Posts Tagged ‘camp traditions’

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Toni in Cali: A Travel Journal

Friday, July 31st, 2015

Golden Gate Bridge

Dear Diary,

First full day in San Francisco began with a bang! Let me tell you something though, eating a full breakfast was NOT the best idea seeing as we walked across the entire Golden Gate Bridge. I may have cramped up a little, but it was all worth it to see the amazing view from up top. It’s strange to think that humans like me built a bridge so big! Can’t wait for tomorrow!

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Lombard Street

Dear Diary,

Think of the intro to Full House where Dani rides on his bike down the most crooked street in the world. Now think that I climbed that very same street! The hike was a struggle, but the view made it all worth it. There were beautiful flowers and lovely houses lining the sides of the road, and climbing with all my Starlight friends ensured some great memories to be made.

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Behind Bars

Dear Diary,

Under any other circumstances, I think my mom would be pretty disappointed in me for ending up here. But it’s a rare exception seeing as I’m in jail at Alcatraz! Through a tour of this incredible museum, I got to really understand what it was like here in prison. They really went to the bathroom in there?!? Culture shock! At least the view was beautiful…Overall, it was another great experience in Cali.

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White Water Rafting

Dear Diary,

Helmets on for this outdoor adventure! Those rapids were not a joke! With my Starlight friends, we conquered the class 3 rapids together. The scenery made the adventure that much more enjoyable. It’s hard not to smile when you’re surrounded by all of those amazing mountains. Here’s us posing for the Go-Pro about to take on another wave.

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Improv

Dear Diary,

We couldn’t stop laughing as we arrived at the Improv comedy club on Melrose Avenue. You wouldn’t believe what I did! I volunteered to “whip and nae nae” for the audience in a competition! (I won btw.) We started off LA with a bang!

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Universal Studios

Dear Diary,

Hey! How’d I get in that shot? Well, I guess anything is possible in Hollywood, the land of movies and magic! A tour of Universal Studios was a major highlight of my trip. We got the backstage track about how movies are really made. But that wasn’t all! Some epic roller coasters sure put me for a loop (no pun intended).

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Disney

Dear Diary,

I was off to DisneyLand, where dreams and wishes really do come true! I grabbed mickey mouse ears and went on my way into the magical kingdom. Hopped on the ferris wheel with my friends and got the best view of the park. And I even ended the day with a beautiful water and light show. I’ll never be too old to enjoy the happiest place on earth.

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Hollywood Star

Dear Diary,

It’s me with the man…the myth…the legend…Michael Jackson! It was quite the “thriller” to pose with his star. Walking on the street with so many celebrities was unlike any other experience. Each and every one of those people have done great things for our culture, bringing us some of America’s largest talents. I’ve been a star on the stage of the Starlight Playhouse, but do you think I have what it takes to make it it Hollywood?

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Friends

Dear Diary,

Although traveling to California was an unbelievable experience, it wouldn’t have been the same without the people who I traveled with. I got to know so many people in the CA division better, and learned a lot about my division leaders. The bonds I’ve formed on this trip will never be forgotten, and neither will the memories I made. Diary, I’ll see you on my next epic adventure around the world, but for now, see ya!

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Starlight Football League!

Thursday, July 16th, 2015

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Day One at Camp Starlight

Monday, June 29th, 2015

2015-06-20 10.27.48Summer 2015 has finally begun. The counselors gathered waving their bunk signs as they excitedly awaited their new campers. The camper’s faces were bright and smiling as they ran from the camp buses and were reunited with friends and counselors and bunk mates, whom they had not seen for almost ten months. Camper’s faces lit up as they recognized some of their previous camp counselors; they were also super excited to meet the greatest staff on earth.

As campers unpacked their belongings and settled into their new bunks excitement was stirring in anticipation for the magical opening night show. The magical evening began by David and Allison leading the performance. Campers were spellbound as all staff members sang along to “Magic to Do”. As per Starlight tradition, the senior girls led the camp alma mater and the rest of the camp joined in the sing along.

Day one at camp was extraordinary with all campers bringing light to Camp Starlight. Camp Starlight is truly bringing magic to the summer and it will follow all campers as they go along their way…..

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Unplugged at Camp Starlight

Monday, January 26th, 2015

10532376_10152221993496960_1396692894280105569_nIf your child is like most, they “tweet” their way through breakfast, text at lunch, “like” and “comment” all day long, Snap Chat through dinner, post selfies to Instagram around bedtime and wake up and do it all again the next day. No wonder they stay up to late and want to sleep until noon, they’re busy!

Research has shown kids spend up to 7.5 hours A DAY with their eyes glued to a screen and their fingers frantically pecking away at keyboards. Kids growing up in an age of such accessible and socially acceptable technology can sometimes get lost in the sea of text messages and status updates. Social media can be a hunting ground for bullies, as it is easy to become detached from empathy and consequences when you’re behind a screen. Kids do and say things they would not normally do or say when they’re plugged in, and that can be detrimental to their actual social development. When kids only speak their mind when they are anonymous, or when they try to be someone they aren’t to impress others, they are lacking opportunities to develop self-confidence and character. They may have 1000 “friends” on social media, but are slowly loosing the ability to walk up to someone and shake their hand, introduce themselves, or settle conflict in a responsible and socially acceptable way. Social media isn’t bad in itself, but when we let it take the place of our child’s actual social development, we are doing them a huge disservice.

Which is why, at Camp Starlight, we’re unplugged. Campers leave their cellphones at home, and enjoy a summer without texting, emailing or using social media. At first, potential campers many find this kind of “torture” unbearable, but as they dive deep into the activities that the camp has to offer, they will reevaluate their role online. They will interact with others in a meaningful, personal and relational way. They will improve their written communication skills by writing letters back home to loved ones, and feel the excitement of receiving a handwritten note from people back home, a feeling you just don’t get when you check your inbox. Without a phone in their back pocket to tempt them, they will be able to really focus and listen to what other campers are saying. In turn, when they are sharing a story or experience, they will not be looking out into a crowd of people staring down onto a screen. Screen Shot 2015-01-26 at 12.44.25 PM

Campers who arrive shy and a little reserved will leave with a newfound confidence, based on the things accomplished during their stay. They will be able to look back on the summer when they learned to swim, conquered their stage fright, made new friends or discovered their love of magic and apply that self-confidence into their life back home. They will no longer need to hide behind a screen in order to communicate with their peers or feel heard.

As a parent, you can find comfort in the fact that while your child is away, they will be learning valuable life skills that don’t involve how many words they can text a minute, or how many “likes” they can get on their Instagram picture. The skills they learned while they are unplugged will stay with them for a lifetime, and that is better than being retweeted by a celebrity.

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The Anatomy of a S’mores

Thursday, November 6th, 2014

At Camp Starlight, everyone looks forward to getting in on the action and making s’mores. But what is it about s’mores that gets us asking for – you guessed it – some more?

The sticky, ooey, gooey, utterly delicious ingredients, that’s what!

People say there is a National S’mores Day celebrated on August 10 every year, but you don’t have to wait until then to eat s’mores. To make s’mores, you start when the sun goes down. Everyone gathers around the roaring camp fire hungry for an after dinner sweet treat. Bring along chocolate bars, graham crackers and marshmallows. It doesn’t matter if the chocolate is milk chocolate or dark chocolate – you pick. And don’t forget the skewers, unless you are planning to use twigs like the old days.

Very carefully, break the graham crackers and chocolate into squares. A half of a regular sized chocolate bar and two attached graham crackers will do nicely. Remember, you are kind of making a chocolate and marshmallow sandwich, so you will need two squares of graham crackers.

Now for the best part. Stick your skewer, or twig, right through the center of the marshmallow so it doesn’t fall off. Then roast the marshmallow over the fire until the outside is brown, not burnt, and the inside is really, really gooey. If the marshmallow does fall off into the fire, don’t worry! Just take another one and start over.

When the marshmallow is done, it is time to put together your s’mores. Use one piece of graham cracker as the base, then place the chocolate on top, and then put the hot marshmallow on top of that. Be careful not to burn your fingers! Then add the last layer, the other piece of graham cracker.

But the s’mores is not ready for eating yet!

Just wait a minute or two so the hot marshmallow melts the chocolate just a little bit. Now, take a bite and enjoy your sticky, ooey, gooey, oh so good chocolate marshmallow graham cracker treat!

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Five Minutes at Camp

Tuesday, August 12th, 2014

We focus a lot on how much happens at camp over the course of the summer, but the amount of activity that takes place in just 5 minutes on any given day is mind blowing to anyone who is not familiar with camp. Five minutes at summer camp is like a symphony: many individual components come together at the same time to create a single, enjoyable experience. In addition, each component is unique, yet critical, to the overall piece. In just five minutes at camp…

A soccer team may score a goal to win a championship game while play rehearsal takes place on the stage and, at the waterfront, swim instruction is happening. In arts & crafts, campers are busy putting the finishing touches on projects as a batter on the softball team steps onto first base and a volleyball is spiked over the net. A group of campers is learning how to sail on the lake as a group of paddle boarders make their way across the water. A camper does her first giant swing on the parallel bars in gymnastics just as another reaches the top of the climbing wall while yet another makes his way across the high ropes course. It’s a 3 on 3 tournament on the basketball courts and a group of campers are learning how to improve their tennis serve just as a camper finds the back of the net at lacrosse. A team captain just called a time out at roller hockey and the finishing touches are being put onto some hip hop choreography in dance. A group of mountain bikers pass a group of runners and two teams are facing off in flag football. It’s the bottom of the 9th on the baseball field and the game is tied while the final two players in an intense game of gaga face off as their fellow campers cheer them on. The aroma of chocolate chip cookies wafts from the cooking studios and campers in photography take nature shots as a small group of campers fishes nearby.

And it’s not just the action that takes place in any given five minutes at camp that creates the rhythm of summer, it’s the interaction. As all of these activities are happening, campers and staff members are talking, laughing, learning and cheering. In the same five minutes at camp, friendships are formed and new skills learned. Traditions begin and are repeated. Campers try something new for the first time as well as accomplish them for the first time after a summer of trying. In five minutes at camp, campers gain life skills by becoming more confident and more self-reliant.   In just five minutes at camp, memories are made. Like a conductor, memories bring all of those activities together to create the image of summer camp that campers replay for a lifetime.

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Bringing Away Life Skills

Friday, August 8th, 2014

For most campers, when the summer of 2014 draws to a close, there is always next summer to which they can look forward. For the oldest campers, however, farewell this summer means farewell forever to their years as campers. Even though a significant number of former campers choose to return to summer camp as staff members later, the experiences they gained as campers are unique to those years. Although it is difficult to say goodbye at the conclusion of their final summer, it is also a time when older campers reflect upon their camp years and truly take inventory of what camp has meant to them and will continue to mean as they proceed in life.

Older campers come away from camp having attained life skills that give them adistinct advantage as they move through their high school years and college becomes a focus. There is, for instance, respect for tradition. College campuses, like resident camps, are built on traditions that help define them.  Former campers understand the importance of their role in these traditions by creating experiences that are both memorable and worthwhile.

Former campers know how to show spirit and to live in the moment as well. At camp, campers are sensitive to the fact that their time at camp each summer is limited and they embrace each minute. Having already learned to comprehend that their camp years are limited to a specific timeline in their lives, former campers arrive on college campuses already understanding that their college years are much the same.

There is also an emphasis on total involvement at camp. Summer camp is about creating an environment in which campers feel encouraged to try new things and to push their level of comfort each summer. In the safety of a setting that emphasizes inclusion, campers learn to understand that diversity is key to success. It takes many types of people and talents coming together to make camp the beloved place that it is in the hearts of the campers. With such an understanding, campers tend to get to know and befriend individuals who they might not otherwise have taken the time to get to know in a setting that does not facilitate similar ideals.  Having been submerged in such a culture for several summers, campers are well equipped for the transition from home to college life after several summers at camp. They also tend to be somewhat open- minded when it comes to new things and experiences.

Older campers also come away from camp as leaders. Whether they have led fellow campers in an activity or helped mentor and lead younger campers in their later camp years, leadership is another quality that is rigorously promoted and embraced at sleepaway camp.

Campers also learn everyday life skills at sleepaway camp as they spend several weeks away from home each summer and make decisions for themselves. Making healthy eating decisions, for instance, is an important skill that children learn at camp. Campers also learn how to juggle multiple commitments at once, such as having a role in a camp show while simultaneously playing on a sports team. They co-habitate daily with several other campers and learn how to maximize their living space.

Clearly, those campers who will say goodbye to camp at the conclusion of the summer are bringing away far more than fun memories of a place where they spent their childhood summers. They’re bringing away experiences that translate into life far beyond camp.

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Responsibility is Opportunity

Saturday, August 2nd, 2014

One of the things to which every camper and staff member looks the most forward to each Friday evening during the Camp Starlight services is the Key Staff address. The Key Staff address is a message given by a senior staff member pertaining to a theme. Lower Inter Girls Division Leader Tracie Saltzman presented a different take on the theme of responsibility that highlighted the qualities that Camp Starlight strives to promote and develop in both campers and staff members.

I feel truly blessed to be in front of all of you tonight to talk about responsibility. What is responsibility and how do you feel whensomeone tells you that you are responsible for something.  I bet your parents tell you that you have many responsibilities. Responsibility to do your homework, maybe responsibility to clean your room or clear your place at the dinner table. Here at camp, I know that I, along with your counselors, tell you about the responsibilities that you have. Clean your bunk, be quiet at line up, get to activities on time, stack your tables and the list goes on. All of these things that you “have” to do can be overwhelming and stressful. Even the dictionary defines responsibility in a way that can be perceived as negative. It says that responsibility is when you have a job to take care of something or to do what is expected.

I would like for you to look at responsibility a little differently. I would like for you to look at responsibility as an opportunity. At Starlight, we all have responsibilities so we all have opportunities. At the opening night show, several of you marched in with the banners that are displayed everyday in this rec hall. The values of Camp Starlight:  Spirit, Tradition, Adventure, Fun and Family. All of those values are your opportunities here at Starlight.

Opportunities to show your Spirit: Cheering on bunk mates to succeed, dressing up for a themed event, chanting in the dining room, wearing the blue and white during Olympics, representing Camp Starlight at an invitational game, a Wayne County game or right here during a league game.

Opportunities to continue the Traditions of Starlight that have left their mark here throughout the years. Olympic songs and sing banners hanging here in this rec hall, the bunk plaques decorating the dining room, morning and evening lineup, the Friday night service that always starts with the singing of Bim Bom, and when we all gather here in the rec hall to sing our hearts out at the pre-visiting day sing along.

Opportunities for Adventure. Everyone’s adventure is different, but it’s the opportunity to try something new. Maybe it’s singing in a play in front of the entire camp or waterskiing for the first time, scoring a run, creating a new arts and crafts project, radio show or sports broadcast, jumping from the star-jump or catching a fish.

Opportunities for fun: Shaking your napkin, tubing, playing an awesome game of name that tune with camp brothers and sisters, dancing at a mustache tutu party, running slope for lope, or just full on singing “Let it Go” at the top of your lungs with 800 others singing right along with you!

And Opportunities to embrace our Starlight family like being a good camp brother, camp sister, bunkmate, counselor—you are an integral part of your division.  We are a family built on bonds of friendship that will last a lifetime! We all have the responsibility and, therefore, the opportunity to carry on the values of Starlight and to keep it a strong and vibrant camp.

The returning campers know this and you 1st year campers will see that at the end of the summer, just before we have our banquet, all of the campers that have had parents, grandparents and great grandparents that were also campers here at Starlight, gather at the flagpole for a generational picture.  It is amazing to see how many of you are in that picture each summer. We all have the responsibility and opportunity to carry on the values of Starlight so that someday, when you have kids of your own, they can be in that picture at that same flagpole, overlooking that same beautiful lake having had the best summer with their Starlight family.

I want to thank each and every one of you for giving me the opportunity to share and enjoy another incredible summer at my home away from home. It’s a responsibility that I value forever in my heart.

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8 Things that Are Quintessentially Summer Camp

Wednesday, July 23rd, 2014

It’s hard to believe that another summer is almost half over. It seems like just yesterday that campers were arriving, excited for another summer. Time passes so quickly at summer camp that it’s sometimes impossible to not miss some things. But there are certain things that, no matter how busy, chaotic, or crazy things get at camp, remind us of camp and are a big part of what it’s all about.

1.       Campfires—Every camp’s campfire has a unique significance to it. Campfire traditions, songs, and activities vary from camp to camp but one theme is consistent from camp to camp: the campfire has a sacred relevance and, as such, is a very special event at camp. So special, in fact, that the campfire is symbolic of summer camp itself. The fire embodies camp life, and the smell of burning embers raises an immediate reminder of sylvanian settings in which camps are located.

2.       S’mores—What’s a campfire without s’mores? Anyone and everyone who has ever been to camp craves the gooey delight of melted chocolate and marshmallows between two graham crackers. S’mores are so distinct to camp that biting into one instantly harkens memories of camp.

3.       Sing Alongs—Sure, karaoke is a popular activity for get togethers. But there is nothing more harmonious than an entire camp—counselors too!—singing their camp’s favorite tunes together. Camp sing alongs are more than just time spent together singing songs, however. They’re a way of bringing everyone together to celebrate the place that has brought them all together.

4.       Bunks/Cabins—As the saying goes, ‘If only walls could talk…’ And, oh, the stories so many summer camp bunks/cabins could tell. Bunks/Cabins are more than just places where campers and their counselors sleep at night. Bunks/Cabins are facilities in which campers become families. They are also places in which the vast size of sleepaway camps shrink to an intimate setting in which friendships are nurtured and memories are made. Each bunk/cabin family is unique, with its own jokes, songs, traditions, etc.

5.       Arts & Crafts—According to the American Camp Association, Arts & Crafts is one of the five most popular activities at camp, and for good reason. Who wouldn’t want to spend a portion of each day in an area stocked with beads, lanyard, glitter, paint, glue, markers, scissors, and just about any other craft supply one can dream up? The possibilities are endless in Arts & Crafts. The relaxing atmosphere gives campers opportunity to decompress and reflect while still being social. Arts & Crafts is an activity that allows campers to spend time with their friends.

6.       Bugle Calls/Bells—There has to be some way to move campers through their program day at camp. Whether it’s bugles or bells, campers know instantly what each unique sound is telling them to do from waking up in the morning to turning out the lights at night, and everything in between.

7.       Camp Shows—Those who are not familiar with camp may wonder what makes camp shows different from other types of shows. Anyone who has ever been involved in a production that goes from auditions to performance complete with full sets and makeup in a week or less knows that this is precisely what makes camp shows a camp entity all unto their own.

8.       Crazy Wardrobe Choices—We mean C-R-A-Z-Y—as in more is definitely more when it comes to showing spirit or “dressing up” for a special camp occasions. In fact, camp is probably the only place at which one is complimented for arriving at a function wearing body paint and/or temporary tattoos, bright colors, a tutu, crazy sunglasses or hats, a wig (or two) and mismatched socks.

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68 Years of Starlight Summers as Told by Bunk Plaques

Sunday, July 6th, 2014

It’s no secret by now that Camp Starlight is in the midst of the ‘Great Bunk Renovation Project’ during which all of our bunks will be updated and refurbished. Renovations, though, a time of change are also a time of reflection. It’s interesting to think about the many campers who have called a Camp Starlight bunk home over the 68 summers that it has been in operation or even, for that matter, how many more bunks there are in 2014 than there were in 1947.

Bunk plaques in the Dining Hall remind campers and staff each day that the Camp Starlight family extends into the thousands. Campers enjoy seeking out their own plaques from past summers as well as those of their parents and even grandparents. Staff enjoy perusing the plaques and pondering the creative and often comical themes and designs, all of which capture a unique quality of the campers and counselors who called THAT bunk home in THAT particular year.  Together, the plaques tell the stories of the Camp Starlight bunks and the adventures, memories, and moments in which they’ve played an important role for 68 summers.

Today, more than two dozen bunks on each side of camp plus the Lodge and the Lakehouse house the nearly 580 Starlight campers as well as many members of the staff. Back in 1947, the story was much different. The 10 original bunks, according to their plaques, housed, a total of 62 campers, 19 counselors, and 1 CIT. The boys’ bunks were signed with letters while the girls’ bunks were numbered. And of what do we know of those inaugural campers? For starters, Bunk 5 considered themselves “maestros” while bunk 4 liked the word “shnookums.” Moving along the walls of the main dining room and into the staff dining room, one can see that Girls Bunk 3 has housed an eclectic mix of campers over the decades. In 1964, its residents weren’t so tidy, and a group of tattlers called it home for the summer of 1976 while in 1984 its residents loved Cabbage Patch Kids.

The summer of 1984 was a big year for trends. Boys Bunk one called themselves “The Gremlins” after the furry little movie creatures that are cuddly and loveable…until they get wet. The feel in Girls bunk 4 was one of nostalgia in 1952. They dubbed themselves “The Flappers.” Boys bunk 9 was home to the “Cool Cats” in 1960, and even though its seen hundreds of campers since, it’s not likely that the walls of boys bunk 4 have forgotten the “Unforgettables” of 1958. Boys bunk 13 has apparently been home to some of Camp Starlight’s more mischievous campers over the years. In 2000, it was home to Starlight’s Most Wanted and just a few short years later was known as “The Animal House.” No one wanted to be the last one out of bed in Boys bunk 14 in 1990—the last one stacked the table after meals. The girls of bunk 21 were all too aware that they were “making memories of a lifetime” in 2001.

One could spend days in the Dining Room weaving together the stories of the Camp Starlight bunks and the campers and staff who’ve passed through them and never have to wish that walls could talk. The bunk plaques tell quite the story of the importance of bunk life at camp.

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