Here’s a short Earth Day quiz, Greeley edition!

What is the Pennsylvania state flower that can be found throughout our beautiful camp, just beginning to bud during this time of year?
Answer: The Mountain Laurel

What environmentally important site is located in Milford, Pennsylvania, one of the closest towns to camp?
Answer: Grey Towers in Milford is the original 1900 site of the Yale School of Forestry Summer Camp!

Who lived at Grey Towers, Milford and is known as the “Father of American Conservation”?
Answer: Gifford Pinchot

Every summer, campers canoe the Delaware and Lackawaxen rivers. The two rivers converge in Lackawaxen Pennsylvania, a beautiful spot very close to camp. What famous American bird do campers frequently see there, soaring high above them?
Answer: The American Bald Eagle. Lackawaxen is home to 200 bald eagles!

Camp is located in Pike County, named after Zebulon Motgomery Pike. What famous mountain did he discover and where is it located?
Answer: Pike’s Peak, Colorado

Bonus Question!
Our camp was one of the first camps in American to win the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Energy Star Award. Which of these things didn’t we do to earn it?
1) Change all light bulbs to LED
2) Cover the pools with special pool covers to preserve heat and lower use of energy
3) Recycle waste
4) Change from disposable dishes to reusable dishware
5) Hang underwear from the flagpole

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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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We can’t believe it’s May and the 2015 camping season will be here before we know it!  We put together a list of camp lingo so that new camp families will feel “in the know.” Study hard!

Lake Owego Camp is full of tradition, rituals and special names.  Each one is so meaningful to both the campers and staff. 

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 Southward, 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 feel even more a part of our camp family as we count down to welcoming you this summer. See you in Greeley!

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This month, there was an article in the New York Times Style Section about the benefits of disconnecting from electronics entitled “Hey Kids, Look At Me When We’re Talking” by Bruce Feiler.

In particular, it highlighted the positive impact of unplugging at overnight camp.  Here is the key paragraph:

“In 2012, Dr. Greenfield and her colleague Yalda T. Uhls performed a study of their own. They invited 51 preteens to spend five days at an overnight camp without television, computers or mobile phones. These students were compared to a control group that retained usual media practices. All participants took before and after tests that required them to infer emotional states from photographs and videos. After five days without screens, the children at the camp were significantly better at reading nonverbal emotional cues.”

Last week, we heard from parents from our sister camp, who wrote:

“Last night I drove 3 9th graders into NYC for a concert. As the driver, I remained silent and there was an interesting conversation going on between the 3 girls. Two were from camp… and the 3rd, [was]  a non camp kid.”

The camp girls were extolling the virtues of unplugging for the summer. They said that it wasn’t easy, but they really appreciated not feeling the pressure to stay on top of social media all summer. After the first week, they really enjoyed the separation. Late night chats with friends without everyone being distracted by their screens are really unique in this day and age. There is great importance in authentic face-to-face communication.

Just 2 days ago, another camp parent sent us a picture of a t-shirt that said “There is no WIFI at camp, but the Connection is Awesome!”

Exactly!

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/19/fashion/hey-kids-look-at-me-when-were-talking.html?_r=0

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Confidence

One of summer camp’s greatest qualities is its appreciation for individuality.  The most notable counselors are the ones who sing the loudest, dress the craziest, and are willing to participate in any and all activities that his or her campers come up with.  At camp, it’s hard to feel embarrassed.  It is surprisingly easy to step out of your comfort zone and into the uninhibited summer camp lifestyle.

Selflessness

While being a camp counselor can give you a great deal of self-understanding and important life skills, the most successful counselors are those who are not at camp for themselves, but for the campers.  Camp teaches you how to put the needs of your campers, or of any group, above your own.  In order to deal with confrontations, homesickness, shower hour, and anything else that comes your way in the bunk, you have to know how to prioritize.  As camp counselor, you are truly a surrogate parent for your campers and, while their problems may seem small to you, to them they are big and should be treated accordingly.

Leadership Ability

At camp, campers do not judge your ability to show them how to kick a soccer ball, make a friendship bracelet, or ride a zip line.  We find that campers instantly idolize a counselor’s ability to do anything, giving you a solid platform to develop and transform your leadership skills from the get-go.  You’ve been hired as a camp counselor and specialist in a specific activity; your accountability is already there.  This gives you the time to focus on building your character, integrity, commitment, enthusiasm, and open-mindedness.

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Winter is upon us, and between a little cabin fever and New Year’s resolutions to get out and do more, we have some motivation to get out of the house, but the cold weather and snow can put a damper on those plans.  So what can we do to keep our sense of adventure and outdoor spirit alive, not to mention have some fun and exercise?  While there are some oldies but goodies, like snow skiing, going to the gym, and playing indoor sports like soccer and basketball, there are also some fantastic, less traditional options that are worth a try.

One of my personal favorites is climbing at an indoor rock gym.  It’s fun, great for all ages, easy to try, and with climbing rating systems, it’s fun and easy to track your progress and challenge yourself to work toward more climbs/routes and loftier (no pun intended) goals.  The local climbing gym will provide you (for a small rental fee) with everything you need, including harnesses, shoes, and some basic training, though it’s always fun to get more involved in a sport and get your own gear.   You can find a harness and shoes (and maybe a chalk bag to keep your hands dry and grippy) for under $100.

The climbing gym also provides classes on belaying (the person who hold the other end of the rope to support the climber in case of a fall and to lower them back down to the ground after a climb), which is a great skill to learn and a confidence builder.  They will likely offer other, more advanced classes that you can work up to if you like.  You can learn things like lead climbing, anchor building, gear use and placement, and if you’re lucky, you might find a gym with an indoor, simulated ice climbing wall, which is its own style of climbing and adventure.  You would get to use real ice axes and crampons (the spikes attached to your shoes) to ascend a real or fake sheet of ice.  It’s pretty great!

One of the great payoffs of joining a gym is that you can then take your new climbing skills and use them in the great outdoors on a real rock face once things warm up a bit.  Check out Getting Started Rock Climbing at Rei.com to get some basic lingo and background info as well as advice on gear.

If you’re looking for a quick and easy option, a snowshoe hike might be more up you alley.  There’s nothing like the peace and pleasure you experience from the silence of the woods, broken only by the crunching of snow under your feet and the occasional snow dropping from the trees.  A hike in the woods is something that should be enjoyed in every season, but making the effort to do it in the winter, with the snow-covered landscape looking like a foreign land, is a special treat.  Don’t forget to look for animal tracks, check out the icicles hanging from tree branches, and gaze up at the sky through the snowy pine, oak, or birch branches.

Ice fishing, curling, and even luge are some unique options, though they might be better explored with the help of people who have some prior experience and the right equipment.  Yes, I did say luge!  There are a few places with Luge tracks open to the public.  So, be adventurous and give the icy slide a shot or spend some quiet time talking with friends on a frozen lake waiting for the fish to bite (it’s exciting when they do!).

If you do get out try any of these winter sports or expeditions, send some pictures.  We’d love to see you in action!

Finally, use the resources in your area.  Check out local outdoor social clubs, university outdoor clubs, YMCAs, JCCs, and other community groups for organized trips or just great locations, parks, and ideas that you can use yourself.  And don’t forget to get out the sled or toboggan and shoot down a great hill, build a snowman or ice fort, find a local sheet of ice and play some hockey or broom ball, and simply find the bright side of snowy winter.

All that being said, we can’t wait to get back to camp for another summer of friends, fun and games, and summer time adventures!  See you there!

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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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With a fresh batch of snow in the Pocono Mountains, we’re really looking forward to our Family Ski Day this Saturday. Call the office for more information or to RSVP!

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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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