“I just finished taking an evening class at Stanford. The  lecture was on the mind-body connection…the relationship between stress and disease. The speaker (head of psychiatry at Stanford) said, among other things, that one of the best things a man can do for his health is to be married to a woman, whereas for a woman, one of the best things she can do for her health is to nurture her relationships with her girlfriends.

At first everyone laughed, but he was serious.

Women connect with each other differently and provide support systems that help each other to deal with stress and difficult life experiences. Physically, this quality “girlfriend time” helps us to create more serotonin – a neurotransmitter that helps combat depression and can create a general feeling of well being. Women share feelings whereas men generally form relationships around activities. They rarely sit down with a buddy and talk about how they feel about certain things or how their personal lives are going. Jobs? Yes. Sports? Yes. Cars? Yes. Fishing, hunting, golf? Yes. But their feelings? Rarely.

Women do it all of the time. We share from our souls with our sisters, mothers, friends, and co-workers…and evidently that is very good for our health. He said that spending time with a friend is just as important to women’s general health as jogging or working out at a gym.

There’s a tendency to think that when we are “exercising” we are doing something good for our bodies, but when we are hanging out with friends, we are wasting our time and should be more productively engaged—NOT TRUE! In fact, he said that failure to create and maintain quality personal relationships with other humans is as dangerous to our physical health as smoking!

So every time you schmooze with a gal pal, just pat yourself on the back and congratulate yourself for doing something good for your health! We are indeed very, very lucky. So let’s  toast to our friendship with our girlfriends! Evidently it’s very good for our health.”Girl Time is Good for Your Health! For some healthy girl time with your special ladies, attend the Women’s Wellness Weekend at South Mountain YMCA Camps this fall (Sept. 28-30, 2012). Visit the Events Page for more information.

Instead of bridesmaids and groomsmen, there will be “head counselors” when Serena Orgel, 35, and Josh Young, 36, get married this September at Lake Bryn Mawr Camp in Honesdale, Pa. During the weekend festivities, guests will sing songs in a talent show and roast marshmallows at a bonfire. The newlyweds plan to paddle away in a canoe with a “Just Married” sign. Guest attire? “Camp chic,” says the bride-to-be.

Newly weds Suzanne & Steve share a kiss in front of Bynden Wood Lodge, the central hub for day camp

Sleep-away camps—where kids swim in chilly lakes, make macramé bracelets and aim their arrows at archery targets—are finding a new life in the off-season as the host of weddings, bar mitzvahs, 40th birthday parties and other events. Many facilities are remote and more rustic than what many people think of as their ideal weekend away. Guests can expect to sleep in bunk-beds, stow dresses and bowties in cubbies, and spray on bug spray instead of perfume.

“Most people have to figure out who they’re going to seat together. We have to decide who is going to sleep together,” says groom-to-be Mr. Young, who expects to have four couples in each cabin.

The historic dining hall at SMYMCA provides a charming backdrop for a "camp chic" gift table

By the time 31-year-olds Sarah Regensdorf and Justin Greenbaum of Ft. Lauderdale, Fl., got engaged, they’d been to so many local weddings that Mr. Greenbaum wanted to plan something that would be new for their friends. The bride’s wish: Camp Highlander in the mountains of Mills River, N.C., where she had been a camper for several summers in middle school.

So this past May, their 130 guests were picked up at the airport in yellow camp buses, called to meals by a bell, slept in cabins, did Mad Libs, and divided into teams for color war. On the wedding day, adults signed up for activities like horseback riding. One man got stuck on the zip-line. Says Ms. Regensdorf, a real-estate agent, “I’m not sure it’s meant for 30-year-old men.”

Many of the couple’s friends initially balked at the idea of mosquitoes and mess halls. Through the grapevine, Ms. Regensdorf says she learned, “People were saying, ‘Are there going to be mirrors in the bathroom? How am I going to get ready?” she says. Once at camp, though, just about everyone adapted.

When friend-of-the-groom and first-time-camper Eric Darienzo noticed in his cabin spiders “roughly the size of a computer mouse,” he put on his wife’s pink Juicy Couture hoodie sweatshirt, pulled the draw-string tight around his face and rolled himself burrito-style in a sheet. “I grew up in New York City,” says Mr. Darienzo, 31.

Party guests enjoy dancing indoors as well as al fresco areas

For camps, the business provides much needed revenue. Camps face escalating real-estate and insurance costs, shrinking summer seasons as many schools end later in the Northeast and start earlier in the South, and rising competition from other activities like specialized sports and travel programs. As well, tuition for seven-week camp—which can reach about $10,000—is steep.

By comparison, a wedding weekend at Lake Bryn Mawr Camp ranges in cost from between $30,000 and $50,000, says co-owner Dan Kagan. A five-hour affair at a New York City venue can cost as much.

Camp Tamakwa (in Algonquin Park, Canada, and accessible only by boat) accommodates special events with rented china and servers from Toronto as a way to make money and introduce camp to the parents of prospective campers. “I feel like a bit of a wedding planner,” says the camp’s co-owner Craig Perlmutter.

Last month, Darren Anixter, 38, convinced nearly 100 friends to leave their families for a guys weekend of basketball and bunk beds at Camp Ojibwa in Eagle River, Wis. “You feel like you’re a kid when you’re there,” says Mr. Anixter, who attended Ojibwa from 1981 to 1994 and whose three sons are currently Ojibwa campers.

Many of his friends forgot, though, that being a kid at camp isn’t like being an adult on vacation. An amplified bugle woke them at 7:30 a.m. and breakfast was served at 8:15 sharp. “There is a lot of complaining,” says Mr. Anixter, co-owner of a family business which distributes electrical wire and cable in Highland Park., Ill.

Trail’s End Camp in Beach Lake, Pa., opened as a coed sleep-away camp in 1947. Co-owner Marc Honigfeld has winterized some buildings and when he puts in new ones, he focuses on multi-purpose: a hockey arena doubles as a dance hall. He stays open from early May through mid-October, with seven weeks in the middle for summer camp sandwiched by special-event season.

By summer, the dining hall, with slate stonework and picturesque views, is filled with color-war banners and wooden chairs. In the spring and autumn, round dining tables, dim lighting and a dance floor move in. The chef prepares burgers for the campers and sea bass for the party guests.

The family throwing the first big bat mitzvah at Trail’s End used as a party planner, David Tutera, who organizes glitzy events like former “The View” co-host Star Jones whose 2004 wedding, with golden place-settings and a separate ballroom for dessert, was covered in the tabloids. At camp, Mr. Tutera draped the ceiling of the sports arena in fabric and brought in couches. “A lot of people want a campy feel but they also want a five-star New York hotel,” Mr. Honigfeld says.

Alexandra Kosky Stern, 12, is currently honing her canoe portage skills at Camp Thunderbird for Girls in Bemidji, Minn. But a week after camp ends in mid-August, she will be bat mitzvahed there, surrounded by about 30 family friends and relatives from around the Midwest.

“Camp is her favorite place in the world,” says her father, Trip Stern, 41, who along with his brothers spent his summer across Lake Plantagenet at Camp Thunderbird for Boys. After the ceremony in the woods, guests will eat brunch on picnic tables with pinecone centerpieces made in the arts-and-crafts hut.

“Camp is about learning how to become your own person and that’s what a bat mitzvah means too,” says Alex, who proposed the setting to her parents.

When planning her daughter’s wedding in 2005, Robin Jaffin went to look at hotels in Florida with her daughter Allison and son-in-law-to-be, Seth Unger. Each ballroom they visited, Mr. Unger would ask the hotel, “Can we put a volleyball court in the parking lot?” Finally Mrs. Jaffin said, “You don’t want a wedding. You want camp.”

“Done,” said Mr. Unger.

“My idea of what my daughter’s wedding would be went down the toilet,” says Mrs. Jaffin.

SMYMCA Outdoor Chapel

The couple were married at a camp in Kent, Conn. Their nearly 300 guests competed in a three-legged race and a canoe race. They ate a gigantic s’more for wedding cake. The father-of-the-bride carried a bullhorn much of the weekend as “camp director.” After dancing the hora at the Sunday morning ceremony, the bride and groom jumped in the lake in full wedding attire.

This weekend, the couple, with their two daughters, will be returning to camp to celebrate their 5th wedding anniversary with 50 friends and relatives. Ms. Jaffin’s parents have a reservation at a nearby bed and breakfast.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For information about holding your special event at South Mountain YMCA Camps contact Audrey: apreston@smymca.org

It was an innocent question – small talk – but my friend was defensive.  She said she didn’t have time to “do all the research” and she had no idea where to start . . . and then she realized she was talking to “her-friend-the-camp-director” and was a little sheepish.  Of course I would have been happy to steer her three kids into one of my YMCA camping programs, but not every camp is right for every kid.  I know that.  It’s a conversation for my friend and her children, and that conversation requires a little work.  The truth is, in the hunt for a summer camp for your children this summer, there is both good news and bad news.

The bad news:  You do need to do a little research.

The good news:  It’s fun research!

I will point out some great camp resources, ones that I trust, but you will still need to do a little shopping with your would-be campers at your side.  A significant portion of this work can be done from the comfort of your living room in front of a computer.  I will share three sites with you today, but know that there is much more out there.

My Summer Camps.com  (http://www.mysummercamps.com)

This is an incredible resource and a great first step for any family.  It is also overwhelming.  There are more than 35,000 camp listings in 18 different categories.  The nice thing about this site is that you can search by state or by category (i.e. traditional, academic, all girls, all boys, equestrian, etc.).  You can visit camp websites directly, watch camp videos, and get a good feel for what programs are available.

But understand this site charges camps for “membership.”  A camp listed for free appears as a “basic member” with little more than contact information.  The “Gold” membership package can be purchased for $849 a year and allows camps to include photos, videos, logos, and much more.  A minimal listing does not mean the program is a minimal program.  It just means they have chosen to use their marketing dollars elsewhere.  In the interest of disclosure my camps, Camp Conrad Weiser and Bynden Wood Day Camp, are both listed there.

Find YMCA Camps  (http://www.ymca.net/find_ymca_camps)

I am a YMCA guy.  I have had the privilege of working with 6 YMCA resident camps during the last 20 years.  I would be remiss if I didn’t point out this resource.  When you visit this page, you can search for resident camps by state or by name.  Like the Scouts, YMCAs have been running camps for a long time – 125 year as a matter of fact.  There is a lot of experience in these organizations.

American Camp Association  (http://find.acacamps.org/finding_a_camp.php)

The American Camp Association (ACA) is the industry standard.  They accredit both day and resident camps, and have a complete listing of their accredited programs.  Like the other sites listed, you can search by state or camp name.  On the ACA’s “advanced search,” you can focus your efforts by cost, activities, targeted focus, cultural focus, special needs, and much more.

These three sites will get you started on your summer adventure.  Once you have found a program that matches your needs and the interests of your child, call or visit the camp.  Ask them extensive questions.  Remember, a session at camp makes memories that last a lifetime – ensure that they are good ones!

We’ll see you at Camp!

Nathan, CEO

The South Mountain YMCA Camps

Be sure to visit our website, The South Mountain YMCA Camps, at www.smymca.org.

Jeff Henry and Bynden Wood Campers

Hey there everyone!

So its been a month since summer ended and, like me, you probably have been thinking about what Camp Conrad Weiser did for you.  Those days you spent on the A-field, the Craft Shed, or in the cabin with campers making them smile – those are memories that I reckon you are now looking back on with a smile.  You probably find yourself thinking, “Wow, did I really do that?” or ”Was that me?”

Has that moment hit you yet when you realize that Camp has changed you???

Right now many of you are back in school doing what needs to be done.  But in the back of your mind I know Camp is there – its that safe haven in your mind that will never go away.  You know I’m right.

Are you with me now?  Camp is there.  It is that safe place where you get to be whoever you want to be.  You can be that silly dude up front singing songs and performing skits and no one thinks that you’re off your rocker because to the campers you are a rock star.

This is Jeff Henry.  I have served at South Mountain YMCA Camps for the past 4 summers and right now, having been on the other side of the world chasing the sun, I am now realizing what it means when we say “keep the fires burning.”

Here in Australia I am working and experiencing a new culture in a beautiful land where I can walk out my door and pick a fresh orange off the tree.  I see a kangaroo as I drive down the road and find a lizard in the driveway.  Since I have been here, I am now realizing what it means to keep the fires burning.  I’ve said those four words a lot over the past four years, but I never really understood their true meaning.  It has been said that when we say ”keep the fires burning,” it is our way of saying “see you soon.”  Now this rings true to me.

I can remember how much the campers of Camp Conrad Weiser are devoted to their camp even if it was their very first week.  They are part of a camp family that no one can take that away. This holds true for the staff, too.  It is your Camp.

We all have our own memories of how Camp Conrad Weiser has changed us.  I hope that these changes can help you to find the next step in your journey.

Keep the Fires Burning

-Jeff

Jeff Henry instructing Archery

Thank you Jeff.  Your camp family is proud of you as you continue on your journey.  We can’t wait to see you again next summer!

Staff at YMCA Camp Conrad Weiser beat the intense summer heat by dumping a truckload of ice in the pool.  As temperatures top 100 degrees for the third straight day, camp counselors add bags of ice to the swimming pool to cool off the campers and the rapidly warming pool water.

Click to view slideshow.

“I jumped in the pool last week with our Bynden Wood Day Campers and was shocked to see how quickly the water temperature had risen,” stated Nathan Brant, South Mountain YMCA Camps CEO.  “While it would take a lot more ice to substantially lower the pool temperature, dumping bags of ice into the water during swim time seemed like a good way to beat the heat,” he added.

In addition to swimming, camp leadership ensure that adequate shade is available at all program areas and that water is plentiful.  “Keeping kids hydrated in this heat is a priority for our staff,” stated Sue Williams, “otherwise, we try and keep camp moving in almost any weather.”

The South Mountain YMCA Camps have been continually offering summer camp programs for more than 60 years.   Both Bynden Wood Day Camp campers and Camp Conrad Weiser campers use the pool every day of the summer.  For more information on summer camp programs at the South Mountain YMCA, contact Sue Williams at 610-670-2267.

On Saturday, summer campers at YMCA Camp Conrad Weiser were treated to a visit from the Bloomin’ Balloon.

As part of the camp’s Carnival, Steve and Lois Esser visited campers with their beautiful tulip covered balloon.  For two hours in the scorching heat, the Bloomin’ Balloon crew of Steve Esser, Lois Esser, Carl Zvanut, and Deb Zvanut put on a hot air balloon tether demonstration in front of the camp’s climbing tower on the foundations of the old Bynden Wood Hotel.

Summer campers were able to ask questions and watch as the balloon rose 30 to 50 feet in the air.  “It’s incredible how things like this beautiful balloon still have the power to awe and inspire us, despite the technical age we live in,” commented South Mountain YMCA Camps CEO, Nathan Brant.  “It was the perfect ending to our carnival program,” he added.

Click to view slideshow.

As part of the demonstration, the camp’s international counselors were able to ride in the balloon.  Young adults from Germany, France, and the United Kingdom were able to view the mountaintop from the air.

Camp Conrad Weiser holds a Carnival, Formal Dinner, and Dance of the Saturday of each 2-week camp session in the summer.  For more information about Camp Conrad Weiser and the South Mountain YMCA Camps’ other programs, please call Nathan Brant at 610-670-2267.

I may, however, be part of a dwindling number of believers.  In this era of specialization, the value of a traditional summer camp experience with archery, canoeing, campfires, nature walks, horseback rides and rock climbing is more difficult to explain to perspective families, foundations, and educators.  Traditional Day & Resident Camps are like liberal arts colleges.  We teach behavior before skill – we teach how learn and interact successfully in groups.  More and more, society seems to turn away from the notion of liberal arts and the well-rounded individual.  We are witnessing an unprecedented growth in technical or magnate schools at all levels, and the same thing is happening with summer camps.

Now everyone has gotten in on the Camp Game.  Museums, churches, schools, YMCAs, YWCAs, Scouts, community foundations, state parks, and conservancy groups are all running camps.  We have soccer camp, art camp, dance camp, eco-camp, robotics camp, swim camp, lacrosse camp, and many more.  Each of these programs teaches a skill.  They teach kids to be a better soccer player, a better inventor, a better artist, or a better swimmer.  Meanwhile, traditional summer camp programs continue with their less glamorous work - teaching kids how to be better people.

In our summer camps, Bynden Wood YMCA Day Camp & YMCA Camp Conrad Weiser (www.smymca.org), we strive to help our campers develop into successful adults.  Regardless of the camp activity, we teach our kids the lessons of leadership.  Whether on horseback, the archery ranges, or the climbing tower, we intentionally work to improve a young person’s communication skills, we focus on the development of interpersonal trust, and we provide opportunities for problem-solving.  When a young person leaves our program, we know he or she is better prepared to serve as a leader, or be a responsible member of a group being led.

Being a great soccer player may be important through high school or college.  Being a great leader is important for life. 

My name is Nathan Brant, and I am a summer camp believer.  Perhaps there is a support group for people like me . . . .

We’ll see you at Camp!

Nathan

For more information on the relevance of summer camp, check out the American Camp Association’s article, “An American Tradition – Camp,” at http://www.campparents.org/American-Tradition.

I say my first “real” trip because I do not count crossing over from the Minnesotan side of a lake to the Canadian side on a canoe trip as a true international experience. BUT, through my high school, I had the opportunity to study and travel in Spain for four weeks one summer. It remains one of my most memorable experiences. Camp Conrad Weiser is already so great and it’s right here, so why bother with an international trip to Spain? Read on…

THERE’S A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING

One of the reasons it’s so memorable is that there were so many firsts for me on that trip: my first passport, my first trans-Atlantic flight, my first café con leche, my first time negotiating retail prices in another language, my first siesta (well, in a country where they have a designated time for that anyways), my first bullfight, my first time navigating the winding streets of a city where buildings date back to the Bronze Age, my first castle, my first time seeing a painting covered during Art History in real life…need I go on?

PAELLA, FLAMENCO & CASTILLAS

Beyond the excitement and whirlwind of touring this castle here and eating that delicacy there, I realized that history and culture were pretty amazing (and tasty too). This was nothing like the history and culture outings I’d been subjected to during the first 15 years of my life: think road trips where you stop at every historic marker, musty old house, Civil War battleground and small town museum in the lower 48. In contrast, Spain was cooler than every school trip and family vacation…even the ones to the BIG stuff (you know, the White House, the Empire State Building, Colonial Williamsburg, Disney World). You might not think that teenagers would get into touring monasteries, castles & cathedrals but I did, in fact, we all did! The streets, the buildings, the art, the music, the food…everything about Spain is beautiful.

TALK TO ME BABY

I took Spanish for 3 years in elementary/middle school and 3 years in high school before heading off to Spain for a month of independent study and travel. I thought I was set. Boy, did I think wrong. There is a whole, big difference between speaking Spanish in a classroom and speaking it all day, every day, everywhere, to EVERYONE. I learned more in the first week than in all six years of Spanish class.

And it wasn’t all about language skills. It takes courage and self-confidence to try your hand at communicating your wants and needs in a foreign language knowing full-well that you’ll probably get half the words wrong, misconjugate the verbs, might be misunderstood and could even cause a bout of uncontrollable giggling if you accidentally string together something inappropriate. Even a decade(-ish) later, I can still use my Spanish when needed and I don’t sweat it if it’s not perfect…so long as I can get my point across.

A LASTING IMPRESSION

When I think about it now, I can’t believe how lucky I was that I happened to be involved with an organization that offered an international experience AND that my parents decided it was worth spending a good chunk of money on. They say hindsight is 20-20, I say it was worth every penny.

What is summer camp?  It’s a child’s Shangri La.  It’s a place to learn, grow, make friends, and have fun.  Summer Camp is where your child begins a journey of self-discovery which will change her forever.  Simply put – it’s the experience of a lifetime for a child! 

Now you have questions, “Is my child ready for this?”  “Am I ready for this?”

Don’t Panic

It’s early now and you have time to worry about the big questions.  Remember why you felt a summer camp experience was important for your child.  As he matures, it’s important for him to take his first steps into the-big-bad-world.  There is no safer, better supervised environment for him to test the wings of his new-found independence than in summer camp.

Ask Questions

What your 4^th grade English teacher said was true, “there are no stupid questions.”  If you, the parent, never went to summer camp we expect you to have a lot of questions.  Even if you went to summer camp last century, believe us when we say a lot has changed.  Parents should call, email, or visit their summer camp until they have every questioned answered.  Don’t worry about us, we love to talk about camp.

Stay in Touch

Join Camp’s Facebook Page.  Follow Camp on Twitter.  Visit the website every week.  Visit Camp for our Family Fun Days.  We are confident, the more interaction you have with camp staff, the more you spend time with us, the more comfortable you will be when your child goes away for a week or two this summer. 

Visit

You’ve seen the brochure.  You watched the videos.  You’ve visited the website.  You’ve talked to camp staff.  Visit the Camp!  We believe it’s worth the drive, and it will give you and your new camper another chance to ask questions and get comfortable. 

Be Brave for Your Child

After 20 years on summer camp staff (combined), there is a dirty little secret about homesickness we think you ought to know:  Your fond farewells on the first day of camp can often cause – or alleviate – homesickness.  If your camper sees you are nervous and sad at the start of camp, she will feel that way, too.  She will often feel sad for you.  Be strong for your new camper.  Let her know how excited you are for her to have this new experience.  Let her know you will be alright while she is gone.  It will make all the difference.

Take Time for Yourself.

Parents deserve a break.  Summer camp can give you that break.  You are unlikely to ever have a better trained person looking after the needs of your child than during a week of summer camp.  Our staff are CPR and 1^st Aid Certified, they have been trained in dozens of fun games and activities, they sleep in the same room with the kids they care for, and watch what they eat at meals.  Take a break while your child is away and in good hands.  Watch a movie.  Visit a spa.  Recharge your batteries.

Celebrate the Accomplishment

Celebrate the accomplishment of completing the first week away at summer camp (for you and your child).  After camp, go to a favorite restaurant share with your child how proud you are of him.  Chances are, he will have a lot to talk about. 

Know that your child is going to learn new things, build self- esteem, make new friends, and be cared for by excellent camp counselors who are there for you child.

We at YMCA Camp Conrad Weiser are here to ensure child has the best summer ever.  If you have any questions about summer camp please call us on the mountain and we will be happy to talk. Call 610-670-2267.

Written by Jeff Henry & Nathan Brant

Winter camp starts on Friday, February 18th and we can’t wait to see you!! We’ve got lots of snow on the mountain right now but it’s gonna be fun no matter what! Sledding, climbing, arts and crafts, Eskimo baseball, much more,  and we’ll warm up with hot cocoa, cookies & s’mores around the fire.

There are still a few spots left if you want to join us and see camp friends and staff, experience camp in the winter and enjoy our heated cabins, hot meals, and a busy schedule of camp activities!

Cost:  $125 per camper (includes meals, lodging, and all activities)

Times:  Check-in is 6-7 p.m. on Friday night.  Check-out is 4-5 p.m. on Monday.

For registration & more information, call the office at 610-670-2267

SEE YOU HERE.

Keep the Fires Burning!

Jeff Henry