YMCA Camp Benson

YMCA Camp Benson Mount Carrol, IL October 22, 2012 ymcacampbenson.org

Cory Harrison, the director at Camp Benson left such an impression on Jack and I. After walking around with Cory all morning as he showed us the grounds and shared his vision for camp with us, and then while we sat at the town diner for lunch, cory had us entranced by his focus, opinions, determination, and camping philosophy. After only being at Camp Benson for 18 months Cory had a handle on the culture and traditions that were part of the foundations of Benson, as well as how to mold the program and the staff in a way that would keep Benson moving in a unique and powerful direction. Cory shared with us his vision for an outdoor fort, or destination spot on the outskirts of camps property. A place for kids to go camp out, to learn to cook outdoors and acquire other skills like shelter building, plus human size jenga and other campy game. Camp Benson is already based on adventure, try rock climing, repelling down cliff walls, rafting cave exploring, and crate climbing on for size!

Laura

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YMCA Camp Piomingo

YMCA Camp Piomingo Brandenburg, KY October 18, 2012 www.ymcacamppiomingo.org

Joey is the interim executive director at Piomingo, but after walking around camp with him we would vote him in permanently. It is obvious his passion and love for the place and for the mission of summer camp. Piomingo is located in Kentucky close to Fort Knox and with in walking distance of the Ohio River. A walk that Jack and I got to take, after winding through the woods for a while a clearing opens and there is a gigantic reveine that cradles the Ohio river. The view is spectacular. Joey says that when counselors bring young campers out they tell them that across the river is Australia and that that farm looking set of buildings is a just an Australian camp. Campers count to three and then yell HELLO across the valley, only to be echoed by an OIE! from down under! This is really the spirit of Piomingo, Joey had a good way of summing it up, camp for them is based on relationships, the relationships forged and fostered between staff and camper. Its all about the role model and the inspiration and confidence that a relationship with someone older and in authority can have on a camper.

Laura

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YMCA Camp Ernst

YMCA Camp Ernst Burlington, KY October 17, 2012 www.myycamp.org

Camp Ernst is located on a beautiful property in Ohio that has all of the classic summer camp amenities. A lake, a high ropes course, a sweet slide underground, some beautiful rustic cabins and traditions that have held true over generations. For example their dining hall is decorated with hundreds of sparkling silver mugs, each unscripted with a campers name that one the honor camper award for that week. It sound like memories are defiantly a take away at Ernst, between their camp band Pink Splash that has a weekly debut every opening campfire, and the weekly Man Night where boys at camp can cook out over an open fire and play as much gaga and dodgeball as their little hearts desire, it sounds like camp would make an impression on any kid.

Laura

YMCA Camp Kern

YMCA Camp Kern Oregonia, OH October 17, 2012 www.campkern.org

This camp completely changed everything. Jack and I were floored by their nothing is impossible attitude and the magical creativity that echoed through the place even during the off season. The Camp program director/ summer camp director Mike Costlow walked us around ( we met him at a ACA cluster meeting that we attended with Eli the camp director we were staying with at Ernst.) We ate lunch with Mike, his wife and 2 cute kids, the horse director, and Jeff. Jeff is the Executive director and he is the driving force behind a lot of the brilliance at Kern. He has built things no one else has even dreamed up yet, a pretty cool guy. Dave Bell described him as the Steve Jobs of the camp world, seems like a pretty apt description. Camp Kern had so much to offer in terms of toys and facilities but what we loved more than anything was the pride Mike took in his staff saying, “If I had Kern staff, a tarp, and some kids in a field those kids would still have the best camp experience”

Laura

Gwynn Valley Camp

Gwynn Valley Camp Bervard, SC October 11, 2012 www.gwynnvalley.com

This is a farm camp. They supply 70 percent of their food including cows, a pig, about a hundred chickens, a huge veggie fields and corn that they then grind into meal for the animals and grits for the kids. They also have an ice cream maker! Campers spend the morning at these home grown activities learning how things are made and where things come from. Some crafts they do are weaving and dyeing and corn husk dolls but never any craft kits. Their cabins are rustic and feel aged like the rest of their camp but are even though most of them have been refurbished quite recently. Campers have to heat the showers themselves by stoking the wood burning stove. I loved the pioneer do it your self mentality of the camp. It seemed like a nurturing environment that fostered kids with a bigger picture view on health and community and the environment.

Laura

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YMCA Camp Greenville

YMCA Camp Greenville Cleveland, SC October 11, 2012 www.campgreenville.org

Our first experience at Greenville was an introduction to Pretty Place, the outdoor chapel that you see in the picture, from the start super overwhelming. Josh, the summer director, was very busy when we arrived, but warm and welcoming. He encouraged us to walk around and pointed us in the direction of some of the great stuff they do at Greenville. It was fun to walk around camp and we were struck by the beautiful scenery and one simple idea we haven’t seen anywhere else. At Greenville next to their gaga pit they have the rules posted. Which seemed to me like a brilliant idea thinking about how so many new campers can be at a disadvantage trying to listen to the rules for the first time.

Jack