Maybe your child regularly practices his or her acceptance speech for the Academy Awards–or maybe you have a child who just likes to occasionally brush up on his her acting skills–or maybe still you have a child who is merely curious about exploring the world of theater. Whatever your child’s level of passion, summer camp is a place he or she will thrive. Although there are many camps that specialize in the arts, even traditional summer camps often foster healthy theater programs that put on multiple shows throughout the summer. It’s not difficult to understand why theater is such a beloved tradition at virtually every summer camp. Camp itself is an environment that encourages children to shed the self-consciousness that may hold them back in other more formal settings and to try new things, act silly, explore interests.
But it’s not just the summer camp environment that makes camp theater programs ideal for aspiring young artists. Many summer camp theater programs also offer outlets for exploration behind the stage in areas such as costumes or stage and set design. By being able to be part of the process of piecing together a show from both in front of and behind the curtain, some children actually find that their real passion isn’t necessarily as part of the cast but part of the crew. Children also learn to understand the importance of working together. Putting on a theater production, whether it involves the entire camp or just a few people, is a cooperative effort.
The team spirit quality of this encourages participants to support each other makes summer camp theater ideal for anyone who might want to explore theater as a new hobby, or children who like the idea but aren’t quite sure how they feel about being on stage. Summer camp theater programs tend to place the emphasis on the importance of being part of a production rather than being the star. Although there are many elements that may seem separate from the outset, the final product is the sum total of all of those efforts added together. Summer camp itself breeds a sense of togetherness, so perhaps it’s that sense that makes theater perennially a popular summer camp program.
Whether your family lives in a large city or a small town, there is likely not a shortage of organized sports for children. Increasingly, the emphasis of team sports is less about what it means to be a member of a team and more about being the MVP of a winning team. As a result, child athletes are often caught between sparring parents on one sideline and anxious, screaming coaches on the other. Overly zealous parents and coaches seldom stop to consider that children often absorb their parents’ feelings and may project the resulting tension through their play. The immense pressure to be a star who constantly wins is often why many children become burnt-out in the competitive sports environment and choose to take a break or even quit altogether. Says Fred Engh, author of Why Johnny Hates Sports, “If all the focus is on winning, kids may be scared to fail and make mistakes. Mistakes are part of the learning process and it’s how one improves.” One of the most undervalued benefits of team sports at traditional American summer camps is the environment that allows children to make mistakes without fear of backlash from the sidelines and to process those mistakes in a way that they can turn them into learning experiences.
Setting up children for success requires a welcoming environment in which they can feel comfortable being themselves. Those who tend to be self-conscious are particularly challenged by situations in which tension runs high. The spirit of camp is one of instruction, fun and safety more than competition. It’s about making children feel like a valuable part of a unit that utilizes everyone’s talents in a way that is beneficial. In short, the traditional summer camp environment is a team environment. At camp, children have the encouragement of their counselors and fellow campers when playing sports. A child making a layup shot on the basketball court for the first time is cheered just as much as someone scoring a winning three pointer.
Perhaps the relaxed positive reinforcement they receive while learning to play sports at camp is why so many children (as many as 60%) feel compelled to continue being active in an activity they tried for the first time at camp.
One of the most touted benefits of working at a summer camp is the network one may build even within the parameters of a single summer. Unlike many work environments, which tend to draw locals with a telescoped set of talents, summer camp attracts staff from virtually all over the world who possess an array of abilities. A successful summer at camp requires the expertise of athletes and artists alike. Because summer camps are 24/7 communities, staff members tend to form very close bonds within the two months that they reside at camp each summer. Camp breeds a sense of family, which is precisely why, for a good many staff members, goodbye at the end of the summer is seldom goodbye forever. Thanks to a little help from social media outlets such as Facebook, it’s possible to stay in touch with summer camp friends no matter where on earth they live. Whether it’s couch surfing while traveling, hunting for a job, needing a little bit of advice or support, or sharing an inside joke, camp friends are there. Working at summer camp is more than just a summer experience. It’s a way to form a global network of friends for life.
With the start of our Camp Weequahic Tribal session just a little more than two months away, it’s a good time review a couple of things that will help prepare your family for camp.
The Basics:
1. Have you reviewed the packing list and placed your order from Cloz? While it may still seem like a long time from now, the start of camp will be here before you know it and thousands of families will be ordering from them over the coming weeks. Please make sure to get your order in soon.
2. Have you scheduled your baggage pickup with Camp Trucking yet? They provide a fantastic service the picks up your camper’s bags from your home and delivers them to camp so that we can unpack them to make that first day so much more fun. Please go to their website to register today.
3. Have you scheduled your child’s pre-camp health check up yet? We must have an up to date health form signed by your child’s doctor before she or he can join camp.
4. Finally, have you had a chance to look through our parent handbook and completed the requested forms? The majority are due on May 7th. Thank you for working on them promptly. You can find the forms in your My Camp Manager account.
OK, so those are the basics. Let’s get into more weighty matters:
I know many campers (and their parents) are getting really excited and slightly nervous about the first day of camp. Both feelings are completely normal and expected! While it is a big deal to go to camp, we will do everything we can to provide both of you with an incredible experience from start to finish.
If you have a question, please call us and ask! Whether its about the size of the sheets you should send or the difference between wakeboarding and water skiing, please call. We want to help and are happy to do so at any time.
Should children be getting a little nervous about missing home, I suggest parents acknowledge the feeling and then remind them of all the fun they are going to have at camp this summer. With over sixty activities, an incredibly fun (and safe) staff, and so many like minded campers, your child will not only make a bunch of new friends but come home feeling it was the best summer ever!
We will continue to be in touch over the coming weeks with more information about camp to help you and your family prepare for an incredible summer. Please keep an eye out for emails as well as notices on our blog and Facebook page.
An average camp is considered to be successful if the kids come home safe at the end of the summer and had fun. Weequahic is about so much more than that. The people who work at Weequahic want to teach and help children grow up. Working at Weequahic will wear you out. By the last day you will have no ounce of energy left inside of you. But that’s what it’s all about. It’s the most satisfying feeling you can think of. It’s so worth it and that’s why I love working at Weequahic!
My name is Fred Goddard and this will be my third summer at Camp Weequahic. I have been a tennis coach, sailing instructor and am really excited about moving into a leadership position as Division Head for summer 2012. When I’m not at camp, I live in Bristol (UK) and attend the University of Bristol.
My friends back in the UK always ask me why I am going back to camp, and I always tell them… Because I am trying to put off the day that I am going to have to say no to coming back. I am lucky to say YES to my summer home again in 2012!
The unseasonably warm and pleasant weather seems to be bringing on summer faster. The flowers are blooming, the birds are back, and the days are sunny. It’s hard not to take advantage of the opportunity to prematurely engage in all of one’s favorite summer activities a little bit. The other day, my sisters and I caved. We decided to rally my niece, go to the park and, yes, even though three of the four us fully qualify as grownups, play on the playground. I’m convinced that no matter how old one gets, no one ever gets tired of swings. It turns out that we weren’t the only ones with such an idea. The place was packed, children and adults everywhere. The park had even opened up the boating dock, something that they usually don’t do until Memorial Day Weekend. People were out on the lake in rowboats and paddle boats. They were picnicking. They rode by on bicycles, skates and skateboards. The comforting familiar smell of campfire from the nearby campground even permeated the air. It was as if 2012 had transposed May and March. My niece and I managed to score the last two remaining swings while my sisters preoccupied themselves on the monkey bars.
My niece and I have this game we play. We see who can swing the highest. The little boy between us apparently thought our game looked fun because he joined in. As we slowed down for a bit after tiring ourselves out, he started a conversation. I think he actually wanted to talk to my niece but decided I’d make a good mediator—at least in the beginning. His name was Hunter. What is her name? Angelica. How old is she? She is six. Same as me, he said. What grade in she in? First. Same as me, he said again. He jabbered on. His dad had told him that if he was good they might rent a paddle boat later. Maybe Angelica could come on the paddle boat with him. He wished the concession stand was open so he could get ice cream. Earlier in the day he’d gone to his swimming lesson at the JCC. Then his mom signed him up for camp there this summer. I perked up. Every now and then, chance throws a writer a bone and you have to grab it and run with it. Camp, huh? Do you stay overnight at this camp? No, I’m not old enough. I didn’t tell him that I already knew this. The minimum age for most overnight camps is seven. Is this your first time at the camp? Yes, my sister went last year. She said it’s really fun. What do you think will be the most fun? Ummm…I don’t know. I don’t really know what we do there. I bet you swim there. Yeah, I think we do. I worked at a camp. You did? Yep. Only everyone stayed overnight at my camp. His eyes grew. They did? Yep. I think I would like to do that someday. Was it fun? Yep. What was it like there? I looked around at the bicycles and the boats. I took in the smell of campfire in the air and listened to the sound of all of the children playing and laughing. It’s a lot like this. I think I would like that, he said. Hunter had no idea that he made my day and helped me out a lot by literally handing me material for a camp blog. I hope he has fun at the JCC camp this year…and that he makes it to overnight camp someday. If you haven’t thought about sending your children to camp, take a trip to your local park on a nice spring day. Your senses just may help the decision become clear.
Hi everyone. My name is Chad Razey and I’m 22 years old and attend the University of Georgia. Go Dawgs! I will graduate in May of 2012 and look to continue my education at Auburn University. I first came to camp as a basketball instructor and bunk counselor and am now moving into the Basketball Director position. I can remember my interview for the job so clearly. I was able to meet Tony and Sue Baldwin in their home and we had a great conversation. I was convinced that camp was the place for me and I would really be able to apply my physical education major. And I got so much more from the experience!
I love the atmosphere at Camp Weequahic. I have never experienced another place where you can walk in and feel like nowhere else in the world has to exist. Weequahic has it all, from great people to great facilities; whatever you look for in a camp, Weequahic has it. I was not just a counselor or a basketball instructor. I was a part of a family. The staff got so close that many of us formed relationships that will last a lifetime. The children that I worked with looked up to me as a big brother and a role model; they never saw me as their boss.
Weequahic is its own world. While at camp, there are no weekdays or weekends, there is just camp. No one is stressed from the hustle and bustle of daily life, and everything seems to always flow smoothly. The people you are surrounded with always attempt to make your day better in some way. Weequahic is like a utopia, nestled in the northeast corner of Pennsylvania.
I am thankful for new leadership opportunities, and the chance to return to my summer Utopia! Go Weequahic 2012!
The following blog was contributed by camper Leah C., New York:
Silence.
Everyone gathered around the flagpole slowly, shoulders drooping, feet dragging in the grass, arms draped tightly around their friends’ shoulders. The traditional wooden “W” stood sturdily on main campus, waiting to be burned, waiting to wordlessly proclaim the end to our summer. Long, erie shadows, created by the glow of the moon, stretched out in front of us as we approached the flagpole. I sat down on the wet grass with my friends surrounding me and lifted my head to look at the black, clear, starry sky. Out of the corner of my eyes, I could see my friends doing the same, drinking in the sight of our last night at camp.
The flames engulfed the “W” quickly and within minutes, it was burning so brightly, it was hard to look at it. Yet it was hard to take our eyes off of it. Realization slammed into me, and suddenly it hit me that I wouldn’t see my summer family for another ten months. We would say our good byes, depart on our buses and planes the next morning, and talk to each other all year… but it wouldn’t be the same. With tears in my eyes I glanced away from the W and faced my friends. Looking at each other, and knowing from the expression on their faces, the same realization had struck them too. Tears streamed down our faces and we clung to each other, not wanting to say good bye to our best friends.
The W burned fiercely now, as if determined to end our summer. Everyone stood up and huddled in a group as we watched the “W” collapse. Sparks flew up from the pile of burning wood as it hit the ground with a heart breaking sound. Smoke billowed in the air, stationary above the ruin before drifting up into the night sky.
Every family wants their camper to have an incredible time at camp. Building relationships with campers and staff members from all over the US and world, enjoying activities they only get to try at camp, and being a part of the camp spirit and traditions certainly allow for fun. We want more for your child, though, than just a good time. We want to make a difference in their lives. And that is where our values of Gratitude, Attitude and Courage come in.
Gratitude: ‘A gracious heart is a happy heart.’ We have heard this from a number of philosophers and teachers through the years and know it to be true. Therefore, we spend a few moments each evening thinking about our day and expressing at least two moments that made us happy. That expression of gratitude encourages us to be more thoughtful about ourselves and others and requires us to take a moment to be thankful each day.
Attitude: The only aspect of our lives over which we have complete control is how we react. Attitude, therefore, is a chosen outlook on life and we remind our campers of this fact often. Choosing the type of attitude you want to present to the world, and yourself, is one of the most important realizations our young people can come to at camp. We develop this habit through the modeling of our counselors, gentle reminders throughout the day, and creating a community of fun for all.
Courage: We don’t talk about the courage needed to save someone from a burning building. Rather, we focus on the courage it takes to complete the small, every day actions required to be a good person. Standing up for yourself or another, trying something new, being polite when it’s hard to do so – these are the small courageous actions of good people.
Coupled with the independence gained by living away from their parents in an incredibly fun and intentional community, our campers leave Weequahic with a deeper appreciation of Gratitude, Attitude, and Courage. It is our hope this will only aid them in their paths to being people of good character, which benefits not only themselves but everyone who comes into contact with the Weequahic Way.
There is a wonderful story about developing character in a young person we recently heard and wanted to pass along to our community. This will be an addition to our campfire time for summers to come!
The Story of the Two Wolves
One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, “My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all. One is Evil - It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is Good - It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: “Which wolf wins?”
The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”
Simple, isn’t it? However, just because building good character is as simple as feeding the right wolf inside us, the culture around us doesn’t make it easy. Our young people need to know that they have a choice in building character and must make decisions on a daily and hourly basis about which wolf to feed. The Weequahic Way serves to remind our campers and staff members that they do have a choice and guidelines for making ones that will help build people of Good Character.
Maybe your child regularly practices his or her acceptance speech for the Academy Awards–or maybe you have a child who just likes to occasionally brush up on his her acting skills–or maybe still you have a child who is merely curious about exploring the world of theater. Whatever your child’s level of passion, summer camp is a place he or she will thrive. Although there are many camps that specialize in the arts, even traditional summer camps often foster healthy theater programs that put on multiple shows throughout the summer. It’s not difficult to understand why theater is such a beloved tradition at virtually every summer camp. Camp itself is an environment that encourages children to shed the self-consciousness that may hold them back in other more formal settings and to try new things, act silly, explore interests.
explore theater as a new hobby, or children who like the idea but aren’t quite sure how they feel about being on stage. Summer camp theater programs tend to place the emphasis on the importance of being part of a production rather than being the star. Although there are many elements that may seem separate from the outset, the final product is the sum total of all of those efforts added together. Summer camp itself breeds a sense of togetherness, so perhaps it’s that sense that makes theater perennially a popular summer camp program.
