonies of these awesome events, we always come back together as one camp. The Brothers of Owego always know that the bond they have with each other is stronger than any one event.

The post What Makes LOC Unique appeared first on Lake Owego Camp for Boys.

A Lost World of Family Time
While pursuing a Master’s degree in Developmental Psychology, I often found myself thinking about meaningful moments in my development. What factors in my upbringing led to me to become the woman I am today? More often than not, my mind jumped to my nine summers at Camp Timber Tops. What is it about overnight camp that makes it so impactful for a developing child? I challenge you to consider the perspective of psychologist and author of Homesick and Happy, Michael Thompson.

Thompson compares camp to an earlier era – in his words, “a lost world.”  This is a world where electronics don’t exist, every meal is eaten as a family and every child has an older sibling to admire and a younger sibling for whom to be a role model. Campers are constantly surrounded by multiple generations, partake in numerous daily rituals and become accustomed to slowing down during down time and without the temptation of the internet.

A world without electronics?
Who would have thought! Overnight camps are one of the last places that are electronic free – and for a good reason. At camp, we notice old-fashioned human behaviors like eye contact, spontaneous running and jumping, interactions with nature and simple wandering. Children are forced to live in the moment and get lost in their thoughts and imaginations. Though it’s natural to have reservations about being unplugged after having such a dependence on technology at home, children tend to welcome to opportunity once they get to camp. They even report a relief from the constant pressure of staying up-to-date on their social media feeds at home! At camp, they are aware of what is going on in their friends’ lives because they are seeing them multiple times a day. Text messages become face-to-face conversations and talk about YouTube videos becomes talk about the delicious meal Cherokee made on their camping trip, or the canoe that a group of campers got to build and take out on the lake.

Family-style meals
We’re all guilty of it. The baseball game is on in the background, the son is texting his friends under the table, the daughter is posting photos of her dinner on Instagram and the parents are taking phone calls. It all seems too familiar. At camp, time is taken to dine and savor all of the home cooked meals and, most importantly, everyone is engaging in face-to-face interaction. As Thompson pointed out, the TV-free traditional camp meals evoke an era that predates even most parents and grandparents today. Bunkmates are enthusiastically setting and cleaning up the tables. Every meal at camp has the extended family, communal experience of Thanksgiving dinner or a Seder. Campers and counselors master each other’s favorite and least favorite foods, as well as one another’s food allergies. Campers learn to share, they try new foods and they clean up after themselves.

Seasonal siblings
A unique thing about camp is the sense of family that comes from the relationships between older and younger campers. Where else do nine-year-olds, sixteen-year-olds and twenty-one-year-olds have so much interaction? In schools, age groups are separated. The potential role models, teachers and coaches, cannot connect with children the same way a twenty-year-old can nor do they live with their students. As a camper, I wanted to be just like my counselor, Emily. In her 3 years as my counselor, she became a sister figure to me and I admired her as such. I still keep in touch with her today. Additionally, I still remember the names of all of the older girls who took me under their wings my first few years at camp, as this made such an impact on my overall experience. I made sure to do the same for younger campers each and every summer. Our camp siblings are always there for us. They put their arms around us when we are homesick and they encourage us try something outside our comfort levels, cheering us on as we successfully do so.

Surrounded by four generations
At camp, the mixture of age groups makes it feel like we’re surrounded by four different generations. First, there are the little kids and the big kids (Tents and counselors). Next, the middle-aged folks (the directors, the nurses) and fourth, the grandparental generation, which is singing the same songs, eating the same food and doing the same cheers as the little kids. From generation to generation, everyone holds on to the rope that is the pride of Lake Owego.

Silly rituals
Is this not the best part of camp?! From the moment we arrive at camp, there are ways of doing things that we have all become accustomed to – how to line up before breakfast, what safety measures need to be taken before getting in a canoe or using the adventure course, how to clean the bunk – but what is most meaningful to campers is the other layer of rules and traditions at camp. This includes Polar Bears, Air Raid, the Frontier Week rope burn, Friday night campfires, the 100-miler canoe trip, the Rat Ceremony and countless other rituals. In a very short time, these rituals assume a huge importance in the campers’ lives and they so rarely forget them. Children crave ritual and camp fills that unspoken need. They open the channels of feeling in children. Rituals like campfires encourage a sense of belonging that is rarely experienced as strongly in a family tradition that is perhaps becoming stale or that is complicated by expectations, worry and disappointment too complex for a child to unravel.

Down time
At home, this usually means time spent watching TV or surfing the web. At camp, time slows down to a crawl and children appear to be moving in slow motion. Camp offers a profound change of pace that isn’t found at school. After breakfast, this time is used to clean the bunk in preparation for inspection. During rest hour, this time may be used to play knock hockey, listen to music or write letters. At camp, children have the unique opportunity to use their down time to truly take a deep breath and get to know themselves.

To further explore how time away from parents can help a child grow, I highly recommend Michael Thompson’s book, Homesick and Happy. 

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It’s been well over 15 years since I had the honor of being chief of the Abnaki tribe during Frontier Week in the summer of 1999, yet my chief T-shirt still hangs proudly on the wall of my childhood home. It was a week and an experience that I will always remember. Still to this day, when I am at a job interview or am asked about my leadership experiences, serving as a Frontier Week chief always pops to the front of my mind. While I don’t tend to explain my chief experiences in those instances (instead opting for something more professionally oriented), I realize I very well could. Serving as a chief during the 5 days of Frontier Week competition was a tremendous and humbling leadership experience. I learned the lessons and importance of motivating the team and getting everyone (campers and coaches) to align on a common goal, not to mention the hard work, positive attitude, planning and management needed to be a successful leader. It was a tremendous experience to have had as a 16-year-old – my first true leadership experience – and to this day, a source of terrific memories and lifelong learning.

Lead-up:

Life at camp slows to an excruciatingly slow place over the last few days before Frontier Week. People were obsessed with forecasting who the chiefs would be – it was an undertone in almost every conversation. I was cautiously optimistic that I would be named a chief, but still unbelievably nervous at the breakout. I had never won a Frontier Week before (finishing second once) and wanted to win as a chief more than anything else. I remember when Andy Ruddick called my name, it felt like an out-of-body experience. I was so caught up in the moment that I could hardly pay attention to who was on my team. Being named a chief was one of the greatest honors that camp can bestow on you, and I had just experienced it.

Frontier Week:

Unfortunately, my team (Ais) could never really get anything started. We performed mediocre to poor in basically every event. It was really tough for me to see my dreams of winning Frontier Week disintegrate through my fingertips. I took a bit of solace in the fact that fellow chief and best friend Adam Roseman was steamrolling through with Tutelo. They dominated the majority of the events, and their victory was never really in doubt.

As a fiercely competitive person, headed up to the final fire with no chance to win was quite a bitter pill to swallow. I had poured every ounce of energy into these few days, and we fell short. With the fire raging on the upper field, I remember taking a brief pause before walking with my torch toward the fire. I took a deep breath, looked out at my team, smiled and gave a brief nod. I savored this moment.

I knew the tap from Kyle was coming (we finished fifth so I was the second person tapped), and solemnly nodded when he tapped my shoulder. I walked toward the fire, tossed in my torch, unwrapped my bandana, and threw it away forever.

Post-Frontier Week:

I think about post-Frontier Week in two ways. One way is the personal lessons and memories I keep with me from those days and the other is the community of those who have held a torch on the upper field.

Personally, I’ll never forget what one of my coaches (Randy Freedman) said to me after the meal competition. We were sitting in the campsite (Infirmary), looking out on the lake, talking about the week. We both knew that our team had no chance of winning. Randy harbored his own Frontier Week demons, having placed second as a chief by a slim margin. He told me that you learn far more from losing and failure than you do from winning. I’ve found that advice to be true, and think about it constantly. It’s almost a mantra that I live by. Another lesson I personally learned is that no team or unit or organization can be successful with just one person. I thought that I could win Frontier Week myself, but it truly is a team effort. I’ve since won Frontier Week twice, and can attest that the achievement comes due to the effort and success of the group.

The community/network of those who have been a chief is one that is truly unique. It’s a bit of a brotherhood within the brotherhood that is LOC. The names that came before me are camp legends and lifelong friends. Further, these people could not come from more disparate camp backgrounds. What does a Josh Sztul have in common with Eric Dinenberg? Aside from sharing a summer monitoring Jacob “Hurricane” Allen’s shenanigans, not a whole lot. The common thread among chiefs though, is that they were chosen because they were viewed as camp leaders and examples for Owegans to follow.

When I come across former chiefs, there’s always an acknowledgement and a twinkle in their eye when we reminisce about camp. We were both part of something bigger than ourselves. It was a hallowed tradition before we got to camp, and it will hopefully live on for years and years.

It is difficult to count how many indelible memories and great friends I have from my time as a camper and counselor at Lake Owego Camp; however, unquestionably my experience as a Frontier Week chief is at the top of the list. The experience provided me confidence to succeed in other endeavors in my life and gave me the opportunity to hone my leadership skills.

As a camper, I always revered the older campers who were named Frontier Week chiefs, many of whom later became my counselors, coaches, and more importantly, lifelong friends. The winning Frontier Week chiefs were held in even greater reverence as their names, along with the names of tribe members, were painted on Frontier Week plaques in the dining hall, Owego’s version of the Stanley Cup.

It was for these reasons that I was both humbled and honored to be named a Frontier Week chief in the summer of 2002. Fortunately, I had a fabulous group of campers and counselors and we were ultimately victorious. Winning also meant that some of my best friends, who were also named chiefs did not win, an unfortunate but painful reality of competition. While the competition was fierce, my fellow chiefs and I congratulated each other when our teams won competitions and empathized in our team’s defeats. True to Lake Owego principles, we competed hard against our Owegan brothers but we never forgot that the experience is often more special than winning or losing.

Furthermore, although I was chosen as a chief because I was perceived as a camp leader, the experience as a chief taught me invaluable leadership and teamwork skills like delegation, trust, and collaboration. Leadership, as I quickly learned as a chief, is not about making the most triumphant speech before a competition. Rather, leadership is trusting team members, creating a feeling of inclusion, and making decisions for the betterment of the team after listening to all of opinions and ideas from team members.

Now, over ten years later, all of my memories as a Frontier Week chief are equally special. Indeed, the tired feeling in my legs when I gave my closest friend and fellow chief, Alex Hardy, a massive bear hug after we both finished the chief run in Over Land Over Water and the heat of the final fire against my back as my team exploded in happiness upon hearing our song played, the signal that we had won Frontier Week, are memories and feelings that will always remain. I can still remember the joy I felt watching my team’s ten foot fire burn through our rope before any other team’s and the disappointment of coming in fifth place in the Special Event competition. These emotions are heightened for Frontier Week chiefs as you feel, whether rightfully or not, responsible for your team’s victories and defeats. The sharp contrasts of emotions, however, are what make Frontier Week so special and unique.

In short, I am proud to be an Owegan and even prouder to be part of the small group of campers who were fortunate enough to be selected as a Frontier Week chiefs. The experience was invaluable and I still employ the lessons and leadership tactics that I used and learned as a Frontier Week chief in my personal and professional life.

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Hello Owego!

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind for me…meeting so many new and old campers along with their families.  I must say I am extremely excited to begin my Owego career…in fact, I am so eager…let’s start camp now!!  If the Maryland Pool Party was any indication…it’s going to be a fantastic summer!!

On a different note, one of the reasons I entered the residential camp profession 16 years ago, giving up being a lawyer in the high profile NCAA enforcement division, was the opportunity to directly impact young people and be a role model for them.  I am always amazed by how we as directors and the staff in general have such an impact on campers’ physical and emotional development.  I always tell the staff that “little eyes” are always watching and to mindful that we are always role models.  The beauty of our jobs is watching boys who begin camp as ‘boys’ and, when they graduate out from Owego, will leave as young men and gentlemen who have matured and developed life skills and character, all while making new friends, lifetime memories and most importantly having FUN!!!  Camp to me is a constant organized recess.  A book that I always read right before camp to remind me why I chose the job of camp director is entitled “The Season of Life”.  It’s a fantastic book that discusses how boys need to be raised to be men in today’s society and I would recommend it.  It’s a quick read with a sports motif. In fact, it was on the NY Times Bestseller list.  Check it out.

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I believe I have the best job in America. I can directly impact a young man and put a smile on his face each summer. There is such intrinsic value that camp provides, namely the fostering of self-confidence, independence, the opportunity to try activities that a boy does not get to do at home, develop athletic skills, make lifelong friends and create memories that last a lifetime. Owego creates an environment where there is a sense of belonging…a sense of brotherhood, a sense of family.

Feel free to give me a call at the camp office or email me at jeff@lakeowego.com anytime. I look forward to meeting many of you in person and/or via phone/email. Happy Trails.

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We loved that Freedo, our new co-director and LOC alumna, got to meet some of our wonderful families. He looked like a natural in his new LOC gear, don’t you think?

Next up: Family Ski Day on Saturday, February 7th. Call the office for more information!

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Jeff returns to LOC after 15 years as director of a private independent boys camp in New Hampshire. Prior to that, he served as an attorney for the NCAA. Jeff loves sports, and in his earlier life was a competitive tennis and basketball player. Jeff has a passion for camp and working with children. His motto at camp is “Carpe Diem”, meaning seize the day, since in his eyes there is no better place in the world than camp. Jeff lives in New Hampshire with his wife Cindy, who also works with children as a pediatric occupational therapist, their son Beau and two daughters Zoe and Chloe. Beau will be a new LOC camper, and we look forward to the girls joining us at Camp Timber Tops and Pine Forest Camp.

Please join us in welcoming Freedo (and Beau!) to LOC!

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Happy New Year from your Lake Owego family! We are extra excited that 2015 is here because it means we’re THAT much closer to being back in Greeley with our brothers.

In case you missed it, check out this message from some familiar faces: http://vimeo.com/115706343

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1) “Where are other children going?”
As Leiber says, this is a trick question. There is a natural instinct to send your child to the same camp as his friends in the neighborhood. The answer should be that a worthwhile overnight camp has a diversity of geographic areas represented. Overnight camp friends should not be the same as friends at home. That’s the biggest difference from day camp. Every child has friends from home and school, but let camp introduce him to a whole new group of friends, some that span great distances, with different interests, styles and stories. Let your child reinvent herself!  An investment in camp should broaden a child’s circle of friends and prepare him or her for making connections in college, in the work place and in life!

AT LOC we have campers from 158 towns, 15 states and 4 countries. There’s a whole world of new friends out there, and they might be living right in your cabin!

2) “What are the retention figures?”
This is one of our favorites. Once a child starts at camp there is a 90% return the next year. This continues until “graduating” as 11th graders. Our retention rates are truly amazing. The author asks if we do follow up on those few who don’t return, and of course we do. Every camper is an integral part of our camp family. Honestly, the few children who depart before their final year do so for reasons unrelated to camp, a family trip is planned, a team requires practice at home, etc.

The blog also asks the retention rate of counselors and the percentage of counselors who are former campers. Here’s an answer that you might not expect: first as to counselor retention, our standards are high. Counselors are not automatically asked to return, in fact we are very selective about who meets our standards. Not every young adult can make the change from being the one who is looked after to the person who does the looking after. New counselors bring new ideas, new energy and a gung-ho spirit, that not every former camper possesses. Our experience and firm belief is that the best counselor team is a mix, new and old. We want the most enthusiastic, positive role models for campers, whomever they are!

3) “What can they do here that they can’t do at home?”
Here’s the beginning of a truly endless list that starts with wake-up and goes till lights-out. Good morning, it’s group clean up, then off to rock-climbing, mountain biking, fencing, canoeing the rapids of the Delaware (for 100 miles!). Travel with your camp basketball team to play another camp. Experience “Go Bananas”, join the Polar Bear Club, hike the Appalachian Trail, cook a meal over an open fire, sing in the camp show, act in a bunk skit, link arms with a whole camp and sing songs around a bonfire that have been sung for generations.

And by the way, we try not to do things that you do at home. So on trips we stay in college dorms-not hotels, we don’t normally go to amusement parks, bowling, movie theaters. It’s on purpose! You can do that at home with your parents!

4) “What makes your camp unique?”
To us, that really is the most important question. Our camp organization is 85 years old and has been in one family for 5 generations. There are thousands of camps in the USA, hundreds that are old but very few, if any, can say that. Our longevity and track record is truly unmatched. Our facilities are modern. The range of activity choices, amazing. Our camp staff is second to none, filled with coaches and teachers and camp folk. The ratio of staff to campers, almost 2:1. We have a rare range of campers from all over. But it’s our 5 generations, 85 years, of down-to-earth, friendly, warm, accepting, earthy, kids of character who make Lake Owego Camp unique.

5) “Can you tell me about the ties that bind?”
Here the author is really asking about the soul of a camp.  He mentions his daughter, at lineup, watching two staff members honored who fell in love and became engaged at camp. He’s speaking to a sense of self, a sense of identity that links a person to his or her camp for all of time.

Of course, the question isn’t aimed at tracking camp love stories in particular, but it speaks to something greater. All you have to do is look around Lake Owego Camp to see our ties that bind: from names on courts and fields to awards and plaques in the dining hall spanning generations. As you probably know, we keep in touch with campers and alumni during the off-season in ways that go above and beyond any other camps we know of. Between reunions, local get-togethers, alumni events in cities around the country, and alumni Facebook pages, LOC is with our campers, in their daily lives, long after they’re campers. If you haven’t already, “like” us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram or check out our alumni page. All speak to the heart and soul of camp, and that heart and soul is you: each and every past, present or future camper who spends one summer or ten in Greeley, PA.

Thanks for reading and best wishes from Lake Owego Camp!

The post “Finding an Overnight Camp That’s Truly Worth It” appeared first on Lake Owego Camp for Boys.

It is the time of year when we are all are encouraged to do charitable deeds. We pitch in for good causes and think about others.

Thinking about others is one of the things that camp is all about. Maybe a bunkmate needs help making their bed during cleanup. Or someone is not feeling well and we check on them in the health center. Perhaps we shout encouragement to a camper trying to get to the top of the climbing wall.

When you live in a group, you have to think about others. How will my actions affect someone else? How will it lift the group? It becomes second nature and makes you a better person. It is how we look at our bunk and at the world. It is never all about “me”.

There may not be studies to prove it, but a person who grows up at camp thinking about others is bound to be more outward-thinking and more community-minded than those who don’t.

Campers are considerate, caring and compassionate. It is who we are.

Happy holidays from your Lake Owego family!

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