It’s that time of the year! You forget what your living room floor looks like under all of that camp gear, you’re constantly hearing the most up-to-date countdown to camp (9 days!), and you miss them already. Take a deep breath. We are here for you as always! Below are some last minute tips as you make your final preparations for LOC 2016!

What to pack:
Plenty of underwear
A good flashlight
Lots of socks
Bug spray
Sunscreen
Stationary and stamps
Hopes and dreams

What not to pack:
Homework
Electronic devices (Kindle, iPod Touch, screens that play games or shows, cell phones)

Important dates:
Full season: Saturday, June 25-Saturday, August 13
First session: Saturday, June 25-Tuesday, July 19
First extended session: Saturday, June 25-Tuesday, August 2
Second session: Wednesday, July 20-Saturday, August 13
Second extended session: Wednesday, July 6-Saturday, August 13
Visiting Day: Sunday, July 24 @ 11:30AM

Important contact information:
LOC summer office: (570) 226-3636
Mountain Baggage: (570) 775-0556
R&B Baggage (for Florida families): (603) 536-2197
CampRx: (877) 302-3881

LOC mailing address:
1687 Route 6
Greeley, PA 18425

Policy reminders:
-Phone calls are not necessary, but one can be scheduled before Visiting Day and one after Visiting Day. You can schedule your first call once your camper arrives at camp.
-NO packages, please! If a necessity is inadvertently left behind, please call the camp office for a pre-approval code so that your package will be accepted and delivered to your camper. We do allow birthday packages, so please clearly label these as birthday packages with your child’s birth date. Remember: NO food is allowed!

Photos:
Photos from the day will be uploaded to CampInTouch almost every night. You can access them using the same login you use to fill out forms.
http://www.lakeowego.com/lake-owego-families/login.php

Expert tip: Mail a letter to your camper a few days before camp starts so that there’s one waiting for him on the first day of camp.

Follow us! You can find us on Facebook and Instagram using @LakeOwego and Twitter and Snapchat using @LakeOwegoCamp.

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Yes, that will be me this Saturday, hiding behind my sunglasses, holding back my tears. Me, who promotes camp to other parents and me, who believes wholeheartedly in the unparalleled benefits and fun of overnight camp. Even so, that’ll be me.

It doesn’t matter how much you know they’ll love it. It doesn’t matter that you know they’re about to make friends and memories that will last a lifetime. It doesn’t matter that you know they’re about to have more fun than they ever thought imaginable. The bottom line is, letting your child go, allowing and empowering them to spread their wings without you is hard. Really hard. I think of this as the most “selfless” thing we as parents have probably ever done. Putting our needs and wants second to what we know is best for our children is something we do every day, but this is the granddaddy act of them all.

When it comes to camp, I find all the comfort and solace I need knowing my children will be safe, loved and cared for by some of the most amazing people I know. That they will be making friends and living with other amazing children who, like them, just want to have fun and take in all that camp has to offer. Pure, unplugged fun. I will, like you, pour over the posted pictures each night and hang on every word that comes to me in letters. All the while, reminding myself how lucky we all are…the kids who get to go and us parents who get to send them. The summer of 2015 is going to be incredible and I truly can’t wait for my children to get to camp.

Good luck Saturday, parents. I like to keep the morning short and sweet and without a lot of fan-fair. That’s my advice. And, of course, wear your tinted sunglasses. 🙂

The post Hiding Behind My Sunglasses appeared first on Lake Owego Camp for Boys.

We will be on the look out to take the best care of your sons, but it won’t hurt to review this list with them before they leave!

10. Homesickness – It is real.  So if your camper is talking about not feeling well, also encourage them to focus on feeling happy.  Know that they might be feeling sick but they also might feel H.A.L.T.D (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired, Dehydrated).  Ask them to share their concerns but also ask if we can address H.A.L.T.D.

9. Hand washing – In the last 100 years, this might be the most radical change in health.  The amount of bacteria that lurks around campers and activities is high.  We can’t really do much about it but we can wash it away!  Encourage your camper to wash after using the bathroom and before eating.  If they shower on a regular basis (which they do at camp), that helps too!

8.  Bugs – Bugs bite. But how we respond to them is important.  Encourage the camper to not scratch them and turn annoying bites into infected wounds.

7. Ticks – Show your camper what a tick looks like and the importance of self-checks.  Let’s not get involved with Lyme Disease.

6. Wear the right clothing – When hiking, wear long pants and know what poison oak and poison ivy look like.

5. Eat well – Campers are encouraged to make healthy choices.  Fruits and vegetables are available at every meal.  Encourage them to make good choices and to recognize how too much sugar and caffeine might make them feel.

4. Drink water – Send them with a water bottle and beg them to drink water.  Water will help them feel great and enjoy all of those activities they came to do!

3. Actually drink water!! This is very important!

2. Sleep – The best way to make the most of camp and take part in all of the activities is to rest the right amount.

1. Encourage campers to talk to their counselor if they do not feel well.   There is nothing wrong with not feeling well and it is bound to happen over the course of the summer.  Keeping counselors in the know is the most proactive way to stay healthy throughout the summer.

The post Top 10 Ways to Stay Healthy at Camp appeared first on Lake Owego Camp for Boys.