Camp Twin Creeks | Camp Twin Creeks - Part 3

In an age of Distraction…

In an age of Distraction…

I saw this sign outside a local house of worship on a recent dog walk and it struck me enough to cross the street, remove my gloves, hold the dog carefully with one hand and take a picture with my phone.  After several blurred attempts that I blame the dog for, I managed to get this picture.

The message on the sign made me think about summer camp.  It made me think about the fact that in this age of distraction, typically as a result of modern technology and busy schedules, time away at summer camp truly can offer a departure from distraction.  Instead; children focus on friendships, nature, fun activities, positive role models, traditions, even boredom and conflicts sometimes!

And talk about the luxury of paying attention!  Campers pay attention to each other.  They learn about different homes, different cultures and backgrounds, languages too.  Campers pay attention to the young adults that become the most important part of their daily cabin lives.  These camp counselors become powerful and positive role models.

Campers also pay attention to the fact that they can accomplish this feat of being away from the comforts of home for 2 weeks, away from the loved ones that they usually rely on for all matters large and small.

Our camp directors and leadership team also pay attention to the children in our care, to the growth we see in them and the development of fine young adults that takes place in front of our very eyes as campers return summer after summer.  On a daily and practical basis, we pay attention to ensure each child is safe, happy, clean, hydrated, protected from the sun and enjoying themselves to the fullest!

Everybody here at Camp truly believes in this departure from distraction and we hope that you get to sample it at some point soon too, either at camp or at another destination of your choosing!


Footnote; Siddharth Pico Raghavan Iyer, known as Pico Iyer, is a British-born essayist and novelist of Indian origin, best known for his travel writing.

It’s the final countdown…well not quite, but soon.

At the time of writing it’s March 9th and a very exciting and busy time in the summer camp world!  Clocks soon spring forward, daylight returns to our after-work lives and we enter the final third of the school year.  What does this mean for us here in the Camp Twin Creeks office?

  • Enrollments keep coming in and cabins begin to fill up.  New and returning campers are lining up to get their spots for the summer!
  • Staff are being interviewed on a daily basis and some great personalities and skilled guys and gals from all over the US and the world will be at camp ready for your child’s arrival this summer.
  • Our office heads to the largest camping conference in the world!!  The Tri State Camping Conference allows us to program plan, purchase new stuff, brainstorm with other camp professionals and become generally psyched for the summer to begin!

    This is also the time of year when Spring and Summer planning hits full speed.  A number of events have already been announced and there are more to follow;

  • Spring Gathering at the Sandy Springs Adventure Course – a great opportunity to play in the trees and meet a variety of camp families, campers and staff.
  • New Parent Nights – general information for parents to help plan for the summer, hosted in both VA and MD.
  • Spring Picnic @ Camp – an overnight opportunity to enjoy camp with your family in June.  Ideal for the family new to camp to get to know us and camp better.
  • Family Camp @ Camp – for the first time we are offering a 3 night experience for you, the camp family, to truly immerse yourself into the Camp Twin Creeks experience.

These events, along with personal in-home visits throughout the winter months, allow us to build and nurture our camp community.  Our intention is to be more than just a summer camp experience for 1 year or 2 and to generate a true feeling of belonging.  Please let me know if you have any questions about any of these events.  Call or email me anytime!  Our regular newsletters and emails will contain more information on a regular basis.

Iain

Sweet Dreams

It was a great dream, Opening Day of Camp 2017!  Returning campers, excited to see returning counselors!  Campers being directed to their cabin and getting help with their lugagge.  A counselor (I remember who but will keep that name to myself) not happy with the size of the cookies this summer.  I remember it all, so vividly.  Dreams are truly amazing in that respect aren’t they?

And then Blake, our 3-year old daughter, woke me up at 4:05am with small cries from her bedroom.  An accident.  Dream over.

After consulting my fictional dream diary I came to the conclusion that the opening day of camp this summer cannot come soon enough!!  Who has the countdown going already?  I think we do actually, on the homepage of our website.

It goes without saying that what I am truly dreaming about is another unforgettable summer at Camp Twin Creeks.  Familiar faces surround us as we immerse ourselves once again into the stunningly beautiful Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia.

I look forward to seeing you there and hope the next few months fly by for us all!

Summer by Summer

Each summer we aim for the camp experience to be slightly different for our returning campers.  Better? Perhaps, hopefully!

Ultimately a summer at camp is an opportunity for each child to grow from year to year and appreciate the time they spend here and the personal growth they benefit from.  Here are a few of the highlights from our perspective that a camper can experience each summer as they move from cabin to cabin and from our main village up to the senior village…

                                 

How DO you pronounce IKEA?

Did you see the article last week about the pronunciation of ‘IKEA’ – we might have been saying it wrong for so long; placing the wrong emphasis on the wrong syllable.  Bonus point for those that pick up on that movie reference.

I was at Ikea yesterday collecting a few supplies for the summer and as I drove away a strong feeling of a fresh start came over me; a new summer and the unbelievable power of potential that each pre-summer season brings.

New shower curtains, bright orange!  Great!  They will make the shower houses ‘pop’ a little with a splash of color.  What other small, new steps can we take this summer to make this 2016 summer the best yet for campers and counselors alike??!!  Let me count to the ways…

Counselors will get an even warmer welcome when they arrive, an incoming survey, staff rec games, formal and fun family support and so much more.  Campers will see new cabins, new food, new signs, new clothing designs, new traditions, more bathroom options and much more too!

Families will see more social media presence, more updates on multiple platforms and more pictures!

After 16 great summers it staggers and amazes me that we can still do so much more to improve, to reflect and to build upon our past experiences.  What an exciting time early June is!!  Stay tuned for more…