It sounds like the title of a children’s book doesn’t it? Maybe that’s a 2016 writing masterclass! What this actually means is that Chloë and I are heading to camp this weekend for a couple of days. This made me think and realize that a camp visit during the off-season brings about a whole different set of emotions and sensations from the typical summer experience.
The first one is peace and quiet quiet – it really is the most peaceful place most of the time. Obviously not in the middle of a meal, or Olympics during the summer. Right now though, camp is an oasis of no noise.
The second is the great feeling of being in open space, this is Chloë’s favorite aspect I think. You should see how she runs and runs and runs when we visit. Anybody that has seen her trail a mountain bike class during the summer knows exactly what I’m talking about!
The third is excitement, and I know that this is very similar to the summer. Excitement to be in a place that we all know and love; excitement to see what has already been built and improved upon just since we left in August; excitement to see the people of Pocahontas Co. that we love and respect; and finally an excitement in knowing that the planning for the 2016 summer is well underway and this planning will make this summer the best yet. Hard to imagine I know but we’ll try!
After this visit be on the lookout for pictures and updates from everything that has been happening at Camp. Stay tuned and count down the days until YOU’RE back at Camp!
Have a safe and happy Halloween weekend everybody!
October is Bullying Prevention Month and as the month ends I wanted to find a connection with campers or Twin Creeks, anything to make the post a little more interesting. Well I now have that connection…
When Amy and I return to the Philadelphia area after the summer I resume a part-time position as a High School Freshman Soccer Coach. I love the work, love the kids and being on the soccer pitch every day for a few hours. Yesterday a parent reached out to me with information concerning a video of her son being bullied and physically assaulted. This had been happening on my team for the last 4 or 5 weeks and I was unaware. The act itself caught on video was sickening, a cold-blooded punch to the head of a teammate. It was edited and set to music, then probably shared with many of their 30 teammates. Teammates and bystanders.
This incident took place over 3 weeks ago and nobody on the team brought it to my attention nor to the attention of a parent or teacher. There will always be a bully, there will always be a victim. What does need to change and be reinforced is that those watching need to intervene, or ask for help.
This is what I will talk to my team about this afternoon as we prepare for the final game of our freshman season. I also fully expect to be without several players that participated in this bullying, or were content to stand off to the side and do nothing.
When campers arrive at Camp Twin Creeks on the first day of a session we remind them that we are a Ridicule Free Zone and bullying of any kind will not be tolerated. Our hope is that all campers learn to tolerate each other while at camp; not easy when you consider they live, sleep, eat, play and so much more together. But get along they do and our hope and aim is that they depart Twin Creeks after 2 weeks a little better prepared to intervene should they need to.
I hope that is the case and the next time a bully tries to make a victim of a teammate there is somebody there to stop them or, at the very least, ask for help.
For more information from the ACA and articles about Bullying Prevention visit their website.
After reading this article in the latest Camping Magazine about the abundance of foreign accents and personalities that can be found at summer camps across the USA, I was reminded of the positive feedback we get from our campers and families about this.
Over the past 15 summers at Twin Creeks we have welcomed (and loved) counselor personalities from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa in the Southern Hemisphere and naturally many hard-to-comprehend accents from the United Kingdom. In fact, many TC campers know the difference between the United Kingdom and Great Britain. Ask them tonight! They just don’t learn that in school these days…
Ironically, international students and counselors are an integral part of the classic american camp experience. When campers depart so do they; for journeys all over this amazing continent. These memories on top of their camp adventures make a summer over here unforgettable! I personally often recall the summer of 1995 as I left camp in PA for a 5-week trip from NYC to Los Angeles with 3 camp friends. It was truly the best vacation and adventure and ultimately Camp Twin Creeks will continue to benefit from an influx of funny words, food, expressions and skills from countries near and far!
Ask your camper for their fondest memory of an international counselor. I am sure they’ll have a huge smile on their face as they recall a name or moment!
Hi Girls’ Side!
Jamie, Powers, and I miss seeing everyone bright and early at Ladybug Lounge!
Hope everyone is enjoying school and looking forward to Holiday breaks coming up!
We have some exciting news for Girls’ Side, we’re getting a brand new cabin! The construction is underway! The new cabin will be behind upper main village on the way down to theater. Check out the pictures of the foundation phase of construction! 
With a brand new cabin comes a brand new name! Did you know all of our cabins at Twin Creeks are named after towns in West Virginia? From Bluefield to Mullens, the cabins increase in alphabetical order.
We would like this new cabin to be name after a town in West Virginia that starts with letter N-S. Take a look at the Map and send your votes to carly@camptwincreeks.com
Enroll today so you don’t miss out on all the fun! We can have a cabin-warming party for our new cabin addition! 🙂
Best Wishes & can’t wait to see everyone back at camp this summer!
~Carly
Can you find yourself in the Girls’ Side Selfie!?
Watch the video 
Take the tour 
