Archive for November, 2013

The Importance of Evening Activities at Summer Camp

Tuesday, November 26th, 2013

The typical image of evenings at summer camp involves campers sitting around a campfire roasting marshmallows and singing songs. While campfires are an essential part of the camp experience and many camps enjoy campfires nightly or weekly —  they’re only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to after dinner activities. While some nights, particularly those following busier than usual days, are “chill” nights at camp during which campers watch a movie, enjoy a camp show or, yes, sit around that infamous campfire, on most nights, the action heats up when the sun goes down and things get crazy—sometimes really crazy—and maybe even a little goofy.

Whether it’s a dance, an evening of games, or a scavenger hunt, it’s important to dress for the occasion and costumes are typically encouraged. Acceptable attire often includes tutus, crazy hats or wigs, temporary tattoos and face or body paint. When competition is involved, dressing in team colors is also a must. Friends or even entire bunks/cabins try to mirror each other with matching outfits, and showing team spirit typically becomes a competition within a competition. Clever cheers (often involving inside camp jokes), singing, and loud encouragement provide the soundtrack to a night of activities designed to help everyone let loose, be themselves, and, most importantly, have fun. So what is the point of so much silliness after a full day of activities? It’s simple. Play. Play has long been touted by child psychologists as crucial to social and cognitive development. At camp, however, the kind of play that happens during evening activities takes on a much bigger role as an avenue for inspiring campers and staff alike to embrace camp values and put them into action.

At least one of these three key words consistently appears in camp mottos: “tradition”, “family”, “friends.” All three are emphasized during evening activities at camp. Whether it’s to win a competition or be the first across the finish line in a race, playful evening activities are a fun way for campers to come together as a family to achieve a common goal. More importantly, individual age divisions often spend time together during evening activities. During the day, campers go in many different directions, depending on their interests and program schedules. In the evenings, however, they come back together as a group. In the midst of lighthearted moments, friendships are born and strengthened.

Sleepaway camp traditions are evident—or sometimes born—in even the wackiest moments of evening activities. Those activities become perennial favorites to which campers look forward all year. They spend time during the winter contemplating ways in which they can enhance tradition and future memories by building upon previous experiences of those activities. They communicate with each other, brainstorm ideas and even make plans. In short, through play, campers take ownership of their camp experiences as well as their camp traditions. In doing so, they embrace camp values.

You Can Never Have Enough Socks

Thursday, November 21st, 2013

Arrival: The time has finally come and you have one million different thoughts racing through your head. I can’t believe I am here! Will I fit in? Will I make friends? Will the kids like me? How am I this excited and nervous at the same time? Did I pack enough socks? These feelings are par for the course when coming up the camp road for your first summer at Starlight. It’s a feeling that any returning staff member remembers vividly and one they are not likely to forget.

Orientation: It’s officially started; your bags are in a bunk, you’ve exchanged a few smiles or started small talk with a couple people, and you are wildly curious as to what a week of training will have in store. You attend meetings that are less of meetings than they are events. Chants, cheers, and skits may not be in your normal comfort zone, but here at Starlight you have flipped a switch you never knew you had. You have immersed yourself with this group of complete strangers to make a week of learning fun and the nerves of where your summer is headed completely vanish.

Campers Arrive: The nerves are back as fast as they went. The week of orientation felt a lot longer (in a good way) and you’re not too sure you want anything to change. You are attempting to perfect your bunk for the campers’ arrival and also trying to decide how much paint to put on your signs. You stand in the lawn by the clinic field and cheers erupt to the music as the buses emerge from beyond the hockey arena. Nerves are at an all-time high, but the energy of the moment is temporarily paralyzing any fear that attempts to escape. Camper after camper joins your group until the last makes it and you begin introductions as you head towards your bunk; relief sets in.

Week 4: You are at the halfway point of your summer. Just a few short weeks ago your campers knew more than you did, but that seems like an eternity ago. You are now proficient in the camp schedule, spirit, and probably even the songs. Nerves, what nerves? Only half of the summer has gone by and you are determined to make the most of it.

Closing Time: You are in the final days and are trying to relive your summer as it has flown by way too fast. Every “last” moment brings both cheers and tears; you really don’t want to leave. The kids board the buses and the magic of Camp Starlight has come to an end….for now. As you pack your bags and say your goodbyes to friends who you are so thankful for meeting, you realize a few things: you’ve made friends and memories that will literally last a lifetime, you can’t wait to come back next summer, and when you do you will most assuredly bring a few more pairs of socks.

-Kyle H.

10 Camp Things for Which We’re Thankful All Year Long

Tuesday, November 19th, 2013

The holidays are upon us and ‘tis the season to ponder those things for which we’re truly thankful. For those of us who are fortunate enough to eat, sleep, and breathe camp 24/7, 365 days a year, it’s hard not to make an exclusive “Camp Starlight” list. After all, Camp Starlight is just as much a part of our lives in November as it is in June. So we figured we’d share some camp things for which we are thankful all year.

1.)    Our campers. Each and every one of our campers brings something unique to camp that makes our camp family complete. Getting emails and phone calls about our campers’ accomplishments throughout the winter makes the memories we have of the summer that much more special and makes us even more excited for next summer to get here.

2.)    Our camp parents. We feel pretty lucky to have so many parents who are as enthusiastic about camp as their children and who keep in touch throughout the winter, providing us with fun and interesting updates.

3.)    Our staff. Finding a staff of talented people who are willing to leave their first homes and make summer camp their second home for several weeks each summer in order to literally live their jobs day and night is no easy feat. That we’re able to put together a staff each summer who is so vested in creating an amazing summer for all of our campers is truly a blessing.

4.)    Alumni. It’s always a special treat when our alumni share their favorite camp memories and reiterate how great their camp years were. The fact that so many of our alumni are still in touch and/or are active within our community says a lot to us about just how special camp is and motivates us to continue to strive to make camp a lifetime worth of memories.

5.)    A beautiful campus. That first drive into camp each summer is always so special. No matter how many times we’ve been there, that first up the camp road and glance at alumni field, the bunks/cabins, the dining hall, the courts, and the waterfront each summer is something we anticipate all year long.

6.)    Memories. Memories are what makes each summer different than the last. We find ourselves asking each other, “Remember when…?” and laughing over our favorite camp moments throughout the year.

7.)    Camp Songs. We often find ourselves turning up the volume whenever a song that proved popular the summer before plays on the radio or humming the alma mater or a favorite dining room tune while we’re busy planning for next summer.

8.)    Camp friends. It’s so nice to have someone with whom we can remember those special moments from previous summers and with whom we can have a hearty laugh about those inside moments that only our camp friends can understand. It’s also nice to be able to re-experience camp through meetups throughout the winter and makes us even that much more excited about next summer.

9.)    The camp tradition. It sounds pretty obvious, but just the fact that we’re able to carry on such a beloved tradition is a privilege. Summer camps have been around for more than a hundred years and are such an iconic part of our culture that movies and television shows have been made and books have been written about summer camp. Not to mention, without summer camp, we’re not quite sure what we’d be doing. We certainly can’t imagine doing anything else.

10.) The promise of next summer. We’ve said it a million times, but we start anticipating the next summer as soon as the buses pull away. That ten month wait each year seems like forever, but it proves to be just enough time to plan another summer that promises to be even better than the last. The anticipation drives us all year long as we plan and makes us thankful to be part of camp all year.

Seven Summers

Saturday, November 16th, 2013

Most children step off the bus and get their first glance of summer camp as eager, excited, and slightly nervous seven or eight year olds. It’s their first time away from home and they’re not quite sure what to expect. Few register those first moments as the first of a seven year adventure. It’s just the first summer, after all. Even parents sometimes forget that summer camp isn’t just one summer and, in that regard, is much more than a campus. It is a place where children grow up, and it should be a place where campers are every bit as enthusiastic about stepping off the bus their seventh year as they are their first. It should be a place where they feel an integral part of something larger.

Relationships form early at camp. The friends campers make their first year are often their closest throughout their camp careers. The adrenaline filled first meeting is the beginning of several years in the making. But the accepting environment of camp that encourages children to try new things also facilitates the promise of new friendships each summer. What campers learn as they progress through summers is that at “their camp,” no two summers are quite the same.

There is always the element of the unexpected at camp. Anticipation throughout the winter to return to camp is driven by the mystery of how the next summer will be different than the last. The ability to envision the campus as pretty much the same way they left it (with maybe a few upgrades or improvements) eliminates the element of fear in change for children. The stability of the campus itself makes change something to which campers can look forward. Boating docks, dining halls, athletic fields, climbing walls, and arts and crafts studios become favorite spots as the settings of memories from summer to summer. Although they are the same places they were the summer before, the memories campers associate with them make them slightly different.

That first exploratory summer, young campers are also able to observe and begin to anticipate the various rites that occur as they age. They look forward each summer to special trips and activities that are exclusive to their second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh summer. In the end, summer camp isn’t a singular experience. It’s the sum total of many summers and a culmination of friends, activities, traditions, and memories that builds from that first welcome on the first day of camp that first summer.

Summer-Through a Division Leader’s Eyes

Wednesday, November 13th, 2013

It’s hard to look back and pinpoint precise moments or exact conversations, but the memories of each never fade. We spend seven (albeit brief) weeks with your children acting as a guide and informational resource for them. When asked what I do with my summers by those unfamiliar with camp I respond with this simple statement “I was an interim parent.” We are there alongside your children for almost every moment of their summer and it’s truly amazing to watch them learn, grow, and perform each and every day.

Outside of Starlight I am a teacher and spent four years getting the qualification to do so. I have now spent five consecutive summers at Starlight and can without a doubt say that what I have learned from these campers is more instrumental to my day-job than my degree. It’s my privilege to look after your kids and make sure they are getting the most out of their summer and in turn, they enable me to grow as a person, leader, and teacher. I can’t say that everyday is easy, but I can say that every day is worth it.

-Nate Sweet, Upper Plebe Division Leader

Learning from the Starlight Program

Thursday, November 7th, 2013

Each summer the Starlight program gives campers the chance to be individuals, build confidence, as well as promote teamwork. By providing a well-rounded experience and offering so many activities, campers are able to learn in different environments.

Our staff members encourage campers to push themselves to try new things. From climbing the rock wall to zipping down the zip line to hosting their own radio show and calling play by play for an inter-camp game, campers are gaining self-confidence in many ways. Starlight Athletics allows campers to increase their skill-set through great instruction, practice, and drills. Campers also get swim lessons, boating lessons, and have the chance to waterski all throughout the summer. Seeing their kids grow and get better throughout the summer is one of the most rewarding memories a staff member can tell you about camp.

One of the greatest aspects about being at camp is the ability to perform at the Starlight Playhouse. This is something campers may or may not pursue at home, but each and every camper is involved with a show. Everyone has the chance to get up on stage and perform in front of the entire camp audience.

All campers have different and individual experiences, some love playing the guitar, directing movies, while others enjoy creating new moves at dance, building a model rocket or conquering a fear of riding a mountain bike around the lake. Even if it is as simple as shooting an arrow for the first time at archery, trying new things at camp is always a great thing.

Not only do we want our campers to have fun and enjoy activities, but we hope that they learn from the well-rounded program Starlight offers. There is truly nothing better than seeing campers grow throughout the summer and then transfer those skills to their daily lives once they leave.

-Patrick Francis