Here we are in September and another summer has come to a close. We can’t believe how fast it flew by! It truly is a privilege for us to be able to host so many campers each summer. We’re sad that the Summer of 2011 is already over, but excited to begin planning for the Summer of 2012. For us, our greatest challenge is to make each summer better than the previous. That’s a hard thing to live up to when this summer was so amazing! Collectively, we really couldn’t have asked for a better group of parents, campers, or staff members. We know that all of you are what makes Camp Weequahic one of America’s finest summer camps! We can’t wait to meet those who will be joining us for the first time in 2012 and to welcome back all of our friends! To everyone, here’s to living 10 for 2…until our next 2!
Posts Tagged ‘camp traditions’
Another Summer has Come to a Close…
Tuesday, September 6th, 2011The Importance of Being Creative
Saturday, August 27th, 2011
Arts and Crafts at summer camp is more than just stringing together a few beads to make a bracelet or gluing some spray painted macaroni to a cardboard picture frame. It’s a program that gives campers the opportunity to explore their creative interests in several different types of art by offering a diverse array of age appropriate projects. Of course there are the traditional projects that are just plain fun, like paper mache and tie-dying. However, many summer camps also offer campers the opportunity to try things that are not only artistic but could be useful skills or even careers, such as metal work, jewelry making, calligraphy, cartooning, or soap and candle making. Just like sports programs at camp, many campers have discovered a passion in their summer camp’s Arts and Crafts programs that they later pursued further.
Another way in which summer camp Arts & Crafts programs benefit campers is by providing a creative outlet for children who are 
being given fewer chances to explore the arts in their school programs. Ashfaq Ishaq, PhD, argues that without being given the appropriate opportunity to explore their creative sides, children will not learn how to combine creativity with acquired knowledge to reach their full potential. Art encourages spontaneity and exploration, two things that allow us, as people, to be innovative and prolific in our thinking. Creativity also refines problem solving skills by helping us understand how to think “outside the box” when traditional solutions aren’t practical. All three qualities are considered crucial to success in a child’s education as well as their adulthood careers. Summer camp Arts & Crafts programs also give campers the opportunity to try some projects that might not be available in traditional school art programs, such as throwing clay on a pottery wheel.
For many campers, summer camp has become a way of maintaining tradition in environments that are ever changing. Faced with a fast paced, changing world in the winter, children can still depend on summer as a way to fall back on activities and hobbies that may not be greatly valued in conventional schools anymore but are useful and bring satisfaction. Arts and Crafts may be a dying art within American school systems. But it’s thriving within American summer camps.
Do You Know the History of Camping?
Thursday, March 3rd, 2011
Do you know the history of camping? Most people don’t and it is too bad. It’s an interesting story and I’m happy to give you my take on it.
Back in the early 1900’s, several individuals and families, seeing the swelling slums in the northeastern cities, began to think of ways to get kids back to nature. Striking out from New York and Boston, these camp pioneers found pieces of land with lakes, trees, clean air, and a lot of space on which to build the first ‘residential camps’ in the US.
Mostly school teachers and coaches, these early camp leaders built relationships with families who chose to send their children to camp. The founding purpose of camp was to provide an environment of wholesome activity in which the values of independence, teamwork, gratitude, and community were transmitted, both overtly and subtly, to children.
Looking back at over 100 years of organized camping, I think these early professionals were on to something. Camping is no
longer just for children from the northeastern major metro areas, though they still make up a large proportion of campers. Camp has spread across the country and world and now is a big part of lots of peoples’ lives.
There are a lot of reasons why camping has thrived over the years. The main reasons, at least in my opinion, are the relationships built between campers and the staff at camp, being a part of something special, and the skills (physical, psychological, and emotional) that are developed. When you combine value-driven adults who are eager to lead with campers excited to learn, grow, and build new friendships, you’ve got an incredible start for creating a remarkable camp experience.
Can’t wait for camp!
Cole Kelly
Director, Camp Weequahic
Competition at Camp Weequahic
Thursday, February 17th, 2011
You may have heard the Weequahic directors and year round staff were college athletes. It’s true. Well, Cole played golf at Virginia, so he was almost an athlete! Between the four of us, we’ve coached baseball, soccer, and golf at the NCAA Division 1 level for more than 20 years.
So, Weequahic must be a pretty competitive place, right?
Wrong.
Our focus is activity and skill development, rather than outcome. Competition is a wonderful tool for developing teamwork, community, and communication. It also helps determine areas for improvement. In essence, when done correctly, a little competition can really help a camper.
Weequahic is a part of the Wayne County Camp Association. Among its other duties, the WCCA organizes tournaments throughout the summer for our 31 associated camps in almost all of our activities. From swim and track meets to flag football, basketball, baseball, hockey, and lax games, we have just about anything a camper could want. We will even take campers to local USTA tennis tournaments so they can compete with kids from all over our region. While we have fun with a little competition, we are BIGGER believers in fun, skill development, and play.
If a camper wants to play on one of our teams, he or she simply needs to raise a hand and say ‘I want to be on the team.’ Once campers commit, they are good to go, regardless of their skill level. And, as long as they are supportive of their teammates and putting forth their best effort, they’ll play!
With one exception, we do not have tryouts at Weequahic. We require tryouts for tennis only because league rules restrict tennis rosters to eight players. If more than eight campers want to play, we hold a ladder tournament to determine the roster.
That said, sports competition is not for everyone. That is why we have incredible aquatics, adventure, and arts programs including things like Magic, Skate Park, Robotics, Radio, Music and more.
Not all of our camp competition, however, is relegated to WCCA events. What summer would be complete without a Color War type of competition?
Campers in our first session enjoy Tribals, a four team multi-day spirit competition. Vying for the “Deed of the Land”, campers play, sing, cheer, and laugh as they compete in spirit competitions in which everyone adds value to their Tribe. Campers in the second session enjoy Olympics, a five day competition between Army and Navy teams that dates back to our founding in 1953.
So, whether you are an athlete who wants to improve or an artist that is thrilled to explore the creative side of camp, Weequahic has something fun to offer. See you at camp!
Cole
Favorite Memories at Summer Camp
Tuesday, January 18th, 2011We started a new tradition at Weequahic a few years back that I look forward to each day while at camp: getting each camper’s happies for the day.
Every night, I go through the boys bunks and ask for their two favorite memories from the day. I often get a lot more than two! These happies run the gamut – activities (especially waterskiing and tubing), playing on a team, getting up on stage, the recently completed Evening Activity, chicken nuggets for lunch, etc.
This is my way of saying good night to each boy at camp and represents one of my favorite responsibilities: really getting to know our campers. Our female leaders at camp do the same for the girls.
It’s so ingrained, in fact, that some families have started to do it at night in their own homes. I love it!!
Focusing on your favorite memories at the end of a day gives you a leg up in lots of areas. First, it helps our campers who are missing home focus on everything great they experience at camp. Secondly, they have to think critically about their day to find what they were happiest about. Finally, it helps focus the mind on gratitude towards others. None of these ‘happies’ are created in a vacuum!
As we ended 2010, I couldn’t resist asking the kids about their happiest moments from the 2010 summer and year. As you can imagine, there was a wide range of answers. Here are the highlights:
- 100% mentioned their friends and/or being with their bunk
- Activities were huge happies, especially waterfront, zip lining, and gaga!
- Evening Activities such as MTV night and our Friday Night Camp Fires (and the smores!)
- Tribals and Olympics (our two Color War experiences) were huge hits
Outside of camp, our little community was happy about:
- Their families
- Friends at camp and at home
- Traveling
A great list from a great group of kids. Thanks to everyone for sharing!
We’ll continue to ask for everyone’s favorite memories each day (staff – you, too!) this summer. Make sure you are thinking about it before you head off to bed. In fact, I suggest you start practicing at home right now!
See you this summer.
Cole
Bringing Tradition To Today: Making Summers Extraordinary
Tuesday, January 4th, 2011
Every day at summer camp is exciting and busy, but every camper looks forward to those special camp events and traditions that are unique to each camp. I still have vivid memories of our camp talent show and the wonderful skit our staff put together using a sheet, a bright flash light and their own shadows. It took place thirty years ago, but it still brings a smile to my face, and that one memory triggers a hundred others. Every camp has their own special camp traditions that bring the entire camp together for friendly competition, unique bonding activities, wonderful gourmet treats, and a chance to show off talents and teamwork.
At Camp Weequahic, a main event is Tribals, which takes place at the end of the first session. The campers are divided into four teams, each representing the four classic elements: earth, wind, fire and water. The previous summer’s winning team keeps the same name (i.e., Seneca) while the other three teams have new names. The events include everything from athletics to spirit events. Other events campers can look forward to are Ms. Weequahic – girls dress up male counselors who then put on a talent (or lack thereof) show; Ron Dagan has been performing at Weequahic for over 20 years; and enjoying different evening activities created over the years: Weequahic Goldrush, Panic, and others.
Such special events are the memory-makers of summer camp, where kids, staff, counselors and bunkmates come together in friendships that will last a lifetime! So when will you be joining in?
Susan
Tribals and Olympics
Friday, August 6th, 2010What is camp without Color War? Divided into teams of equal athletic, creative, and enthusiastic skills, campers compete in these multi-day events to end each session.
“Tribals” involves four teams who vie to become the “Keeper of the Deed to the Land.” Ending our first session each summer, the campers and staff of Weequahic represented four different nations: Cherokee, Iroquois, Seneca, and Dakota. The nations change each year with the exception of the previous winner.
Competitions ranged across the sport fields to the art rooms and even into the kitchen where each camper strives to bring valuable points to their teams. We develop the teams and events so that everyone adds value, regardless of their interests and abilities.
This year, Cherokee outlasted a surging Dakota team at the last few moments of our Gitchee Goomee, a relay race around camp. Cherokee now holds the Deed until the next summer.
Not to be outdone, Olympics holds enormous sway of the last few days of our second session. Since 1953, Army and Navy have competed over four days to determine the victors. Whether competing in novelties (like Marble Call), lining up in formation, challenging one another on the soccer field, or bursting with excitement at the Sing, Olympics is a good natured (and slightly intense) end to each summer.
Both competitions keep the journey rather than the outcome as its ultimate goal and sportsmanship as the highest value. Our program heads and key staff members serve as Judges during both competitions to ensure the proper outcomes, keep the competitions fair, and continual reminder our campers and staff that, regardless of the team they are on, everyone is a valued part of Weequahic.
