Tag: joy

A Year of Joy

December 27th, 2024

As Kate, Jack, Luke and I put a little winter work in at Weequahic, we’ve found ourselves talking about all the great moments of this past twelve months, especially those related to camp. I thought I’d share a few as we round out 2024 before welcoming in 2025.

Families Uniting

One of the crowning jewels of the year has been three camp weddings/engagements. Our beloved Samson married her true love in October with Nuge walking her down the aisle. There was a huge (and rowdy) contingent of Weequahic staff – past and present – at the party to welcome she and Nathan to married life.

Nic and Ximena – long time staff members who worked as bunk counselors, program leaders, DHs and more – got engaged. (The only hiccup – they planned their wedding the day before campers arrive in ’25. We’ll be at the wedding… in spirit.)

At the end of the calendar, many of the Weequahic team got to celebrate Luis and Mariana’s wedding in Buenos Aires. After sixteen summers at Weequahic as a bachelor, our venerable Waterfront Director will returned a married man… to a wonderful woman he met at Weequahic in 2022. SO GOOD!

Alumni Growing Up & Giving Back

Last summer, we had over 45 former campers back to Weequahic as staff members. They served in a number of roles – bunk counselor and program specialists, Program Heads, Division Heads, members of the Special Events team… and even one doctor!

What is the greatest joy of a camp director? It’s hard to tell as there are so many. However, watching the young girls and boys who get off the bus each summer grow into young women and men who welcome new campers into the community and culture that they love (and helped to build!) is pretty high on the list.

It starts with great families back home who believe in the beauty and importance of a summer community. It grows from campers who truly connect and find their best selves underneath our incredible pines and under the attentive eyes of our summer team. It culminates with these young people deciding to give back to those who follow them at Weequahic.

My favorite quote from last summer? From an alum during at the end of her first summer as a staff member: “Cole, I never knew how hard my counselors worked to make it great for me and my friends. I know I loved being a camper. But this summer? The best. EVER.”

Weequahic Making Memories

More returning campers last summer than ever before. The largest CIT group in Weequahic’s history. A new tradition started for our Senior 10s with their own Boston Trip. New campers arriving from 12 states and 12 different countries. Canteen. The highest number of returning bunk counselors in past 10 years. The Play. The Circus Show. Dancing on the chairs in the Dining Hall. Trips off camp. Campouts in the new Tree House. Did I mention Canteen? Friday Night Campfires. Brook’s first-shot-make in the Gitch. Scoring 100% on our ACA certification review. Cookouts making a triumphant return (with the new ‘dessert pass’ from Kate & Cole). A rainy Bucket Brigade. Singing in the Rec Hall. Swimming in Sly Lake. Laughing with your friends. Doing activities you only get to see on Youtube….

We’ve all got different memories from Summer ’24. Just like anything else, the ones you focus on the most get bigger and have more staying power. You can choose to dwell on the one thing that didn’t go well – that one bad meal or time you missed home for a few minutes or the bunkmate who – from time to time – was challenging.

Or… or you can DECIDE to focus on the so many great things that happened. Because the good, the joyful, the happy moments were LEGION. Pick a few. Focus on them. And come back for more of them in 2025.

Happy Friday, Weequahic. Here’s to even more JOY in 2025.

Three Steps to Joy

December 23rd, 2011

As school lets out and families spend time together at the end of each year, we spend a lot of time wishing ‘Joy’ to one another.

It is a joyful occasion, is it not? Parents who work hard throughout the year take a few moments to relax and connect with their children. Kids are thrilled to be out of school for a few weeks and look forward to the celebration of their family’s holiday.  The tv is full of messages of good tidings and cheerful holiday music plays through most speakers.

All of these joyful tidings made me remember what a mentor once said about true joy. He told me about three major points concerning true joy that I’d like to share with you.

First, if you want to be joyful, surround yourself with joyful people.

That is one of reasons I love camp so much. At Weequahic, one of the defining themes of our staff interviews and training rests on joy – how much counselors have and how willing they  are to express it. The best staff members may not be the most talented singers, hockey teachers, or bunk cleaners. They are, however, always the most joyful.

So, how do you handle those ‘joy suckers’ around you? My friend suggested to be kind to them but just don’t hang out with them. Makes sense to me!

Secondly, true joy comes from devoting your life to something larger than your own personal happiness.

Tony and I were just talking the other day about our most memorable coaching experiences. Both involved helping a young person achieve a level of athletic competence they didn’t think possible. The look on their faces when they did something they never thought they could do was priceless. There was complete joy in their faces and manner. That was the best reward we could have received!

Our bunk counselors and campers see this every day at Weequahic. Bunks that truly come  together becomes an ‘us’ rather than a collection of ‘me’s.’ And that is when the magic really starts to happen.

By the way, did you know that those who devote themselves to their own personal happiness never truly find it? It will always remain out of reach.

Finally, he told me that joy will always be in spite of something else.

I love this point. Camp, as much as we would like to make it so, is never perfect. There will always be a few bugs, a meal that is not as good as mom’s, or an evening activity that is just not your favorite. However, if you are waiting for the conditions to change in your life for joy to arrive, you’ll wait a mighty long time.

Karl Barth said “Joy is a defiant ‘never the less!’ It’s not contingent on circumstances. If it is, we are all in trouble.”

Sure, we can be upset by something. However, this moment of sorrow should be temporary and our primary attitude should be that of gratitude and joy.

So, this holiday season, I wish you the happiness which comes from joyful friends and families, being a part of something larger than yourself, and the recognition that, despite the bumps in life, joy is an attitude you can choose to adopt daily.

Happy holidays, all!

Cole Kelly

Director