Archive for July, 2013

The Visiting Day Dust Has Settled

Tuesday, July 16th, 2013

Another great and truly pleasurable Visiting Day has come and gone.  Thank you, everyone!  Inevitably, some of your goodbyes were a little wet.  That always happens.  But something else that always happens is: camp begins again.  For one day, the action stops for families to be reunited for a fun afternoon.  Then, goodbyes (for a few more weeks) are said, parents and grandparents drive away, and activities start again.  In fact, since Visiting Day we’ve enjoyed a show, Upper Camp took on two evenings of amazing challenges, many of our girls competed in the Camp Starlight Dance Competition, several Wayne County games have been played, and—oh yeah, as part of the daily regular camp program, campers have been enjoying tennis, baseball, softball, boating, swimming, cooking, soccer, basketball, flag football, circus, magic, sports broadcasting, digital photography, fitness, dance, fishing, outdoor adventure, gymnastics, creative writing, arts & crafts, ceramics, woodworking, and the list seems nearly endless these days…In other words, what we’re trying to tell you is, don’t worry that the children are still crying.  They’re fine.  In fact, they’re better than fine because once the dust from Visiting Day settles, campers begin to focus what’s still ahead during the next few weeks—and for good reason.  Some of the best parts of camp happen over the next few weeks.

The Senior and All Camp shows, MTV Night, divisional trips, the Anniversary Party, Carnival, Olympics, Banquet, and did we mention Olympics?  Oh, how about just one more time: Olympics.  We have to mention a few times because the buzz starts early and the anticipation grows for several weeks before the big break.  In fact, one of the saddest aspects of the last few weeks of camp is that they pass every bit as quickly—sometimes it seems even more so—as the first few weeks leading up to Visiting Day, and we know that all too soon, we’ll all be saying goodbye for another ten months.  But…

Let’s not jump too far ahead ourselves.  For now, parents, we hope the Visiting Day dust has settled for you as well, and that you’re as focused on having a few more great weeks of summer as we are.  That you enjoy the photos, blogs, and Facebook posts.  And that you get the pleasure of enjoying lots of great camp stories in just a few weeks.

Thanks once again for a great Visiting Day 2013!

A Whole New World

Monday, July 15th, 2013

At Camp Starlight, a first year camper, upon stepping off the bus on arrival day for the first time, immediately exclaimed, “I’ve been waiting for this moment my whole life!” The awe of that young camper at that moment was very reminiscent of the scene in The Little Mermaid in which the young mermaid Ariel finds herself on land for the first time and, with her new legs, begins experiencing a whole new world.  She is mesmerized by the smallest human things—flatware, trinkets, and mirrors.  For young campers who finally get to come to camp for the first time after sometimes waiting their “whole lives,” there is a sense of wonder in being in a new place with different people and things.  They are surrounded by literally dozens of activities that perhaps they’ve never tried and, sometimes, of which they’ve never even heard.   Like Ariel the mermaid, they sometimes hear about the world of camp from older siblings for years before finally getting to experience themselves.  With that newness and the adventure of being in a place about which one has dreamed for a very long time comes a sense of openness and a willingness to try new things.  New campers often want to try EVERYTHING!

And why not?  What better way to discover which things one loves than at summer camp, an environment in which many newcampers are away from their parents for the first time?  There is no sideline pressure from overly zealous parents and coaches at camp sports.  There are no teachers to mark right from wrong.  Instead, new campers are surrounded by supportive counselors, staff, and bunkmates, many of whom are also first time campers and, as such, naturally empathetic.  That natural empathy creates an atmosphere conducive to bonding and the formation of lasting friendships.

As campers maneuver the new world of camp, they share like experiences.  Whether big, like taking on a high ropes course for thefirst time as a bunk, or small, like learning how to bait a fishing hook, learning what camp is all about together becomes the foundation for the transformation of the new world of first time campers into a special world that they get to take on again together each and every summer.   Because the menu of summer camp activities constantly expands and evolves, there is a perpetual newness to the summer camp experience.  Even though, for older campers, camp becomes a special place to which campers get to journey once a year, that essence of being a whole new world lives on summer after summer and is what drives campers to spend their winters counting down for that annual journey to experience it.

Meet Upper Inters Division Leader Janelle

Monday, July 15th, 2013

For this segment of Meet the Staff, a couple of our Upper Camp girls caught up with Upper Inters Division Leader Janelle.  Here’s what they learned about Janelle:

UCG: What college did you attend?

Janelle: University of Washington

UCG: What was your major?

Janelle: Communications/Sociology

UCG: What are your career aspirations?

Janelle: To enjoy life!

UCG: How many years have you worked at camp?

Janelle: 6

UCG: Why did you decide to work at a summer camp?

Janelle: Because it involves two of my favorite things–traveling and working with fabulous children.

UCG: What made you choose Camp Starlight?

Janelle: I saw an advertisement in my college paper.

UCG: What is your favorite thing about camp so far?

Janelle: Being interviewed for Meet the Staff

UCG: What is your favorite evening activity so far?

Janelle: Sisterhood of the Traveling Shirt

UCG: What do you hope to bring away from the summer?

Janelle: Friends!

UCG: What are the top five things on your bucket list?

Janelle: 1.)  ride an elephant 2.) take a hot air balloon ride 3.) land on every continent 4.) complete a triathlon 5.) be at Camp Starlight forever

UCG: What is something that most people here at camp probably don’t know about you?

Janelle: I lived in Australia for 2 years

Checking in at the Camp Starlight Lacrosse Field

Sunday, July 14th, 2013

Few realize that lacrosse, which is finally hitting its stride among youth sports in America, is actually the oldest sport in America.  In fact, it’s believed to have been invented by Native Americans.  For the past decade, though, lacrosse has been number one on the list of fastest growing high school sports in America, and the lacrosse program at Camp Starlight has very much mirrored that trend.  Just a few short summers ago, lacrosse was a sport enjoyed primarily by Upper Camp boys at Starlight.  Within the past few years, however, it has exploded in popularity and is now very enthusiastically enjoyed by Upper and Lower Camp as well as boys and girls alike.  In fact, some of Camp Starlight’s most powerful teams are Girls Camp teams.  We talked to Starlight’s new Head of Lacrosse, Georgia State University Head Coach Billy McCullough, about the program, and he had some really positive things to say about his staff and the program.

Billy came into the summer hoping to improve the skills of his specialists as young coaches and turn campers onto a great sport.  So far things on right on track.  In fact, if he had to pick just one word to describe how things are going at lacrosse this summer, it’s “great”—as in “great games, great kids, and building some great friendships.”

In particular, Billy is proud of the amount of growth he is seeing in the skills of the younger campers, to which he credits the assistance of his great staff and instructors.  In fact, he can’t help but brag about them.  “Taylor is the best! A great instructor and learner with a positive attitude everyday.  And Jordan has done a wonderful job with the boys.  He’s a great young coach with a bright future.”

Billy himself is a very enthusiastic former football player.  In fact, he played four years of college football at his alma mater, Valdosta State University in Georgia.  After college, he coached youth, high school, and college football and lacrosse before transitioning full time into his current head coaching role at Georgia State.

As for looking ahead, Billy says he hopes to take away great memories from the summer and for each camper to take his or her experiences home and apply the skills they learned here at camp.

Camp Starlight Tennis

Friday, July 12th, 2013

With Wimbledon just behind us, tennis has been a big focus in the world of sports as of late.  Here at Camp Starlight, tennis is a big deal too.  Everyday, our courts are busy from sun-up to sundown.  Campers can also be spotted trying to improve their game during free time, such as shower hour and, recently, many of our more passionate tennis players got to spend two days focusing on their skills during the Tennis StarCamp.  With so much enthusiasm about tennis here at Camp Starlight, we decided to check in with Starlight Tennis Director Gary Donnelley to talk tennis, and he was eager to brag about the immense popularity that tennis enjoys here at Camp Starlight.

Gary estimates that “at least 20% of campers are putting in a lot of time and effort to improve their tennis game this year.”  Those are some serious numbers for Gary, who says that his goals coming into this summerwere to attract and maintain large numbers of campers to Option and Super 6th.  So far, the numbers are exceeding his expectations.

Gary credits a good deal of the success of the Tennis program this summer to his amazing staff, whom he says is very high energy and vocal, both effective qualities in good tennis coaching.  And Gary knows good coaching.  He’s a former professional player and Wimbledon finalist who has spent the past twenty-two years as a coach.  Back in his home state of Arizona, he owns a tennis camp that he runs during the winter months.

Even though we’re still in the first half of the summer, Gary says his proudest moment as a Program Head so far this summer was seeing the Senior Boys win their first match.  As focused on the details of seeing individual campers and divisions succeed, he’s also very focused on the big picture.  He says that he ultimately hopes to take away many of the same things at the end of this summer that he took away from last summer;  to continue having a great time while building the program and positioning both Boys and Girls Tennis to springboard into next year.

An Ode to the Tutu

Thursday, July 11th, 2013

Tutus: those little skirts made from layers of tulle that are worn by ballerinas…and Camp Starlight campers.  Yes, what has been dubbed ‘one of the most brilliant inventions in costuming’ is also one of the most items on the packing list of pretty much every female camper (as well as many of the staff).  Solid, multicolored, classical, bell, or fairy style, it seems like pretty much every girl here on campus has a tutu or two.  So we felt it apt to pause for an ode to the tutu.

Although, they’ve been a ballet staple since early 19th century, tutus have only come into their own as camp garb within the past decade or so, primarily for their multi-faceted uses.  Tutus can be worn, for instance, while square dancing, hunting gnomes, attending dance parties, during fairy expeditions, as birthday attire, and to cheer on your team.  Whether solid or rainbow colored, the tutu is such a universal camp item that many campers pack more than one.  And why not?  They’re cute, they’re cheery, and they’re fun!

Meet Camp Starlight’s New Gymnastics Head

Tuesday, July 9th, 2013

Upper Debs Madelyn F. and Dani S.  recently caught up with Camp Starlight’s new Head of Gymnastics Kelly Gurney to find out a little bit more about her.

Madelyn and Dani: Where are you from?

Kelly: Malibu, California

Madelyn and Dani: What college did you attend?

Kelly: Auburn

Madelyn and Dani: What was your college major?

Kelly: Sociology

Madelyn and Dani: What are your career aspirations?

Kelly: To run a natural healing/surfing/gymnastics camp.

Madelyn and Dani: How many years have you worked at camp?

Kelly: This is my first summer.

Madelyn and Dani: Why did you decide to work at a summer camp?

Kelly: I went to camp as a kid.

Madelyn and Dani: What made you choose Camp Starlight?

Kelly: I really enjoyed the passion that the Millers and Alyson Lee had about the camp when I spoke with them.

Madelyn and Dani: What is your favorite thing about camp so far?

Kelly: The campers’ love of life and the individuality of the staff.

Madelyn and Dani: What is your favorite evening activity so far?

Kelly: The Topsy Turvy Dance Party

Madelyn and Dani: What is your favorite camp meal?

Kelly: Cookout

Madelyn and Dani: What do you hope to bring away from the summer?

Kelly: A new outlook on gymnastics

Madelyn and Dani: What are the top five things on your bucket list?

Kelly: 1.) to see the pyramids in Egypt 2.) attend a U.N. peace conference 3.) surf the biggest wave in Australia 4.) sail around theworld 5.) give love to everyone I come in contact with

Madelyn and Dani: What is something that most people here at camp probably don’t know about you?

Kelly: I got 52 bee stings once because I kicked a hornet’s nest doing a handstand.

Kindness: A Summer Theme

Tuesday, July 9th, 2013

Kindness is a theme at Camp Starlight this summer.  The term is an interesting one.  This blog writer was an English major and a fun hobby is breaking down words and their meanings.  Kindness is often erroneously interpreted as an adjective, a way for people to describe themselves in job interviews or during icebreaker sessions.  Kindness is not an adjective, though.  Adjectives describe a person, place, or thing.  Kindness is a noun.  It is a thing.  A thing that specifically refers to “the act of being kind.” That’s a verb.  An action.  It’s something a person must demonstrate.  One of the definitions of “kind” is “uniting by common traits or interests.”  Although this is not the popular definition for kind, it’s actually the most accurate.  One demonstrates kindness by giving of oneself, without the expectation of something in return, in order to lift or raise another.  In it’s simplest essence, it’s a physical expression of empathy.

There is a famous quote that says ‘no kind deed goes unpunished.’  The quote refers to the notion that the act of being kind is not only often thankless but requires some level of sacrifice in the form of pain, inconvenience, and, yes, glory.  Unfortunately, this is true.  People give up luxuries, time, effort, money, and countless other aspects of comfort in the name of being kind, often not even receiving so much as a ‘thank you’ in return.  But sacrifice and the lack of recognition for it does not deter those who understand that the true reward of a kind deed is in the act.

Expressing kindness is not always easy and the reward seldom comes in the form of reciprocation but rather the self-realization that you have been able to translate your own life experiences in a way that allows you to raise up someone else.  An individual who recently delivered a message about kindness to the entire camp emphasized recognizing the difference between a nice person and a friend.  Similarly, being “nice” is not synonymous with being kind.  Nice is something you choose to be in order to establish yourself as someone who is pleasant.  Your motivation for being pleasant is that others will be pleasant, thus, “nice” in return.  Being nice rather than kind places expectations on others.  But a truly kind deed is an expression of compassion driven by empathy.  It does not expect kindness in return but appreciates the opportunity to show others that you, in some way, understand and identify with a challenge in their lives and, because of that, are not only willing but wanting to alleviate the burden in some way.

“So what does this have to do with camp?” you might be asking yourself by now.  Quite simply, that the concept of kindness, like camp, though it may on the surface seem complicated and, at times, chaotic, is really quite simple at its core.  It’s saying ‘hi’ to an individual every day, regardless of whether they ever say ‘hi,’ in return.  It’s paying a compliment to a fellow staff member or camper without expecting one in return.  It’s helping a friend, bunkmate, or maybe someone you don’t even know when they seem discouraged or down, without judgment and without the expectation of a favor in return.  Kindness is not a loan.  It’s a gift…a gift of yourself.  And perhaps the most encouraging aspect of Camp Starlight is how well so many people here seem to understand that.  You hear campers encouraging each other as you stroll by fields and courts.  Campers and staff support each other in overcoming fears and challenges.  Maybe the camp environment promotes the development of “kind” skills, just as it promotes the development of the ability to kick a soccer ball, serve a tennis ball, or dribble a basketball.  Or maybe it’s telling of the values of Camp Starlight as a whole that kindness is so precious it has been made a theme for an entire summer so that it’s population and extended family may contemplate it’s worth in our lives as well as the lives of others.

Behind the Scenes

Sunday, July 7th, 2013

No one really thinks about the support staff when it comes to camp, but without them many camps would have trouble functioning.  Here at Camp Starlight the support staff is amazing and well appreciated.  These workers do everything from cooking and cleaning to maintenance and gardening.  Their philosophy in life is to work hard, do your best at all costs, work together, and never give up.

These staff members prepare meals three times a day and still manage to do other types of work.  They manage to do this by working together as a team and making sure that they are understood by each other on tasks.

Many of the support staff aren’t from the United States and they say that their biggest struggle is trying to speak and understand English.  It’s difficult for them to learn because many of the other counselors have different dialects of English. But they happily report that their English gets just a little bit better after each summer.

We just want to thank you support staff once again for all your hard work and that we love and appreciate everything that you do here at Camp Starlight.

A Fishing Break at Camp Starlight

Saturday, July 6th, 2013

There is an activity here at Camp Starlight that affords some of the best views anywhere on camp. For campers, it’s a great way to cap off or break up a sunny, sports filled day. The mere act of casting a line out into the lake is, itself, an exercise in tranquility. The activity in question, of course, is fishing and it’s extraordinarily popular here at camp. Campers sign up in droves for the opportunity to take advantage of some of the great fish stock in the Starlight Lake while looking out onto camp and contemplating their day or even their summer. Any big catches are, of course, released back into the water, but there campers still find joy in the excitement of a big catch. Older campers enjoy fishing because it seems so deceptively simple. Many sign up with the mindset that there can’t be much involved in baiting a line and casting it out into the lake. They soon learn, however, that fishing requires a great deal of patience. Although they initially start out wondering why it takes so long, they eventually come to understand that one of the most fulfilling aspects of fishing is in the waiting. It’s easy to unwind, catch up on one’s thoughts, tally goals, reflect on experiences as a camper, and enjoy friendships while waiting for that tell-tale tug on the line. The satisfaction that comes from those small, but significant moments at camp is what makes fishing a timeless camp activity.