L.G. Cook - London Edition: Volume I

Volume I: London Blogging (Sorry. That was a play on a The Clash reference I'm even several years too young to legitimately attempt to make.)

Wait a minute.

That's not me in front of a tree on Camp!

That's not Jim in front of the Dining Hall!

That body of water is NOT Lake Shawanni!

What in the world is going on here!?!?

A very good question. But first, some back story:

----------------------------

Have you ever wondered how we manage to bring our wonderfully-accented, super-awesome international staff members across the ocean to their summer home at L.G. Cook? Well, the trick is we manage it by NOT doing most of the work! No, most of the work is done by a fantastic organization called Camp America.  

Since 2001 (thanks to Camp America) , we've had 63 international counselors spend a summer here, a bit over 20 percent of all our staff in that time. Camp America places over 7000 international counselors at camps across the nation every summer. 

In the past, we've selected our Camp America counselors from afar, considering in depth applications and profiles, conducting Skype interviews, and so on. However, this year we decided to take Camp America up on their offer to journey to one of their overseas job fairs and hire our Summer 2015 counselors live and in person.

And so with that, Jim and I were London bound. Which is how we get back around to the rarity of non-camp located photos like this one:

Not only did the trip feature this tremendous job fair (more on that in future posts), and several other exciting events (also more on that in future posts), but it included a celebration of Camp America's 30th Anniversary at Parliament (more on that in this post. Right now). 

This is Parliament (or the Palace of Westminster).Yes, that building attached to Big Ben. And that clock's not actually called Big Ben. Big Ben is the nickname for the large bell, which is in the clock, which is on the Clock Tower, which is attached to the House of Parliament. These are things I now know.

And this is a model of Parliament. I never go anywhere that doesn't have an easily accessible model of itself for consultation. 

This is what the British call "a very nice hallway."

It was so nice it gave us some good ideas for remodeling the Dining Hall. The main theme? More statues.

This led us through an area where no pictures were allowed (use your imagination, picture a super cool big old ornate royal place where pictures wouldn't be allowed and it's just that), on out to a terrace along the Thames River where Camp Directors from across the country and Camp America staff got to celebrate all the great stuff the organization has accomplished over the past 30 years.

Needless to say, it was super fun, and a super honor to be there, and just overall pretty super.

More on our other London escapades and quest for International Counselors soon! 

Right now, I'm still jet-lagged and badly need a nap.

The Last New Class (For This Here New Year)

We've made it to the reveal of our final new Camp class for the 2015 season! Which is good. Because people still talking about it being the New Year on January 16th need to find something else to talk about.

Our All-Camp Games, Evening Activities, and Afternoon Recreation Times all fall under  what we call the "Resource" area of Camp, and we are adding our first ever Resource class, operating in a no-man's-land course area all of it's own.

What is this brave, ground breaking, intrepid new class?

Lawn Games, naturally. Lawn Games. (As brave, ground breaking, intrepid things go, it's pretty relaxed.)

Lawn Games

Nothing beats some leisurely recreational lawn activities as a way to while away a couple hours at camp. The campers and their counselor instructor will choose what games they feel like partaking in each individual class, and they’ll play until they feel like playing something else. Frisbee golf, whiffle ball, ladder ball, bocce ball, can jam, badminton and many other games will be among the available choices.

It'll be fun, and a great way to choose to spend a morning at Camp.

How much fun are we talking?

We're talking as much fun as Alissa-Cutter-kicking-a-soccer-ball-with-way-too-much-energy-as-a-group-of-campers-look-on-approvingly-fun.

New Class for a New Year: You'll won't believe what course we've upgraded.

It's fishing.

(Oh man. I ruined the suspense on that almost immediately! I should have strung it out longer. That's my bad.)

Yes, indeed, in addition to our standard Fishing Course we now have...wait for it...ADVANCED Fishing.

Cause here's the thing about fishing: 

Everyone loves fishing.

We catch 'em! We release 'em! We catch 'em again. What's not to love?

Not convinced? See the evidence below.

This wasn't fishing. This was Eel-ing. Eeling is weird. 

And how do you take Fishing and make it Advanced Fishing?

Why, you roam around a bit, that's how.


Advanced Fishing.

Ages 12 and up.

Fishing has always been one of the most popular activities here at camp, and our advanced class gives a chance for the avid fisherperson to get even more experience with the pastime. In addition to learning some advanced techniques and more in depth information, the class will utilize some rarely fished areas of camp. The center piece of the course will be a long hike through Stokes State Forest to the Big Flatbrook River for some late morning trout fishing. Not only will they enjoy one of New Jersey’s premiere trout fishing areas, but they’ll have lunch on the banks of the Flatbrook before hiking back to Camp.

Spots in Advanced Fishing are going fast, so snag yours now!  Not only will it be a fishing opportunity outside of our regular class and rec time fishing, but it will mark Camp's first modern excursion to the mighty Flatbrook River...

---

We've still got one more new class to roll out, in the course area of...no course area.

Is the mystery really getting to you?

Good. That's kind of what we were going for.

More New Classes for the Same New Year

The Waterfront is a tried and true area of Camp, where we've got canoeing, kayaking, swimming and nothing about that ever changes. Nothing ever changes about that until  Summer 2015, that is, when we're adding a BRAND NEW WATER FRONT CLASS:

Lifeguarding 101
Ages 12 and up.

Every wonder what it takes to be one of those orange-tube carrying whistle-wearing guardians of Lake Shawanni? Our Lifeguard Basics class will answer that question and more. One of our advanced classes for older campers, the class will go into various swimming strokes and techniques, as well as some basic drills and life guarding philosophies and protocols.

Members of the class will get some great water safety tips, both for themselves and others who will be swimming with them.


***This class offers no certifications and is not part of any professional lifesaving curriculum.***

Be sure to check back soon, because in Environmental Education we've taken one of Camp's favorite classes and made it even favoriter.

Favorite-er?

Favorite-y-er? 

More favorite?

The point is we've got another good new class.

New Classes for a New Year

Happy '15 to all you year-round Summer Camp folks!

For those of you who have already signed up for Summer Camp, or those of you looking to sign up soon during our Early Bird Registration (which extends from now until March 15th), you may notice a few brand-new options when choosing Camp classes.

Every so often we try to spice up our course areas with by adding some never-before-seen classes, and we've thrown in a slew of flavor for 2015 with new courses across the board in Environmental Education, Arts and Crafts, Waterfront, and even one out by itself in no-man's land. (Sorry, Shooting Sports. Nothing new for you this year. How about we just throw in some new and interesting archery target games. How's that?)

So for the first edition of "New Classes for a New Year", meet our expanded Arts and Crafts selections:

This is the Craft Shop. It is not new. It's actually kind of super old.

Repurposed Art: 

Why throw it out when you can turn it into art? Our new Repurposed Art class will ask this question of recyclables, pieces of supposed trash, and all sorts of other disposable ever day items. A a variety of projects will show off the potential all mundane or forgettable objects hold inside of them.

This is not Repurposed Art. This is clay. We haven't done Repurposed Art yet. Because it's new. Hence the whole reason for this post.

Junkyard Band
The maintenance shop, kitchen, and other forgotten corners of camp have been raided and what we have is a pile of…junk. This class will take that pile of junk and transform it into a variety of musical instruments, and then those instruments will be turned into a functioning band. The class will teach different kinds of basic, simple instruments, and each camper will get to select and construct one of their own. The campers will then all come together, and find how their new junkyard instruments complement each other as the class plans, composes and practices a couple junkyard songs. They’ll then perform these tunes for the camp as the house band at our closing campfire.

I want to be clear: I am not implying that these are Junkyard instruments. There are real instruments. Since Junkyard Band has yet to exist, we just don't have any pictures of it and this is as close as we could get. So Real Instruments, please don't take offense and feel like I've called you a junkyard instrument. Except that rubbermaid container in the right hand corner. That could be the beginning of a junkyard instrument.

Stop by again soon (y'know, as in stopping by here on the internet) to see what new classes some of the other course areas have to offer!

Happy Holidays from all of us at Camp

The classic expression is: 

"Happy Holidays from our family to yours"

...but that's not quite accurate for this post, because everyone who comes to Camp, has attended Camp in the past, or supports Camp is part of our family. 

So, perhaps more appropriate for all of us Camp folks would be:

"Happy Holidays from our family to our family. We can't wait to see everyone back home at Camp in 2015."

(Oh! And if you're planning to register for Camp at our Polar Bear Rate, remember: you only have till the end of the year! Polar Bear Rates are no longer available starting January 1st. Everyone enjoy your well-earned winter breaks and the rest of your year!)

An Early Holiday Treat...Brand New Camp Brochures!

Well, I suppose you can only consider it a treat if you really like Camp brochures.

However, lucky for me, most the people who routinely read this blog REALLY like Camp brochures. So a holiday treat it is!

                                                     

Special thanks for these go out to Alissa Cutter and Lauren Tosti (our professional photographers at our rec time photo shoot), the campers who participated in that rec time photo shoot, and the folks at Moon Light Imaging for putting them together for us.

Feel free to pass these pictures around OR pick up some hard copies of the brochures from the Camp Office! They'll be a useful tool if you're looking to join our Lantern Program by getting some new campers to come to Camp.

Also! There is only TWO WEEKS LEFT to register for Camp under the Polar Bear Rate. This is the lowest price we offer, just for returning campers, so be sure to register before the end of the year to grab our Polar Bear Rate. (And remember - The Camp Office is closed starting December 24th, so if you have any questions, be sure to catch us before then.)

Our First Winter Gathering: A Retrospective

SO. We did it.

We gathered. 

In the winter time. 

Just as we planned.

And it was very pleasant! Despite the weather, which was not very pleasant. The weather was like 38 degrees and rainy. (AKA among the worst kind of non-disaster weather there is), but it only served to make the roaring fire in the Dining Hall seem even warmer and more welcoming. Over warm cider and hot chocolate, campers reunited with campers, staff caught up with long-lost staff, and some camp parents got to meet for the first time.

Usually, I'd just pick four or five pictures that I felt summed up the event, throw them up and let that be that.  However, this was such a wonderful afternoon and we got so many wonderful pictures of it, that'd I'm putting a couple more than the usual up here. If you couldn't make it, but the end of the pictures I hope you'll feel like you were here too.

A fire in the hearth...

Candles in the window...

Even the bear (begrudgingly) got in a festive mood.

The Wishing Well, evicted from it's usual spot, spent the afternoon on the porch as our Campership Donation Station.

CIT II grads! After their last session as campers but before Leadership Weekend and their future as volunteers, there was...the Winter Gathering.

The main event in the Dining Hall was Camp Craft Ornament construction.

And sitting by the fire was another main event.

And decorating cookies was a third main event.

We had a lot of main events.

Like smiling and talking and sipping warm beverages, that was another main event.

We had classic home made ornaments...

Like strung pop-corn.

And less-classic ornaments like Make-Your-Own-Camp Lantern!

And custom tree cookies!

And more sitting by the fire!

And then more smiling!

Worry not. The Spirit was in attendance.

There's a strict Camp rule that Jim and I can't both be smiling at the same time. This was Jim's turn.

Now it's my turn.

A warm cookie by a warmer fire. Pretty good. Pretty, pretty good.

We couldn't read the name of the building. It was the price we had to pay for thorough decorating.

Once constructed, the ornaments needed to make their way out to the tree. The tree which was in the icy, icy rain.

Which is why we made hanging the ornaments on the tree Sean Post's job all afternoon! Any time you have a task you don't want to do, please get in touch with the Camp Office. We'll send Sean Post to do it for you. (Especially if it's in the rain.)

Where to hang the ornament? A crucial decision.

Time to light the tree. To throw the big switch (that's right, we got a big switch just for this moment), we chose the youngest camper on site; young Griffin Konarski.

Ta-da!

Followed by a round of classic Camp carols (We Come from the Mountains, etc...)

And photo ops 'round the tree.

Yes, other Camp trees, you may be taller and more permanent, but at this particular moment you are certainly less incandescent. 

And then, too quickly (time flies when you're having fun [which we were, so it did]), we were at the end. And so...

 A Good Gathering to all...

And to all a Good Gathering....

And to all a good night.