Attending New Camper Weekend? Here’s what you need to know!
Please arrive at camp between 11:30 AM and 12:45 PM on Saturday, June 3rd to experience your first camp lunch!  Introductions begin around 1:00 PM.  As a reminder, nights in the mountains can be quite chilly, so bring warm and comfortable clothing for the campfire and warm PJs, too! Don’t forget warm bedding or sleeping bags, and remember toiletries and towels as well. There will be free time to explore, so if you’d like to play, boat or swim as a family, bring tennis racquets, softball gloves, and bathing suits.

Stay tuned for live updates and photos from what will surely be a weekend of lifelong memories in the making! WELCOME NEW CAMPERS!

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Independence
Campers connect with counselors in a different way than they connect with school teachers and other adult role models. Under the guidance and support of counselors, camp becomes a safe place to try new things and become more self-assured. Developing new skills of all kinds increases independence.

Social Skills
Our campers come from all over the world, so children learn how to live and play with people with very different backgrounds and perspectives, helping them to develop social skills that they will use throughout life. They also learn resilience as it’s ok to fail at camp – it’s all about trying new things.

A Break from Screens
Unplugging is everything at camp! Children need a break from feeling like their online followers are defining their worth. Campers develop face-to-face, peer-to-peer and cross-age relationships.

New Skills
At camp, you are encouraged to participate in things you love while also trying new things, probably things you’d never try at home! There’s no safer space to develop new skills and interests!

Individuality & Peer Acceptance
At camp you find out who you really are and, over time, become who you want to be. Each individual is integral to our camp community. At camp, we focus on valuing, accepting and celebrating one another.

Building Self-Confidence
Trying new things, developing new friendships, learning to be yourself breeds confidence, confidence that spills out into the real world long after summer.

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It’s that time of year again! Time to think PACKING! We know the packing list may seem overwhelming at first, especially for our newest LOC families. Here are a few outside-of-the-box tips we thought we’d share.

Packing Tip 1:
Our camp colors are BLUE AND WHITE, and our boys LOVE to wear them proudly. Unlike our sister camp, Timber Tops, you do not need to pack shirts of different colors.   During the 1^st half of the summer, we provide them with a shirt for the three days of Olympics that depicts their team color. During the 2^nd half of the summer, we don’t have a traditional “Color War”, but our own exciting Frontier Week. The teams are not depicted by color, but by tribe name that is chosen once the teams are formed. We do celebrate the 4^th of July in a big way, so make sure to pack something to wear and fun hats or glasses or whatever wacky items your camper likes. During the 2^nd session we have OWEGOWEEN for grades 2^nd through 6^th. Many like to make their costumes at camp but, some like to bring one.

Packing Tip 2:
Speaking of clothing, remember to pack a few WHITE articles of clothing. Can you say Tie–Dye?!

Packing Tip 3:
Your campers are never too old for pre-addressed envelopes or postcards. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and best family friends are definitely not getting that letter you promised unless it’s over-the-top easy for your camper to send. (Pre-address envelopes home too. It’s one less step for your camper to take while he’s running to the mailbox on his way to the basketball court, or the lake, or to adventure!)

Packing Tip 4:
We keep the boys very busy but there is some down time during each day. We have gathering decks with fun activities like knock-hockey, hoop shots and ping pong but Magic Cards and games like that are great to pack. Supervised Free Activity (pronounced S’Fa) is everyone’s favorite time to hang out on the gathering decks, write letters and relax. Most seniors, 7^th-11^th grade, pack a folding Camp Chair, like what you would bring to a sporting event. They use these at campfires. Some of the juniors do as well but, it is not necessary.

 Packing Tip 5:
Don’t buy expensive clothes, jeans or bathing suits. Don’t pack too many things to throw on the bed. Don’t pack anything you don’t want going in the laundry. Your son will be wearing the same t-shirts on rotation and getting dressed and ready faster than you thought humanly possible. They hate missing a single moment. Just LABEL EVERYTHING clearly. Every boy has a blue raincoat, a blue duffle, a blue sweatshirt, a blue…you get the picture. They are so busy running from one activity to another that it is inevitable that they will leave something somewhere.

Packing Tip 6:
If you’re worried that your son may need more storage space for his athletic equipment, we recommend gear bags that fit under the bed. Once again, label every cleat, shin guard, glove, stick and racquet.

Packing Tip 7:
You’ve probably heard the term “shoe bag” or bunk junk bag thrown around. At camp, shoe bags are often used to hang up on the wall or at the end of the bed and store extra “stuff” in (think flashlight, hair brush, etc). Small shoe box bins are great to keep socks and underwear organized within the cubbies and on top to hold extra stuff like magic cards, etc. You can pack right in them and they place them right into the cubbies from their trunks and duffle bags. You can find them at Target and Walmart for about $2/bin.

Packing Tip 8:
Leave the electronics at home! No matter what you hear from friends about other camps, LOC parents don’t sneak them into their campers’ bags! Our parents are rule-followers, and our kids follow their parents’ lead. At camp it isn’t “cool” to have electronics or phones. In fact, it’s “cool” to leave all that behind. Believe us when we tell you that Lake Owego boys appreciate unplugging. It’s just part of our camp culture.

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Egg crate/mattress pad
Crazy Creek chair or something similar to sit on
Patriotic clothes for July 4^th – prepare to represent your country with pride!
Inexpensive waterproof watch
Extra bug spray and sunscreen
Flip flops for the shower
Raincoat
Extra socks
Books
Long sleeve shirts and long pants for nighttime – it can get very cold!
Wellies or rain boots
Small clock
Jokes, songs and cheers to teach your campers
A fun playlist of songs for the bunk
And most importantly, a good sense of humor and a positive attitude!

If you’re a returning counselor and have anything to add, please comment below or post in our official staff Facebook group!

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Camp Colors: Blue and White

Camp Motto: “Leave your Image at the Gate.”
When entering through the gates of Owego, we want every camper to know that camp is a special place where you can be your true self.

“SFA”
We call it “SFA” (you can say it as a word- put the “SF” together and then add an “AH”)

Every night after dinner and on Thursday mornings, this special time is for campers to play freely. With counselors supervising, children get to choose from various activities such as basketball, followed by some tennis, and then head to the lake to go fishing.  Whatever they’re in the mood for that day!

Olympics and Frontier Week
Two big all-camp events. Olympics is in the first session and Frontier Week is in the second session. The camp is split into six teams, different countries for Olympics and different Native American Indian tribes for Frontier week. The two events start with an exciting, surprise “breakout.”

The Village
The location of the Junior and Intermediate bunks, grades 2nd-6th. All bunks are named after pioneers.

The Ridge
The location of the Senior and Hi-Senior bunks and tents, grades 7th-11th. All bunks are named after Native American Indian Tribes. Many of camp’s fields, courts and venues are named after camp’s founding family as well as many old-timers.

“Hughie Black Center”
The indoor basketball court, weight room and fencing room. Named after Hughie and Selma Black, the founders of the camp.

“Robinson’s Pool”
Named after our long-time head of pool and the original Papa Polar Bear.

“Shelly’s Cookout”
Location of our Thursday BBQ lunches and our end of Olympics Steak dinner. Named after Shelly Silver, long-time director of camp.

“Kyle’s Gathering”
A special area in camp for campers and counselors to relax, reflect and hang out. Named after current co-director Kyle Silver.

“Jacoby Field”
This is our upper field at camp where we play soccer, football, lacrosse, ultimate frisbee, and many other special events at camp. Named after long-time director, Tom Jacoby. Tom’s daughter, Melissa, currently works at Owego.

“South Courts”
One of our two sets of basketball courts. Named after Bill South, current Junior Head Counselor.

“Scotty’s Stage”
Camp’s covered stage where we gather to watch camp’s incredible shows.  Also used for rainy day activities and various other indoor camp activities.  Named after Scotty Myers, current head of Creative Arts.

Hopefully this list will help you and your child feel even more a part of our camp family as we count down to welcome you this summer.  Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions you might have and we can’t wait to see you this summer up at camp!

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We often say that camp teaches you to be the best version of yourself, but that doesn’t always come easily. Nothing great does! It takes work to practice living away from your parents! It takes work to live with people from different neighborhoods or even countries who might have different views! It’s not easy to have face-to-face conversations instead of sending a text or email in camp’s tech-free zone!

So, what will your child get out of camp? We hope team-sport skills are perfected and outdoor cooking is given a real chance, but it’s so much bigger that. Your child will come home more confident for having stood up for a friend, happier for having spontaneously burst into song and cheer during dinner, more comfortable in his skin for having navigated both big and small tasks independently. Oh, and he’ll have a group of friends and community for life that are sacred, that are all his own, that he can always come back to and rely upon.

Camp takes a sense of adventure and grit and stick-to-it-ness and empathy and goofiness and a zest for life that we all wish for our kids! Those are the true gifts of camp, and what gifts could be more important?

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Highlights include:

Superstar Tennis: Private and group tennis lessons, USTA tournament play, individualized stroke analysis and strategy sessions.

Personal Fitness Training: One-on-one personal training with a certified pro, including a take-home, year round exercise plan.

TOP Cooks: Farm-to-table experiences, gourmet cooking classes with professional chefs, trip to the Culinary Institute of America.

Superstar Golf: Private lessons with PGA pro, weekly golf outing to beautiful private courses, USGA membership.

Professional Tutoring: SAT, English, Math, Bar and Bat Mitzvah. Individualized plan, hourly rates with experienced educators.

TOP Ranch Riding: Small group riding lessons, grooming and competition on our beautiful private 250-acre ranch. Beginner to advanced.

TOP Basketball: 4-day intensive program for campers interested in taking their skills to a new level.

Senior Trips!
7th Grade: The Adirondacks
July 26-27, 2017
Highlights include: Six Flags Great Escape, dinner on Lake George, Cooperstown, Baseball Hall of Fame, Howe Caverns.

8th Grade: Vermont
July 26-27, 2017
Highlights include: Church Street Marketplace, Bromley Mountain Adventure Park, Ben & Jerry’s Factory, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que.
New additions for 2017 to follow!

9th Grade: New England
July 25-27, 2017
Highlights include: Historic Boston, Fenway Park, Old Orchard Beach and Palace Playground, Portland, Maine and Newport, Rhode Island.
New additions for 2017 to follow!

10th Grade: Montreal
July 25-27, 2017
Highlights include: Jet boating on the Lachine Rapids, Laser Quest, La Ronde amusement park, Lake Placid Olympic Sports Complex.

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Thanks to all new camp families and our amazing staff and campers who made the weekend such a success! And new campers, be sure to stay in touch with one another! Camp is officially less than 5 months away (but who’s counting?)!

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We can give our children many things, but as parents, we cannot give them character, independence, optimism, and enthusiasm – these are qualities that children have to discover and develop on their own. And that is the true gift of camp. Camp is a place that provides a safe environment to find adventure, friendship and ultimately to find one’s self, to find one’s true character.

At camp we often call ourselves a camp “family,” and for those summer months we really are. We are one community, relying on each other and looking out for one another. It feels like family. And at its heart, that is how Martin Luther King Jr. wanted us to look at the world around us: one family, each of us treated with respect and compassion. May the strength and love that we feel at camp send ripples to the world around us. For those of us lucky enough to go to camp, it’s our obligation to make it so.

Let us know what your kids are doing out in the world for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Email, tag or direct message us, or use the hashtag #LOCCares2017.

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PHILADELPHIA
Saturday, January 21st, 1:00pm-3:00pm
Philadelphia New Camper Bowling Event!
Devon Lanes
300 Lancaster Avenue
Devon, PA 19333

NEW YORK CITY
Sunday, January 22nd, 1:30pm-3:30pm
New York New Camper Event!
Chelsea Piers, Between Piers 61 & 62
23rd Street and the Hudson River
New York, New York 10011

Call us at the camp office for more information or to RSVP: (267) 639-2488.

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