Meet the Staff of 16 - Volume VIII - Sarah Interviews McBride

Peter: So I have a ready a number of these interviews and it appears that the standard question is, "How long have you been coming to camp." So my question to you is, what is your favorite sport?

Sarah: I am the #1 fan of Cutter Disk, which involves trying to catch frisbees by chucking garbage cans across the bowl. It's a little older, circa 2011 or 2012, but will stay in my heart forever. What is your job on camp this year?

Peter:  Ahhhh cutter disc! You are showing your camp experience there! This year I will be the shooting sports coordinator which basically means that during classes I'm on massive fitness class going from range to range! Will you also be a shooting sports coordinator?

Sarah: Oh my goodness how did you know?? Haha but I'll actually be taking over one of your old spots on the waterfront as a lifeguard! What's your favorite aquatic camp activity?

Peter:  Lifeguarding! Well that's wonderful! Have you ever meet Velcro? My favorite aquatic activity is going over to the watercooler and getting myself a nice glass of ice cold water! Remember, a hydrated camper is a happy camper!

Sarah: I actually met Velcro my very first year as a camper by accidentally catching him while taking a fishing class. He was not a very happy camper, probably because he didn't have enough water to drink. Did you ever go to summer camp as a kid?

Peter: You know he gets cranky sometimes. He wants to just casually swim around, which I get! But sometimes he just gets all up in peoples grill and that isn't fair! So I went to soccer camp as kid, which ties me seamlessly into my next question. Do you follow soccer? If you don't, pretend like you do. Who do you support? No MLS teams please!

Sarah: I actually love watching soccer but don't follow any teams religiously, but I'll say Manchester United just because that's just about the only name I know. Who do you root for?

Peter:  WHAT A WONDERFUL CHOICE! As luck would have it, that is exactly who I enjoy as well. Next question, who do you believe should be the number one pick in the 2016 NFL draft?

Sarah: Myself. I can run faster than the average fish, can throw a ball impressively far, and am definitely not afraid to tackle someone (except for in Battle For the Island because we play safe). Obviously I'm who you had in mind as well, right?

Peter:  You know it's funny. I would of course agree that you are the best player on the board but I have to think of the needs of my team. Okay real life scenario!! It's 3am on a cold, windy night! You wake up because you have heard the wind howling against your bedroom winding. You tell yourself that it's okay and then you hear a sound that no one ever wants to hear! It's your belly rumbling! You have got the midnight munchies! What's your food of choice?

Sarah: Tortilla chips and guacamole. I am positively sure that they can make me happy at any time of the day. What about you? What's your go-to snack?

Peter:  You know I'm not a picky eater! I love me some food! Chips and Guac is a wonderful choice! I expect a weekly dose of this during the summer (and obviously you will share)! Okay my final question has to be something related to camp (even though I feel that we more to discuss in regards to the NFL draft) So a genie comes in and tells you that for environment reasons he/she must take every single aspect of camp away. However he/she will grant you one thing that you can keep. What is it?

Sarah: It's gonna take a lot of convincing for me to give up my guacamole, but maybe I can make an exception for you. Oh man that's a tough question. I would keep the all-camp activities, like the counselor hunts and camp fairs, because I love seeing everyone at camp together in one place just having so much fun. Camp definitely wouldn't be the same without them. And one very serious last question for you...if a Hollywood producer called you tomorrow and told you he was making a movie about your life and wanted you to pick who played the role of you, Peter McBride, who would you pick?

Peter: Easy! Tom Selleck! or Donny Wahlberg! of course Brad Pitt would come into the conversation. I also an awesome Michael Keaton movie recently! Now that I say that, Mark Ruffalo is another wonderful choice. At which point I will need to mention Robert Downey Jr. And of course that makes me think of Captain America. And I have found Scarlett Johansen to be a very diverse actress!! Hmm maybe this needs a little more thought! Lets pick this up at staff training! Peace out Kleppe!

Sarah: Some VERY excellent choices. Let's find a way to morph them all into one person. See you in June! 

Meet the Staff of '16 -Volume VII - Kate Interviews Mechu

KATE: How many times have you been to camp as a camper and staff?

MECHU: I’ve been at going for about 7 years, which is actually already more time than an average human will spend eating in their entire lives!! (I’m pretty sure I’d zoom past that if I were in a room full of fresh strawberries and popcorn though) If you had a room full of your favorite foods, what would be in it?

KATE: Wow! I think I would go for chocolate ice-creams and cinnamon Teddy Grahams. What's your favourite part of camp?

MECHU: My absolute favorite part of camp would have to be the talent show that happens every Thursday night!! All of the skits turn out to be so wacky and fun, and you never know what to expect!

KATE: That’s sounds awesome! I do like watching talent shows! The fun thing is also preparations like making costumes or decorations.
What was one of the funniest situations you have had with your campers?

MECHU: If you ask any of the girls that were in my cabin last summer, you will find that I was quite a fan of dancing around with a broom to the Backstreet Boys and Jonas Brothers while they all stare at me like I’ve gone insane. Sometimes I convince them to join me though. What kind of music would get you dancing around the cabin with a broom? Or maybe you’re more of a mop gal? 


KATE: Hahah, there’re maaaany such songs! The first one that comes to my mind is ‘YMCA’ by Village People. I like playing different songs and doing freeze dance with campers. If you were an animal, what would it be and why?

MECHU: I think most people know the answer to this because I am not shy about what my favorite animal is, but I would most definitely, absolutely, without a doubt be a MANATEEE. All they do is float and eat and have a grand old time doing pretty much nothing, just relaxing out in nature. It sounds like the perfect life. Plus, they just got taken off the endangered species list, so everyone can celebrate!!! If you could morph any two animals in the world, which ones would they be and what would you name it? 

KATE: We don’t have manatees in Europe, but they seem to be super cute. It makes me think of sloths which chill out not in the water, but in the trees. So when it comes to your question, I would morph a dog and a parrot because it would be cool if dogs could speak, or, at least, we could teach them speaking like we teach parrots. Is there any game/activity that you like doing with your campers the most?

MECHU: I would like to say that I was a big fan of the game “Honey, Do you love me?” since I had never been cracked, but unfortunately my streak was broken last summer, so I’m determined to become the master of Pterodactyl next.

KATE: I do know “Honey, Do you love me?”!  I’m almost always the one that starts laughing first. Besides, I’m the big fan of mafia game, it’s suuuper fun!  And I also like playing different card games. You're going to spend the rest of your life on an island. You can take with you only one candy. What would it be?

MECHU: Chocolate. I just really like chocolate. If we were stuck together, what would you bring? Maybe we can mash them together and invent something new!

KATE: So  do I! Hmmm, I would bring waffles, that way we could mash pieces of chocolate and make a chocolate sauce, and then spread it on waffles. We could also add some banana slices (I'm sure that that there would banana trees on our island). What do you like doing in your free time?

MECHU: As a music student, the ten minutes of free time that I do get in a week, I choose to dream about what I would do if I had more free time. I am a big big fan of puzzles, petting stranger’s dogs, taking quizzes online to discover things about myself, and spending way too much time looking up at the stars.

KATE: That actually sounds like plenty of free time, hehe. I like watching American talk shows like The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

MECHU: I’m so excited to meet you and show you the magic that is camp!!! Where are you coming from?

KATE: Yay! Camp is literally so soon. I come from Poland, it’s an awesome country in the central Europe. 

MECHU: Is there anything that you are really excited to do when you come over here?

KATE: I’m actually excited about every single piece of camp! Campers, staff, stories, activities, games, camp fires!!! Camp is such an amazing place where you forget about the rest of the world. Besides, it is so cool that we can be close to nature. It makes a huge change for me, as I live in a city all year. I‘ve never been to New Jersey, so it is also something I‘m pretty excited about.

MECHU: Do you think you can handle my terrible puns and jokes in the craft shop for two whole months?

KATE: Hahaha, Mechu, no worries. I can't wait for us working together!

Meet the Staff of '16 - Volume VI - Hannah Interviews Julia

JULIA: Hi Hannah! My name is Julia Senkowsky. I'm glad Ben emailed us to interview each other! I was a camp counselor last summer and have been going to camp as a camper since I was young. Camp is so much fun and is a great place to escape! I can’t wait for you to get to experience it!


HANNAH: Hi! Yeah that sounds perfect. My first question is how many years have you been doing your role at camp and what about it inspires you to keep coming back?


JULIA: My first year as a camp counselor was last summer, but I have been attending camp for ten years now...maybe eleven. I can't keep track anymore. Camp has always been a special place for me. It has been a chance to get away from the pressure of the rest of the world and just be yourself and be crazy! As a counselor, I see that with campers coming in. Typically, if they are new to camp they are usually shy and curious as to why everyone acts so crazy at camp. But by the end of the week, they have joined right in with the fun! It’s really an amazing transformation. I love seeing these campers experience the joy of summer camp and helping them achieve what I have experienced myself!

HANNAH: That's great! If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?


JULIA: There are so many places I would like to visit! I've always been interested in traveling, but right now I've been wanting to go to New Zealand because I am studying abroad there next year! I can't wait and it's all I think about!! What about you? You obviously want to travel if you are joining camp America. What would you like to travel to the most? Also, where in the US do you want to travel?

HANNAH: That sounds awesome!That's a difficult question! I'm lucky enough to be going to Indonesia for the second time next year to work as a research assistant. I'd most like to visit Alaska as the hiking looks fantastic. I lived in Oregon until I was 8 so I've seen a fair bit of the West Coast - I'd love to travel around the East Coast, which is why I chose this camp 😊. Time for a less serious question - if you could be any animal, what would you be and why?

JULIA: Wow! you've been all over! I would probably choose to be a dog since dogs have the best life. I swear my dog has a better life than me. Sometimes my dad will cook eggs for the dog and not me hahah! What about you?

HANNAH: Ahaha! I'd probably choose to be a narwhal so I could explore the arctic, also mainly because I'd feel like a unicorn haha. Ok! What's your most memorable camp moment?

JULIA: Oh gosh! There are so many! I’m going to change this question to be specific to last summer only. Otherwise I probably wouldn't be able to give an answer. Last summer my most memorable camp memory was probably when I accidentally opened my mouth when the lake gunk was getting poured on my head  when I went through the CHAOS machine. (You will learn about that once you get to camp, it’s very indescribable). But if you do have the "pleasure" of going through the CHAOS machine here's some advice... DONT OPEN YOUR MOUTH! (*Editors Note: Julia accidentally getting all the lake gunk in her mouth was one of the grossest/most incredible things I've ever seen. Mostly because it was not just a little lake gunk. It was A LOT of lake gunk. And she acted  like it wasn't even a big deal. She's super tough.)


HANNAH: I'll bear that in mind haha!


JULIA: Now, a few questions about you. Why did you decide to join camp America?

HANNAH: I thought it would be a brilliant experience - I love working with kids and the chance to teach them outdoor education seemed perfect to me! I'm also hugely into travelling and Camp America makes it possible fairly cheaply.

JULIA: Camp sounds like the perfect place to you! I am so excited for you! One final question: From what you have learned about camp, what are you most looking forward to?


HANNAH: Yep, I'm so excited! I think getting the chance to work with kids who are a bit shy/nervous to be at camp and helping them to come out of their shell a bit will be amazing and really rewarding - I was quite shy when I was younger and I know I would've appreciated a bit of extra encouragement. Other than that, just generally getting stuck in all the activities! 😊


JULIA: That is definitely something incredible to experience! Well Hannah, it was very nice chatting with you! I cannot wait to meet you in less than two months!!!!

Meet the Staff of '16! - Volume V - Tim Interviews Langone

(*Editors Note: Previously unbeknownst to me, it turns out that it is nearly impossible to find photos of Tim in the Camp Archives, despite the huge amount of summers he's been here. What makes him such an undocumented man of mystery? Stay tuned this summer to find out! Especially during Spy Week.)

(*Editor's Note: It also turns out it is very, very easy to find photos like this of Julia Langone in the Camp Archives. There are literally thousands of them.)


Tim: What week are you looking forward to most at camp this summer?

Julia: As the Resource Coordinator, my job involves diving into each week’s theme and creating whacky all camp games (and sometimes funny story lines) to tie the identity of a week to! So as the theme queen, it’s hard for me to choose. However I am super excited for Color Wars this year (going to be NUTS) and Out of this World week because I’m a developing space nerd.
Tim, you’ve been coming to camp quite a bit over the years. Which is your favorite: Cabin Choice, Talent Shows or the Camp Dance?

Tim: The Talent show is without a doubt my favorite thing! I love the talent show because you get to see all the different campers talents. The free ice cream is also a plus!
If you could have Carl cook you one meal of your choice, what would it be?

Julia: Carl can cook anything. The man is a wizard. So I would actually just challenge him and just give him ingredients I would want included. Carl, can you make something delicious involving grilled cheese, Nutella, and those vegetarian breakfast sausages?
Delicious camp food aside, what course area are you apart of this summer and what are you most excited about for it?

Tim: This summer i will be hanging out at the waterfront soakin' up the sun and making sure everyone is staying safe and having fun out on lake shawani. The part I'm looking forward to the most is being able to spend a good part of my time in the water during the hot summer days!
How much different is it working at the waterfront compared to all the other areas? 

Julia: You go through more changes of clothes (or not) and usually smell of wonderful Lake Shawanni water, (does wonders for the skin)! But in all seriousness, you form a tight knit team with your fellow guards since there is an added weight of responsibility. Before I became the Resource Coordinator, I worked at the waterfront for 2 years. Although I am fully involved in Cabin Choice and Talent Shows and Land Rec and whatnot, a piece of my heart is still at the waterfront!

Tim: What is the most challenging part of working at the waterfront? Any advice?

Julia: Endurance. You're in the sun quite a bit, you are always "on" when guarding and there's quite a lot of canoe lifting! You'll do in service drills too, but I found them to be the best time to be with your team in a crazy camp day! As for advice… Own it! You guys carry the weight so all of camp can swim and play in our little lake! Many campers have never been in a boat or a lake and it's awesome to see them fall in love!
Did you do anything for the FIRST time at camp as a camper growing up? Hop in a canoe? Swim in a lake? Put up a tent?

Tim: The one that I hold close to my heart is the first time I indulged in Freakout.

What is it about camp that keeps you coming back year after year?

Julia: The staff. The campers. Being outside every day. And laughing. I honestly laugh my hardest when I'm at camp. The campers are goofy and so is our staff. What's not to love about being in the sunshine and making fun for kids? (and us adults!) You counselors create an identity for the summer along with the kids and its super cool to witness and help create. Nothing like it!

Relax around the lake at our SPRING FAMILY WEEKEND!

Beautiful spring weather has finally hit Camp, so just imagine how nice it will be in another month at our SPRING FAMILY WEEKEND!

Yes, you too could spend a couple days serenely staring out at Lake Shawanni with the Camp Dog.  

OR you can enjoy many of our most popular Summer Camp classes, OR tell tales and eat s'mores around the campfire OR take an afternoon hike through Stokes Forest. 

AND of course you can stay in our cabins, AND enjoy some great Camp cooked meals, AND spend some good quality time soaking up all our 108-acre-65-year-old-classic Camp facility has to offer.

But no matter what you'll DEFINITELY experience a lovely weekend (rain or shine) of Summer Camp fun for the whole family.  

See you in the merry month of May!

Spring Family Weekend

May 20th-22nd, 2016

Friday Evening @ 6pm –
Sunday Morning @ 11:30 am

$80 a person
(children under 5 attend free.)

Register HERE AND NOW!

Meet the Staff of '16! - Volume IV - Kain Interviews Amber

Kain: Alright you ready? Your answer to this first question will determine the path you take for this whole interview! Do you prefer Pink or Blue cotton candy?

Amber: Neither, I don’t eat cotton candy, hopefully you prepared a neither path!

Kain: Aw no! It’s so good though! But I’ll work with it. Who do you think would win in a dance battle: A robot dinosaur or Michael Jackson?

Amber: That’s a tough one, I think I’d have to go with a robot dinosaur because you can’t go wrong with a dancing robot dinosaur, we should consider arranging one to come to camp for one of the dances! (Editor's Note: I'm on it, Amber. I. Am. On it.)

Kain: I totally agree! Maybe for Chaos week it can make a super funky fresh appearance! But moving on! Let’s talk camp dessert, Would you rather have Ice cream sandwiches or brownie?

Amber: Hands down ice cream sandwiches, although freak out should have been an option, you can never go wrong with freak out!

Kain: Well of course Freak Out is the number one but I figured I’d spice it up in the camp dessert conversation since there are other very good options too! So anyways, What made you decide you wanted to be a counselor? What keeps you coming back?

Amber: Day one as a camper I told myself I would become a Counselor, so I did, camp is such a great place and it allows people to be who they actually are.

Kain: Sometimes you just know, like there’s a feeling you get like ‘yeah this is the place to be’ that’s so awesome! So let’s talk personal records, what is the longest you’ve ever worn a friendship bracelet for? And double whammy, what week are you most anticipating!

Amber: The record of my longest friendship bracelet was 6 months give or take a few days, I was absolutely heartbroken when it broke, that’s a fairly new record it happened this year! and CHAOS WEEK, IM SO STOKED, I CANT WAIT! I think I hear the chaos machine calling my name already.

Kain: That’s a crazy long time! I’m sure it gets emotional when they fall off, and the chaos machine sounds so sweet! I’d love to give it a try! Buuut, POP QUIZ: what is the square root of 90,862 divided by 11 squared, times 3?

Amber: I’m gonna take a stab at it and guess 81, I may or may not have the slight help of siri.

Kain: Close!!! It was actually about 7.47 but good try. So Amber, do you rock your watch on your left or right wrist?

Amber: I rock my watch on my left wrist, typically by the end of the summer i’m rocking a watch tan line too!

Kain: I don’t doubt it! Okay it’s the final stretch! BFI OR BFL, Kayaking or Canoeing, and do you prefer the opening or closing camp ceremony?

Amber: BFI BFI BFI! Kayaking and that’s a tough one, I enjoy seeing the course areas skits at the opening ceremony but I do love hearing every color group highlights of the week so I’d have to say it’s a tie!

Kain: Fair enough! Alright, these are the last two questions I have for you, first, would you rather smell like tuna and doritis for 29 years, OR have to wait in crazy long lines listening to loud disco everywhere you went for 37 years? And then finally what are three tips you’d give a camper to help them have the best week at camp ever?!

Amber: I think I’d have to choose tuna and doritos for 29 years, because I’ve assumed if I smell like it I’d probably eat it and I enjoy eating tuna and Doritis, not exactly at the same time but it’s worth a try!

Kain: That seems relatable.

Amber: Three tips for the best week at camp?

1. Get involved, even if you think it’s crazy and weird you’ll have a better time participating then if you were watching

2. Try new things, it’ll make your week so much more memorable, and you’ll find out if you enjoy fishing or don’t like spinach.

3. Make friends, your camp friends will last a lifetime, there is no other bond like a camp bond.

Kain: That’s some really good advice! Thank you so much for letting me interview you! Its going
to be a great summer!

Amber: Of course, thank you! & yes it’s going to be another fantastic summer.

Meet The Staff of '16 - Vol. III - Grace Interviews T-Nivi

Grace: Hello Tyler, its very cold and rainy here, how is it where you are? I am so excited for this summer can’t wait for it to begin. I guess I’ll start with what is you job on camp?

Tyler: It's pretty much the same here. At least for now, it's supposed to warm up soon. Anyway, my job at camp is the Logistics Coordinator. Basically, I do a lot or the behind the scenes stuff at camp. Computer work, scheduling, paperwork. You know all of the fun stuff.

Grace: How long have you been coming to camp?

Tyler: I've been coming to camp since I was 12 years old as a camper. That's way back in 1992. So yes, I've been coming to camp since before the majority of the staff was born. That makes me sad, but I digress.

Grace: And whats you’re favourite thing about camp?

Tyler: There are a lot of favorite things that I have about camp, but one in particular is the staff and how they interact with the campers and each other. Staff Training week is might be my favorite week at camp. And now a question for you: you will be in the kitchen this summer, but that doesn't mean that you have to miss out on the fun activities we have. So, what kinds of camp stuff are you most looking forward to this summer?

Grace: Yes I will be in the kitchen quite allot to make sure the campers and the staff are well fed, but I absolutely love anything to do with water I've been swimming since I was 3 years old so I absolutely love it. I also love a good song and dance and love walking and exploring. I'm really looking forward to learning new things as well so I'm very open to trying new things. Because I love water so much how cold is the lake on camp? Do you like swimming?

Tyler: Swimming, dancing, exploring! All of those things are staples of camp, so you will no doubt have yourself a great time! The lake isn't too cold. It can take a little getting used to especially early in the summer, but once you're in, it's quite comfortable. I do enjoy swimming and take the occasional dip in the lake throughout the summer.

Grace: And out of all the activities what your favourite?

Tyler: My favorite activity at camp is going to bed, the days can be quite long. But besides that, I love Tuesday nights. That's when we have our Cabin Choice night in which the cabins do activities with their cabinmates throughout camp. They come up with some pretty creative and fun activities. I love walking around and checking out what they've come up with and joining in on some of the fun too. So, I used to be the shooting sports coordinator at camp several years ago, so I wonder if you had any interest in Archery, Air Rifles or Shotgun which is what we teach in shooting sports at camp.

Grace: I used to do archery when I was younger I'm not that bad. I've never done any form of shooting so that could be a new experience for me. What's the most challenging thing about camp?

Tyler: I feel like the most challenging thing about camp is keeping up with the pace and energy. Those kids go nonstop all day and it is often times quite exhausting.

Grace: Since I'm a chef what your favourite food when you're at camp?

Tyler: I enjoy all food at camp, but one of my favorites is the lobster and filet mignon. Kidding, but we do have an excellent menu and I love the apple crisp. You will love it as everyone else does, I'm certain. Did you ever go to a summer camp as a child?

Grace: No I've never been to camp before, I lived in Spain most of my childhood so most of my summer was spent swimming in the sea and ridding my bike. Even when I return to England I spent my summers at my home in Spain. What happens at staff training week?

Tyler: Staff Training week is the week that we train all of the staff so that they are well-prepared for the campers to arrive. We cover everything from life in the cabin to activities and games to meal times to bedtime. Everything from A to Z. It's quite extensive, but also a lot of fun.

Grace: What do staff get up to on the weekends?

Tyler:The weekends at camp are a chance for the staff to recharge. I highly recommend relaxing, sleeping and just taking it easy. However, I also recommend getting out and doing some fun things. There is a shopping mall about 45 minutes away, a zoo/museum not too far away, many many trails for you to go exploring that leads to scenic views and waterfalls. The last two weekends of the summer is when the fair is in town. It's quite a large event which I love going to every year. What kind of things do you hope to do/accomplish this summer at our camp?

Grace: I hope to see and experience as much as possible, I'm looking forward to see how different the American culture is to my own, as well as having as much experiences as possible not just the typical touristy ones. I've been wanting to do camp America for a few years now purely because i think it is an amazing learning experience and i believe it will help me grow as a person. I also believe it will help move towards my dream career in education. What would you recommend i do when coming to America and why?

Tyler: Those are some tough questions. In my experience with past Camp America staff, one of the first things they do is go to Wal-Mart or Target to get all of the supplies they didn't bring or forgot to bring. As for other things to do leisurely in America, that depends on your tastes. There are many things to do over here, and our camp is located not too far from New York City and the shore so there is a great range of different things

Grace: And as this is my first time doing Camp America what piece of advice would you give me?

Tyler: My advice would be to bring some of your most outrageous and crazy outfits and costumes, props, etc. We have many theme meals and activities where those kinds of things are put to good use. This was fun, and I hope I helped.

Grace: Thank you, very much. See you in the summer!

---

Thank YOU very much, Grace! (And I guess thank you too, T-Nivi.) And thank you in advance to everyone joining us for Spring Opening Day this Saturday! We're looking forward to seeing you here.

Spring Cleaning/Spring Renovations

We hope you're considering taking a trip to Camp this Saturday morning (April 9th) to join us for our SPRING OPENING DAY. We'll be opening up the Dining Hall, setting up the Waterfront, doing some work on our Disc Golf course, and a handful of other projects as well. 

We'll also be running a Camp Tour at 1pm, so if you have any potential Lantern Family referrals, feel free to send them toward our tour.

To encourage you to swing on by, here's a sneak peak at our big renovation for Spring of '16:

Cabin #11, home of our oldest female campers for the summer, is our very first cabin to get a full renovation.

We're modeling it after our new cabins (#2 and #3)... 

Which we rebuilt three years ago after a generous donation from a kind lady named Hurricane Sandy.

Cabin #11 is also the result of a generous donation, this one from a long-time Camp Family member, Mr. Kevin McCormick. 

Far more generous than Hurricane Sandy's, in fact.

Because Kevin didn't insist on destroying Cabin #11 first.

Our cabins have remained virtually un-changed since they were built in 1951.

So, in theory, these renovation should be able to remain untouched and hold up until around... 

...2081. Give or take a month.

Our goal is to begin renovating ALL the cabins on Camp.

So if you would like to be like Kevin (or Hurricane Sandy) and generously donate, please get in touch! 

Or, if you'd just like to come move in some bunk beds, attend our Spring Opening Day.

Yes, those helping us out for Spring Opening Day will be among the first to check out the new look on old cabin, so we'll look forward to seeing you then! 

Meet the Staff of 2016! - Vol II - Chelsea Interviews Kuba

Chelsea:  What are you most excited about camp?

Kuba: I’m excited for just getting to experience camp all over again. I can’t wait to be teaching E.E again, going on all the hikes and fishing trips. Also all the activities we do every week, and the awesome summer camp afternoons, where the sun is setting and everyone’s having fun, it’s just beautiful.

Chelsea:  What are your three favorite things to do in your spare time?

Kuba: With the little time I have I really love hiking. Love trying to find those awesome views, or just walking in the woods for no purpose. Other than that, I’ve always enjoyed going to car shows with my friends, and bike riding.

Chelsea:  Why did you choose to work as a camp counselor at 4-H?

Kuba: Well, I’ve been going to 4-H camp ever since I was a kid, and since my first years at camp, I always wanted to be a counselor. So when the chance came for me to become a counselor last summer, I obviously took it. I had an amazing time last summer, and because of that I want to come back again and help make the campers experience the same feeling I had when I first went to camp.

Chelsea:  What course area are you working in?

Kuba:  Like I did last year, I’m working for Environmental Education (E.E). I love teaching campers about fishing, hiking, how to make fires, and just nature in general. Camp is a great place for campers to learn to appreciate nature and actually see how amazing it is.Working in E.E allows me to help kids see that too.

Chelsea:  Where are you from? 

Kuba: I live in New Jersey and go to Rutgers University, but I moved to the US from Poland back when I was much younger.

Chelsea: If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

Kuba: Teleportation. It’s a dream for me to travel and see the world, and being about to teleport I could all over the world to the most beautiful places in the world. I definitely would want to be able to teleport other people too, because I wouldn’t want to go to all these places alone. Is this your first time working for the camp?

Chelsea: This is my first time working for the camp! I am super excited and cannot wait to take on this new adventure.

Kuba: What are you most excited about camp?

Chelsea: I am most excited about meeting new people, working in the arts and crafts department and having my first sleep away camp experience. Ever since I established being in love with the outdoors and nature, I’ve always wanted to go to a sleep away camp, but never got a chance to. I heard from past campers and counselors that this specific camp is an amazing one to be a part of.

Kuba: What are your three favorite things to do in your spare time?

Chelsea: My three favorite things to do in my spare time are hiking, painting/drawing and watching cheesy romance movies. I really love to hike because I am able to explore amazing places on beautiful days. Painting and drawing are my two favorite art activities to do where I am able to get lost in the pieces I am working on. It helps me relieve any stress I have and keeps me entertained at all times. I do have the stereotypical girl side of me where I love watching Nicolas Sparks movies whenever I can and cry at every movie regardless of how many times I’ve seen it.

Kuba: Why did you choose to work as a camp counselor at 4-H?

Chelsea:  I chose to work as a camp counselor at 4-H because ever since my freshman year of high school I have been working as a sales associate at a Gymboree Outlet in my hometown. During the summers while working at Gymboree, I felt very restricted being inside all day and it didn’t seem like it was having a major impact on me that will benefit me in the future. I currently attend Kutztown University majoring in art education and I always knew I wanted to work with kids. I believe this will be an incredible experience for me where I am able to have a really fun time and gain experience of working with children since I want to be a teacher in the future.

Kuba: What course area are you working for and why?

Chelsea: I am working for the arts and crafts department because I have always loved the idea of art where it was actually creating something or looking at other art pieces. I also want to be an art teacher one day and want to be able to teach children different art techniques.

Kuba: Where is your favorite place to go?

Chelsea: My favorite place to go are art museums because I find them very relaxing and they expose me to new perspectives of certain art techniques that I can open myself to do with pieces I work on in the future.

Kuba: If you could have dinner anyone in the world (doesn’t matter dead or alive), who would it be?

Chelsea: If I could have dinner with anyone in the world it would be Vincent van Gogh because he has been my favorite artist since I was in elementary school. I loved seeing his style of paintings and learning about his life story and how that influenced his artwork.

-------

Thanks Chelsea and Kuba! We're thrilled to have both of you on staff this summer, and can't wait to see what happens when you bring your individual passions to your course area classes and the rest of Camp.

A quick reminder: if you're free NEXT SATURDAY MORNING (4/9) and would like to join us for Spring Opening Day, our community service and camp-work day, we'd love to have you join us and help prepare Camp for the summer season! We'll be starting at 9:30 am and going until right after lunch.