A Good Gathering

Well, would you look at that.

It happened again. 

We had another lovely time at our annual Winter Gathering.

For all of you valued Camp Family members who couldn't attend due to busy December schedules, long distances to travel, and other such valid concerns, we present for you a virtual Winter Gathering.

Once you scroll through all these pictures, you'll certainly feel like you were right here with us.

So, without further ado (because we all know how we feel about ado): 

Winter Gathering!

One of our very favorite days of the year!

Well, all the days of Summer Camp are actually our very favorite days of the year.

But Winter Gathering is definitely, undisputably our 55th favorite day of the year.

Because Camp friends are here to reunite!

Families are here to gather 'round the fire!

(What's better than gathering at the Gathering 'round the fire?)

There was the big board of new sessions and classes for 2017!

And, of course, our Campfire Council was here to run the craft tables!

Ohh. What a festive and campy ornament. 

Yes, we had holiday crafts of all varieties.

Including, of course, this Camp standard.

See!?

As advertised.

Tree Cookie ornaments.

Some of last summer's JR. Counselors were even on hand to help out.

The craft tables were bustling!

Because they had migrated north for the Winter...

All the way up from their home in the Craft Shop...

(Where it would have been kinda cold...)

To the Dining Hall.

(Where it kinda wasn't.)

Yes, all of our signs were accurate!

We had conversation topics!

And cookies! Delicious cookies.

To decorate,

Enjoy,

And decorate all over again.

And this sign was accurate too!

For with any donation to our Campfire Council's Campership fund...

Our Gathering guests...

Got to make their very own...

Camp Angel Ornaments...

To decorate our Wishing Well. 

And through the whole event, 

We enjoyed some good decorations...

Some good conversation...

Good snacks,

Good smiles, 

And good...

Quality time...

With family,

Camp family,

And some good companions...

We haven't seen since summer time.

We even had...

A traditional Camp birthday celebration.

That just so happens to fall on Winter Gathering...

Every single year.

And then!

Decorating time.

Where those well-crafted ornaments...

Make their way outside...

To take their place on the tree.

Our designated ladder-climbing-ornament-hanger counts of this job every December.

And then!

Time to throw the big switch!

Time for the main event!

Time to light the tree!

The countdown commences...

The switch is thrown...

And, ta-da!

Our old Camp lights still work!

And the Gathering Tree is lit.

For while there are taller trees at Camp...

And older trees on Camp...

And there may be trees that offer more summer shade on Camp...

There are certainly not...

...More ILLUMINATED trees on Camp.

And for tonight, at least...

No trees on Camp...

Offer a better photo opportunity. 

And then the night drew to a close.

On the way out...

Folks were sure to stop by our Gratitude Wall...

To view...

And add to...

The list...

Of what our Camp Family...

Was thankful for...

On this December day.

(Yes. That's you.)

And then...that was it.

Except, of course, for the fact that when you've constructed ornaments this good, and this campy...

It's not enough to simply put them up on the tree.

You've also got to send Sean back up the ladder (to the very top) to take them off again...

So you can be sure to take a little bit of our Winter Gathering...

...home with you.

And that was our Gathering!

If you were there, thank you for joining us!

And if you weren't there, after all those pictures we now certainly hope that you feel like you were.

Since Winter Gathering has come and gone, that means that ENROLLMENT FOR SUMMER 2017 IS NOW OPEN!


Be sure to sign up before the end of the month to get your Polar Bear Discount.

Registration for Summer 2017 is now open!

Fittingly, Camp had it's very first dusting of snow this morning, right in time to usher in the opening of POLAR BEAR REGISTRATION.

Yes, our Winter Gathering has come and gone (more pictures from that soon), and that means sign up for Summer 2017 has officially begun!

Polar Bear Registration offers not just first pick for both sessions and classes, but the lowest rate for Summer Camp we offer.

We also hope you'll enjoy our new online registration system!

(Returning families can access their old accounts, but will need new passwords. Just click "Reset Password" and enter the email address affiliated with your account, and follow the instructions.) 

In addition, if you'd like to give your camper their session of Camp as a holiday gift, we can provide a snazzy certificate with all their Summer Camp info. You can then present their week to them under the tree, around the menorah, or whatever other fashion you prefer give your holidays gifts. Once you've signed up, just give us an email or call the Camp Office (973-948-3550) to set up your certificate. 

We had an all-time high enrollment for Summer 2016, and we are hoping to build on that success for next summer. We had many sold-out sessions and some long wait lists last year, so we encourage you to sign up early to ensure your camper gets to spend a week this summer at L.G. Cook 4-H Camp.

Your camper's Summer Camp journey for 2017 begins with that very first step of signing up, and for those of us who are always looking forward to Camp, we're excited that the time to do that has finally arrived.

Happy Registering!

See You Saturday at our Winter Gathering!

Happy December!

Now that the calendar has turned, we are certainly hoping you'll join us this Saturday for our  Cold-Weather-Summer-Camp-Reunion, our Celebration-of-the-start-of-Registration-for-2017, our December Tradition, Winter Gathering.

Here at Camp we're deep in another Pre-Gathering December tradition...decorating for Winter Gathering: 

(and we're well on our way...)

The traditional giant wreath is in it's traditional front-of-Dining Hall spot! 

The traditional mantle animals are...

Donned in their traditional light up garb.

And T-Nivi is traditionally ever-so-nimbly adjusting the traditional 4-H tree-topper! (While doing his best not to hurt himself, another tradition.)

All that's missing is you!

Please RSVP here if you haven't yet, and we'll hope to see you Saturday.

A Thanksgiving Treat from 4-H Camp

Happy Thanksgiving!

As we hope you all get ready to embark on your long weekends and enjoy some quality time with friends and family, we wanted to give you something from 4-H Camp to be thankful for as well: a new Summer Camp promo video!

(Here's a link to it, if you'd prefer it that way.)



Credit to last season's Creative Arts Coordinator and general good ol' friend-of-Camp Curtis Raye for editing this wonderful promo and lending his talents to the cause of bringing more kids to Summer Camp.

Thanks of course to all our graduating CITs who allowed themselves to be interviewed at last year's Leadership Weekend for this project as well. 

Please share this video freely this Thanksgiving Weekend (and beyond)! You can use it to convince some family to join us next Summer, and become a Lantern Family Member in the process.


We'll hope to see you here at Camp next weekend for our Winter Gathering!  RSVP here  if you'll be joining us.

Help Support Camp by Joining our Lantern Program for 2017

We get a lot of folks inquiring about how they can best help out Camp and support our mission. The answer is simple, and at the heart of what we do here: send some new campers our way!

As a thank-you to our Camp Families who help spread the word, we created our Lantern Family Program. Membership is simple: Just refer one brand-new camper to L.G. Cook 4-H Camp for Summer 2017. 

Yes, it is just that simple!

Yes, it is just that easy!

Yes, there is nothing more to it!

And yes, the membership perks are many:

Yes! Each year we design a brand-new Lantern Family T-Shirt. Collect them all!

Yes! We start the summer with our Lantern BBQ, where your whole family can meet the counselors, meet the staff, meet some other Camp families, and start the season off right. 

Yes! Lantern Families with campers attending Session #1 can enjoy a free Early Drop Off, which features our renowned Camp Eve Celebration.

Yes! A discount for every camper you refer for the following summer season (2018, in this case). Refer FIVE campers, and you get a free week at L.G. Cook 4-H Camp.

Yes! Let us not lose focus, while the above perks are nice, they pale in comparison to what a child can gain from a week at L.G. Cook 4-H Camp.

Looking for a clever way to introduce some friends and family to Camp and get into our Lantern Family Program?

Funny you should mention that, because our Winter Gathering is right around the corner, two weeks from tomorrow! (Yes, December 3rd is only two weeks away. Extraordinary, I know.)

Winter Gathering is not just an afternoon cold-weather Summer Camp reunion, but also a great opportunity to bring along some folks you'd like to see Camp for the first time. 

As your are looking forward to returning for yet another summer, brand-new campers can begin to dream about their very first week away at 4-H Camp.

(We have already reached out to our Lantern Families from 2016 with details of how to receive their discounts so they can sign up this December during our POLAR BEAR Registration period. If you haven't heard from us, but think you should have, please get in touch with the Camp Office.)

Hope to see you at the Gathering!





Please RSVP here if you plan on attending, and we'll look forward to seeing you here at 4-H Camp. 

How about some CAMP news?!

Tired of election news? 

I bet you are. 

I. Bet. You. Are.

How about we transport you from this dreary-rainy-November-Wednesday to the beautiful-warm-future-land of next Summer as we preview our NEW CLASSES for 2017!?

How's that sound?

Sound nice?

I thought it would.

(And as you're checking out our new classes, I hope you're anticipating joining us at Camp in a few weeks for our Winter Gathering! It'll be a great Summer Camp Reunion and celebration of the opening of our Polar Bear Registration for Summer 2017.)

Talent Show Production: 

One of the all-time great Camp traditions since time immemorial is our Thursday night spectacular, the show of shows, the gold standard of All-Camp events, summed up in two words and two words alone: Talent. Show. In this brand-new class, for the first time ever, a team of campers will have creative control of every aspect of the show. From designing the theme and presentation to organizing the line-up, to making sure everything goes smooth back-stage to hosting the show itself, this class offers an up close and hands-on role in one of everyone’s favorite Camp evenings. (Offered Period 3.)

Disc Golf Skills: 

It all started with our campers attempting to throw a Frisbee into the wishing well, and has caught on like wildfire from there. Our Disc Golf Skills class will teach campers how to throw official Disc Golf discs for both distance and accuracy. They’ll get to work on these skills through a variety of games and activities and the best way possible: by actually playing the game on our new Camp Disc Golf Course. They will focus on the first four holes of the course, each of which has various lessons to teach our beginning players about the game. (Offered Period 1.)

Disc Golf Open: (12 and Up)

Our advanced Disc Golf course moves past the basics, and throws our campers right onto our 9 Hole Disc Golf Course. They’ll travel through the bowl, behind the cabins, and into the woods, exploring some beautiful and previously un-utilized sections of forest on Camp while playing a fun and competitive sport that anyone can enjoy. (Offered Period 3.)

Marksman: (12 and Up) 

Our new shooting sports class focuses on multiple disciplines of firearms. With safety and personal responsibility as the first priorities, campers will learn the basics of shooting both our air powered pellet rifles and 20 gauges shot guns. They will be instructed to observe range commands and follow proper protocol as they and improve their accuracy. They will then test their skills in various target competitions. (Offered Periods 1, 2 and 3.)

Walk and Talk: 

When our Camp Mission is distilled down to its purest form, it is basically this: for our campers to enjoy spending time with each other outdoors. This class is that idea at its simplest! In Walk and Talk our campers will amble, stroll, and saunter through beautiful sections of Camp’s forests and along it’s streams and relax and some great hidden destinations on site. On the way (led by their counselor talk-show-host) they’ll chat, banter, and discuss a vast variety of topics, all the time making new friends and getting to know each the better. (Offered Period 2.)

Join us in ONE MONTH for our Winter Gathering!

It's the beginning of November!

Which (according to our advanced knowledge of both mathematics and the Julian Calendar) means in ONE MONTH it will be the beginning of December!

And here at Camp, the beginning of December means it's time for our Winter Gathering!

What's the Winter Gathering, you ask?

(Well, I know you didn't ask. I just asked. But on your behalf.)

Wonderful question!

(I know. I just complimented my own question.)

WINTER GATHERING is our annual seasonal get-together! 

WINTER GATHERING is our cold-weather summer reunion! 

WINTER GATHERING is our Camp Family holiday party!

WINTER GATHERING is a quality chilly afternoon on Camp enjoying a December landscape!

WINTER GATHERING is when we open up Polar Bear Registration and officially begin the build-up to the 2017 summer season!

The list goes on!

WINTER GATHERING is Summer Camp crafts, Summer Camp activities, and Summer Camp fun with a December twist.

WINTER GATHERING is a great opportunity to bring along a few friends you'd like to introduce to what we do here at L.G. Cook 4-H Camp.

WINTER GATHERING is a chance to catch up with counselors, campers, staff and the rest of the Summer Camp crew.

Most importantly, WINTER GATHERING is a great mid-way point between last summer and next summer, a it will surely be a taste of Summer Camp to last the rest of the winter season.

WINTER GATHERING is a date you should save on your calendar because:

WINTER GATHERING IS...something you and your family should come to.

And also, WINTER GATHERING is...free of charge.

Please RSVP here if you plan on attending, and we'll look forward to seeing you here at 4-H Camp.