Posts Tagged ‘camp siblings’

Name That Tune Camp Siblings

Wednesday, July 30th, 2014

S-Days are already special days, but when one concludes with music, excitement and ice cream (for the winners), they’re extra special. And an extra special occasion the most recent S-Day was. A special Camp Starlight edition of Name That Tune brought camp siblings together to test their knowledge of all things  Starlight in categories such as Dining Room Songs, Starlight Playhouse and Sports Anthems.

For anyone wondering who–or what–a camp sibling is, campers are brought together in groups of threes at the beginning of camp and attend designated sibling activities throughout the summer as brothers and sisters. Older “siblings” function as mentors for younger campers.

At Name That Tune, siblings were given a snippet of a song and had to guess the song name and artist. Hearing songs like “I’m a Believer” from the recent all camp show Shrek the Musical brought campers to their feet for lots of dancing. The theme of teamwork echoed throughout the night. “It felt good to win because I was working with my friends and camp sisters,” said Junior Lindsay S. And there was an extra special surprise for campers at the conclusion of the competition: The two teams with the highest scores were whisked off to everyone’s favorite ice cream shop, Alice’s Cow Palace.

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Camp Starlight Siblings and “Siblings”

Tuesday, July 1st, 2014

Family is very important at Camp Starlight. In fact, it’s one of our five tenets (along with fun, adventure, spirit, and tradition). Siblings are an important part of the family unit. For all of the arguing that takes place over silly things, like who is going to hold the remote control or sit in the front seat of the car, siblings are there for each other when all is said and done. Unlike parents, who are authoritative figures, siblings offer an objective ear or a shoulder to lean on from someone who is close in age and socially parallel. This is why Camp Starlight goes to great length to emphasize the importance of siblings.

Of course, there are the dozens of true siblings that come to Camp Starlight each summer. Parents are always somewhat surprised—not to mention hesitant to believe—that siblings actually grow closer during camp. Many of the siblings here at Camp Starlight arrange to meet up with each other throughout the summer to catch up and see how each other is doing. Perhaps there is just something about a summer mountain breeze and amazing surroundings that facilitates bonding moments. Beyond the sibling meet-ups, older siblings look out for younger siblings throughout the summer. They make sure they’re enjoying their summer and making new friends. Younger siblings swell with pride when acknowledged by their big brothers and sisters.

Camp Starlight also has camp siblings. These are pairings of campers that act as “siblings” throughout the summer in much the same way that true siblings do—by being there to celebrate and encourage each other throughout the summer. There are many special camp sibling events held throughout the summer at which “siblings” can spend time together, get to know each other better, and talk about the one thing that binds them all—camp.

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Camp Brothers & Camp Sisters

Tuesday, March 11th, 2014

There is no doubt about it; we all have someone we look up to in life. And as we grow older, whether we know it or not, someone looks up to us.  In the Camp Starlight world, this idea goes hand in hand with Camp Brothers/Sisters.

During the first few days of camp, everyone gets a Camp sibling, in regard to their respective campuses. Camp sibling activities are popular throughout the summer, and range from Brother/sister lunches, campfires, afternoons at the waterfront, and even a few evening activities.

Younger, first time campers are given a “Big Brother/Sister”, some are even lucky enough to have two! The excitement amongst the youngest campers is buzzing from the moment they find out they are about to receive their Camp Brothers or Sisters.

They know they will have an older, experienced camper to look up to and go to for advice. They feel comfort in having someone from upper camp that has been in their shoes, cheering them on and supporting them during their “Camp Firsts.”

Once children get a little older, some will be middle brother/sisters, meaning they have a younger and an older sibling. This is a time when they get the joy of having an older sibling to look up to, but also get to be a role model for their younger sibling. They get the best of both worlds, supporting younger campers, and getting support from their older sibling.

Finally, the oldest campers at Starlight are given younger siblings. After years of looking up to their “Big brother/sister” they are finally the ones who everyone else looks up to. It’s time for these campers to mature, and become role models for the younger campers. They also feel a bit of responsibility and knowledge on how to comfort their younger brother/sister when they are trying something new at camp, because they have been there themselves.

Camp Brothers and Sisters relationships last much longer than just one summer. Every summer you’ll hear campers talking about their previous camp siblings, still exchanging hugs and smiles as they pass one another.  The relationships these children make with one another is unlike any other role model, and have the ability to last a lifetime.

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Siblings at Camp

Tuesday, February 11th, 2014

Chances are, they spend the majority of their time bickering over who gets to be in control of the remote, or, while traveling on your family vacation, you constantly hear the infamous “Mom, he/she won’t stop staring at me!” It’s no secret that siblings can get on each other’s nerves while spending 24/7 living under the same roof, but while at camp something about their attitudes changes.

Siblings take a few minutes out of their day, whether it is at the flagpole during line up or after dinner at free play, just to chat and catch each other up.  At first it’s about new friends, counselors, and which Wayne County teams they have made. As the summer progresses, conversations get a little more personal as they fill each other in on how well they did at their favorite activity or share new jokes and stories they’ve heard.  These interactions between siblings almost always end with a hug until they see each other at the next all camp activity.

Summer camp is a place that siblings transform rivalry into a different kind of relationship. They cheer each other on and proudly exclaim, “That’s my brother/sister!” Camp has a distinct set of memories different from those they share with their parents. At camp, there are traditions and values which children learn to appreciate at a young age. Having a sibling to share traditions and values makes them even more special. The thrill of seeing each other experience camp firsts and pass camp milestones also helps siblings learn to appreciate each other as individuals.

Summer camp is special to each child and being able to give your children that special bond that summer camp gives them is a great feeling for you too.

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