traditional sleepaway camp Archives

This World is Pine Forest Camp

Posted on February 23, 2017April 10, 2017 by PineForest

Imagine a world with no TVs, no cell phones and no internet access, where…

– “Mail” is simply on a piece of paper, hand written, with a pen.

– The only “gaming’ is on a field or a court.

– “Chatting” is done verbally: in a cabin, on a walk, over a meal or around a campfire, the purest form of “FaceTime.”

– You can only “like” something or someone by giving a real compliment, a smile or a hug.

– A ‘wink’ is done with eye contact and a grin, and ‘laughing so hard you cry’ is not an emoji but rather the funniest late-night bunk conversation that will live on for decades.

– The biggest news of the day is whose birthday it is, what evening activity will be or what’s for dinner.

– You don’t need to have hundreds of “friends,” instead you strive for a quality handful of the best, truest friends you could ever imagine.

– A “snap” is simply a hand gesture.

– Silly costumes are homemade or brought up in trunks not created with apps or filters.

– The only “tweet” comes from birds and being one with nature.

– A “house party” is getting to hang out in your cabin with your favorite people, bunk mates.

– The latest songs and videos come out of a bunk skit, song or cheer rather than top 40 radio hits.

– And, the only photos you take during the day are ones that live in your mind, providing you with lifelong memories.

This world is Pine Forest Camp. It was this way for me as a camper at PFC, and it’s the same for my own children. Kids need camp, now more than ever. I am tremendously thankful that my children get to turn off, unplug and disconnect every summer. Where else in the world can that truly happen? And, although they may not always admit it, I know that my kids wouldn’t have it any other way.

Guest Post: What PFC Means to Me

Posted on December 9, 2016April 10, 2017 by PineForest

This guest post was written by Alli Lowenstein Cahill, who grew up at Pine Forest and returned last summer as the Intermediate Girls Division Leader. During the year, Alli works as a teacher in New Jersey.

I think that camp is one of the biggest gifts in life. When I think of how Pine Forest has shaped me and how it has impacted me, I think about the past, present and future. I am extremely proud to call myself an “old timer.” I have spent thirteen incredible years at Pine Forest. From being a camper in bunk Fern all the way up to Cliff as a waitress, to a counselor and member of the athletic staff, to having the awesome responsibility of caring for the Intermediate girls this past summer, every next year brings more joy.

When I think of past summers I remember the sounds of Purple Haze, campfires with Aunt Blanch, biking to NY, Sing in Hughie Hall, inter-camp competitions, the Friendship Tree, the long walks up to Lauri Field, pizza burgers and candy at canteen, Sparky in the kitchen, loud chants in the dining hall, and so much more. Camp helped shape my character by showing me the real meaning of friendship and community. There is a reason why we cry so much on the last few days. It’s because Pine Forest Camp is and always will be our home away from home. When I was going through the normal growing pains that every child experiences, I remember the way that camp always made me feel, so safe and comfortable. It taught me how to be adventurous and to try new things. It taught me cooperation, sportsmanship, and how to play fair. It taught me compassion and understanding, acceptance and tolerance. It taught me leadership skills. It taught me vulnerability and how to handle it. It taught me the real meaning of laughing out loud. Camp is a truly a gift.

I always dreamed of becoming a teacher and having summer off so one day I could go back to Pine Forest and bring my own children with me. That dream came true this past summer when I became a member of key staff, Intermediate Girls Division Leader. It is definitely one of the most rewarding roles I have ever had at Pine Forest. The Black family is near and dear to my heart and I would not want to work for anyone else. They are so special. The campers, counselors, and staff members are nothing less than magnificent. I actually got to scream “shorts and longs today girls” instead of hiding underneath my covers. Every day brought new adventures with my campers and counselors, and I cherished every minute. I had so much fun planning the night activities for the Inter girls. I love the traditional ones such as The Mostest, Statues, Bunk Feud, and Counselor Hunt, but I also started adding some new ones like World’s Greatest and Cupcake Wars. It was an amazing summer and I look forward to so many more. There is no better honor and privilege more rewarding than being able to impact the life of a child. Camp is truly a gift.

When I think about the future for my daughter Alexandra, I think about how lucky she is to be able to spend her summers at Pine Forest. The campers, counselors, and staff members have opened their arms to her. She thinks that Mickey and Lee are superheroes in a way that little kids see their teachers out of school. It is magical. She will create friendships that will last a lifetime. I did. I long for camp days. Camp is truly a gift.

Signs It’s Almost Time for Camp

Posted on May 27, 2016 by PineForest

1. You begin almost every sentence with, “at camp I…”

2. You have a pile in your room for “camp stuff.”

3. You’re having dreams about that amazing moment on the first day of camp when get out of the car or the bus and smell the Greeley air for the first time!

4. You are doodling “18425” on your papers at school.

5. You and your camp friends have started guessing Color Days themes and breakout options.

6. You’ve already made your Visiting Day list in your head.

7. You’ve already made a playlist of potential songs for MTV Night.

8. The smell of bug spray makes you happy.

9. You know exactly what you want for your first canteen.

10. You check the weather in Greeley daily.

11. You post weekly countdown photos of your camp friends.

12. You sing camp songs and cheers at the kitchen table (sorry, moms and dads!).

13. You check the camp website or app every day to see the countdown to camp number get smaller and smaller!

14. You already know what you’re wearing to the first social.

15. You’re making room on your arm for friendship bracelets! That camp arm will be here before you know it!

Never Lost

Posted on May 18, 2016 by PineForest

It’s a time honored principle. Military leaders tell their elite troops. Indian Chiefs tell their scouts. Parents tell their children.

“If you ever feel lost, go back to the last place where you knew where you were. Start from there and you will find your way.”

For some of us, alumni, counselors, campers, Pine Forest is that place that we go back to. For many it may be the last place where we really knew where we were. Who we are. Where we are headed.

I’ve seen and heard about it many times from former PFCers at every age. After all, in everyone’s life there are times that we feel a little lost, in school, in our careers, in relationships. How do we get our bearings? How do we know where to go? What to do? “Go back to the last place where you knew where you were.”

Surrounded by friends, fresh air and fun, for many of us that place is camp. We are our true selves. We know where we are and where we are going.

Let camp be your North Star, your compass, your launching pad.

If you ever feel lost, start here.

–Mickey

Nurse Appreciation Week

Posted on May 10, 2016 by PineForest

Happy Nurse Appreciation Week to all of our nurses and health staff!

With summer approaching, we look forward to welcoming an all-star team of 18 nurses to Pine Forest and our brother and sister camps, Lake Owego and Timber Tops. Please join us by welcoming them for summer 2016! They will be an extension of home to take care of all the campers when they need extra TLC, from a belly ache to a sting. Our health center has a great collection of skills; it’s made up of nurse practitioners, ER nurses, school nurses and professionally trained military nurses. Your children are in great hands! You are welcome to call the health center and speak to our nurses anytime when camp is in session!

A big thank you to all of the 2016 nursing team, this week and every week. Camp is lucky to have all of you this summer!

Also, a special thank you to the team of doctors we will have at camp this summer. Our doctors are so dedicated to camp and we can’t thank them enough for all that they do.

In good health,

Rachel Waszczak and the rest of the PFC family

Packing Tips for New Counselors

Posted on April 27, 2016 by PineForest

You’ve just scored this AWESOME job at Pine Forest and you’ll be turning onto Pine Forest Camp Road before you know it. You can practically hear the campers singing and see the bright Greeley stars. Before you leave for the best summer of your life, we want to provide you with this “unofficial” packing list. These are items that past staff members have found to be “essentials,” and most can be purchased at a low cost near camp!

Gear: Your favorite hoodie (hooded sweatshirt), lots of socks (when you think you packed enough, pack more!), rain boots, comfortable athletic shorts, blue and gold gear (think Color War!), white T-shirt for tie-dye, sunglasses.

Bedding: Warm blanket or comforter in addition to a light one. We know, we know- it’s summer! But we are in the rural mountains and the nights and mornings are cool! If you’re coming from overseas, don’t worry. We’ve got you!

Equipment: What will you be doing at camp? Will you need something specific for your activity? (Think baseball mitt, tennis racket, etc.)

Everyday Stuff: Sunscreen, water bottle, laundry bag, casual watch (you won’t have your phone with you to tell you the time!), headphones, pen and paper (to actually write letters!).

Fun: Theme-night clothes or wacky gear, clothes for a day off out of camp, bunk games like Jacks or a deck of cards.

Random awesomeness: Guitar (if you play), Diablo, juggling balls, playlist of music for your bunk, flag from your country, college gear, photos of your family and friends.

And most importantly, bring a camp state of mind: a sense of humor, enthusiasm, a great attitude, openness to try new things, excitement to meet new people and the realization that you are about to embark on an incredible, rewarding adventure that is truly life-changing!

Earth Day, Every Day

Posted on April 22, 2016 by PineForest

Every day is Earth Day at camp.

It starts when you wake up in the morning. You breathe in the fresh mountain air, smell the pines, hear the birds outside your cabin window. You open the screen door and feel that warm sunshine on your shoulders. Breakfast, like every meal, is prepared fresh using local ingredients, many from farms right down the road.

The day’s activities embrace the natural beauty around us. Dive into our natural lake, run on the fresh green fields, hike the trails that wander through towering pines. And at night, look up at the incredible, magnificent stars. You can see the Milky Way above your head, far from the lights and pollution of the cities. The view at night at camp is truly amazing. It’s breathtaking.

And we never take it for granted. We can’t. Every year camp, we take steps to lessen our footprint. Here are just a few things we’ve done recently:

-No more paper or Styrofoam tableware in the Dining Hall
-Fluorescent or CFL lights in every socket
-New special, high-quality pool covers to keep the heat in and lessen electricity demands
-Recycling in our trash system
-More environmental education activities

Did you know that PFC won the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) award for energy conservation? We’re a proud Energy Star Award winner!

But we can never do enough. So make Earth Day every day, all year round!

How Camp Prepares You For College

Posted on April 1, 2016 by PineForest

As high school seniors are making their final college decisions, we’re reminded of how grateful we are for camp; there’s just nothing like camp in preparing kids for college! After all, embarking on a new adventure by yourself, without the comfort of familiar faces, is something you will have already experienced, survived, and become good at once you’ve been to camp! You’ll be great wherever you go!

College is all about new experiences and breaking out of your comfort zone. We do this every day at camp: on the zip line, on the tennis courts, performing in a play, in our bunks.

Sharing a room with a roommate in college? No problem! We know all about building a community! Our campers have shared a bunk with many more and for many years already! Living in a bunk with others strengthens social and communication skills and teaches campers effective strategies for conflict resolution with people who are both similar to and different from themselves!

Both camp and college require adaptability. Sure, the schedule is a little different than you’re used to. The food is a little different than you’re used to. The people are a little different than the ones at home. But that’s what makes it an adventure!

For many, college is a first real taste of independence. Not for you, campers! During the summer, you’ve solved problems that arise without your parents. You’ve formed meaningful bonds with peers and mentors. You’ve pursued interests on your own, straying from the beaten path.

In short, you’re ahead of the curve! So, PFC 12th graders, rest assured. This whole college thing is going to be a BREEZE! We wish we could take credit for those A’s in Advanced Calculus, but we’ll settle for the rest!

Good luck and best from camp!

Teamwork

Posted on March 2, 2016 by PineForest

One of the best and most important lessons of camp is learning how to be a part of a team. Whether an inter-camp game, MTV Night, Color Days, or the camp play, team environments are all around us and become a major way in which we interact at camp. When you think about it, your bunkmates are your teammates, too! Each person in the bunk brings something unique to the group, whether a funny personality, great listening skills, or a cool card trick. Your bunk is only as great as each person, and each person is valued for making up your bunk!

When we embrace this team mindset at camp, we learn to respect one another and ourselves. The teamwork skills we gain at camp end up translating to other areas of our lives outside of Greeley.

Guest Blogger: PFC Counselor

Posted on February 25, 2016 by PineForest

My name is Adam Polikoff and I am a general bunk counselor at camp. This upcoming summer will be my tenth summer. I was a camper from 4th grade through 11th grade (8 years), and became a counselor for the first time last year!

What did you get out of your position?
My experience as a counselor showed me the integral role that I had in the summers of each of my campers. As the summer went on, I realized just how much what I did each and every day influenced the enjoyment of each camper under my supervision. During the last few days of camp, many of my campers and others in my division told me personally that I, along with many other counselors really made this past summer one of the best of their lives. Also, I learned how the job of being a camp counselor really brings many co-counselors together as friends. I have been going to camp for a long time, so naturally I did not expect to become good friends with anybody other than my original “camp friends,” but I quickly realized that I became close friends with many counselors who were experiencing PFC for the first time.

What makes a good counselor?
From my experiences as both a camper and a counselor, I have learned that a good counselor is one who actively keeps camp fun for his campers. In order to consistently do this, a good counselor genuinely enjoys the time he spends with his campers! Campers are happy when their counselor has a positive, upbeat attitude.

What was one of the biggest challenges you faced in your role?
One of the greatest challenges that I faced in my position was encouraging my campers to clean the bunk. Every day after breakfast, there is a period of time designated to cleaning the bunks for inspection. However, as would be expected, most of the campers showed no desire to actually clean the bunk during this time. Rather, they would choose to play games and sit around. One of the ways through which I attempted to remedy this problem was by providing certain small incentives to the person who cleaned the most or even to everybody upon receiving a certain inspection score. This turned out to be an effective strategy.

What’s your favorite thing about your role?
My favorite thing about my role at camp is that it allowed for the creation of many bonds. I am very happy that I was able to leave camp with new friends. As I left camp, I knew that the time that I spent with my campers contributed to their enjoyment of the summer in a big way, and that satisfying feeling is one of my favorite parts of being a counselor.

Any advice for new counselors?
Try to keep a positive attitude around your campers even when you are tired. If you are able to remain positive and sustain an energetic mood, then that positivity and uplifting attitude will translate unto the campers and help them enjoy each and every day as much as possible.

Tag: traditional sleepaway camp