570-798-9831
Camp excels in providing campers with the most traditional summer camp experience of their lives, helping campers have all sorts of fun under the sun. While there are many activities and traditions campers can enjoy on campus, there are a few that require sending campers outside and into bigger fields. The Lower Camp was able to attend a professional baseball game and experience one of America’s favorite summer pastimes. Nibbling on popcorn, spreading mustard along a hotdog and root, root, rooting for home team, the Lower Camp enjoyed a wonderful night of American tradition at the baseball game. The stadium lights illuminate the campers almost as much as their smiles do as they sit back and cheer for the players on the diamond, embracing all the energy and fun of the crowd. Even though they aren’t on the field playing, they get to sing along with the chants in the stands, do the wave and laugh at the silly faces they make on the jumbotron. All the fun of the baseball game is what enables campers to transform these moments into lifelong memories. Taking the campers out to a baseball game allows them to experience a true American summer because no summer is complete without attending a baseball game and eating as many hotdogs as there are homeruns. It’s a night completely meant for the happiness of the campers. Camp goes the extra mile–or the extra base–to ensure a camper enjoys their summer and is able to look back and love their summer as much as they loved eating a baseball helmet full of popcorn.
National Friendship Day
It’s National Friendship Day and campers at Camp know how special it is to celebrate the friendships they have formed at summer camp. Campers know that summer camp is a magical place like no other, there are an infinite amount of different things to do so there are just as many ways to make memories and build friendships. When you spend an entire summer with the same people living in your bunk, friendships form just as naturally as the flowers bloom. Friendships at Camp are so special for that reason, campers spend quality time with others in large quantities of time, transforming friendships in positive ways. Campers are always able to rely on their friends to support them when things get tough or when they feel homesick, their friends are there to help them fall asleep at night or pull them back up to get back into the game. They also support each other when things are going in the right direction, cheering them on as they are winning the game or performing on stage, these friendships battle the bad and the good for the sake of each other’s happiness. Campers know they have friends to back them up and encourage them to do their best. Additionally, with the amount of silly, ridiculous and outrageously fun activities campers get to experience, campers are able to deepen the bonds of friendships when experiencing these activities together. They are able to make every moment turn into a memory because it’s with their friends. When campers look back at every sporting event during Olympics, every dance performed for Spirit of Camp or every challenge that was overcome during relay races, they look back at who was standing next to them, laughing and smiling along with all the ongoing fun. These special memories are why friendships at Camp should be celebrated, they will stand the test of time and last forever in each other’s memories.
Ceramics and Woodworking Brings Camp to Home
When campers come to Camp they always brings pieces of home with them, packing pictures, stuffed animals, blankets and all sorts of objects that remind them of home and make them feel safe. Campers bring pieces of home to camp because of how much they love home and want to remember it, so when campers return home, they also want to bring pieces back that will remind them of the summer. Camp is a special place to stay for an entire summer but two months at summer camp is a shorter amount of time than ten months spent at home. To hold on to those summer memories, campers bring back handmade crafts from ceramics and woodworking to their home so they can always have a part of Camp with them. At ceramics and woodworking, campers get to build all sorts of crafts of all different sizes that symbolize their time spent at summer camp. At woodworking, campers can create welcome home signs, key holders and even mailboxes to install in their homes and when campers make these items from scratch, it makes them even more special. The hard work put into sawing and nailing the bits of wood together makes the craft much more meaningful for the camper and the new home it will stay in. At ceramics, campers will mold bowls, cups and all sorts of sculptures for their homes, glazing with detail and precision to make the item that much more beautiful. For campers to make their own art with their own hands is remarkable, not to mention that it is art that functions in their home. All these crafts the campers create for their homes is a special way for campers to keep the spirit of Camp at home with their families, crafts that will last long after a camper’s last summer.
How Goals are Achieved at Camp
With the endless amount of opportunities provided to campers at Camp, campers are not only constantly encouraged to set goals for themselves, but they are encouraged to achieve those same goals as well. Whether a camper decides to set a long or short term goal, Camp guides the campers to achieve them in a way that makes the journey to success that much more exciting and fun. Learning how to play piano, do a magic trick, sink a three pointer on the basketball court or standing up on water skis, the goals campers set for themselves are varied but always achievable with the support of staff and friends at Camp. Everyone is excited to help each other and push campers outside of their comfort zone to reach their goals because this is a place where everyone believes in the potential of others. Here to celebrate both the wins and losses, achievements and failures, Camp always keeps the ball rolling for campers to pursue their goal no matter how many times they fall on their journey. No one will judge a camper’s goal either because no goal is too big or too small, even if the goal is as simple as a making one new friend. Camp recognizes the amount of effort someone needs to put in to achieve a goal, understanding that it is not just the work of the camper to achieve goal, but the combined support of coaches, counselors and staff. The unconditional support of everyone at Camp is how goals are always achieved every summer.
The Inspiration On and Off Stage
One of the most exciting elements of Camp are the weekly stage productions among the different divisions, with the giant spotlights, intricate stage designs and lively singing and dancing, the theater produces a lot of entertainment. As the Theatre Specialist, I know my job is the best on campus because I get to go behind the scenes of all of this fun. I truly get to see what makes the show and how it gets better from start to finish. I see the best of the best. The director Jeff Moss is a legend in itself and working besides him day in and day out makes my job the best. The ability to work with every single camper is so much fun too because often enough the campers that have never been a part of a stage production or in a theatre are the ones that get the lead role in the show. Each week I see so much growth in the campers becoming more confident with their roles or abilities on the stage. One of my favorite parts of the theatre is after the show ends and the campers will say “Yes! We did it!” They give me a hug of pride, joy and relief all at once and in that moment those campers feel like they are my own kids and I am so proud of them. Those moments, combined with all the amazing elements that go into producing a show every week, is what makes my job on campus truly the best.
Simple Kindness as a Standard
When I walk around campus I’m surrounded by inspiration and I’m always surprised when more often than not inspiration walks straight up to me. Taking a second to myself to appreciate the sweeping valley of trees, shades of light to dark green portray a gradient of texturized forests. It’s like looking at a landscape painting at the Metropolitan or Art Institute of Chicago, but instead of moving on to the next landscape after a few moments of silent viewing, you are alive for as long as you want inside this painting. In this case I was noticing how the trees follow a wave like pattern in the valley that mirrors the placement of slow rolling puffy clouds in the sky above when an Upper Plebe simply called out to me. “Want to join us?”
He was smiling up at me and extended out his golf club to me to take and play along with his game of golf. Standing in the grass a few feet away from he, he waiting patiently for my reply and this pause made me realize he was genuine in asking his question. Before I replied I looked back again to the driving range where many Upper Plebes were launching golf balls into the sky. I look back to the Upper Plebe and answer, “Yes, I will join you.” “Great! My name is Mason.”
Mason’s question may have been simple but his implications are much deeper. When he asked me–just another staff member that happened to walk by the golfing activity–that question, he asked more of me than just joining a game of golf. He asked me to join his friends, his community and to become a part of his summer, a time in his life he always looks forward to and regrets leaving in August. This is an honor to be invited into a child’s world and be presented with the opportunity to help him become a better individual, or sometimes to just play a game of golf.
Mason’s small act of kindness plays a huge part in highlighting what kind of special place Camp represents. This place is more than just a summer camp, it is a world where kindness, friendship, trust and the initiative to share happiness with others, regardless if you know them or not, are the pillars that hold this place up and together.
Working at the Waterfront
It is often stated that if you love your job then you’re never really working. A smile is usually accompanied with this statement if you realize that you are one of these lucky people fortunate to earn a living by doing what they are passionate about. At, every single staff member feels this way, they all believe they have the best job at campus, trusting that their specific duty is the most fun to do. To put this to the test, a series of interviews will be held all summer asking staff from different specialties why they believe their job is the best at Camp.
Starting at the most iconic point of Camp, waterfront staff member Beth offered insight into why she has one of the best jobs on campus.
“Being on the waterfront staff is the best because I get to be on the water all day. What is not to like about the waterfront? I go find frogs some days with my campers and on others paddle board on the lake,” said Beth.
Clearly enjoying the flexibility of the waterfront program, Beth notes that every single day at the waterfront can be different but it’s always fun.
“Nothing is more rewarding than when the kids have never done a certain skill before and then when they learn to use the right techniques they say “WOW! I did it!” said Beth.
As a waterfront staff member, Beth is able to help campers achieve personal goals every day, whether it’s successfully teaching a camper how to swim, water ski or paddleboard.
“You can tell that these kids really want to be here when they are here at the waterfront, and that’s why I always want to be at the waterfront,” said Beth.
Campers Teach Counselors Valuable Lessons
Throughout a normal day at Camp, campers will be often asked what they learned that day. Did they master a new serving technique in tennis? Did they learn how to overcome stage fright for the play on Saturday night? There are many lessons a camper can learn from their counselors, but there are also many lessons campers can teach to counselors. The most valuable lesson counselors are taught by their campers is that of patience. It is not a fast lesson or something learned in one period of the day, patience is taught over a long time. Patience teaches counselors how to reword or rephrase directions so that campers can better understand them, patience bridges a language barrier. Patience shows counselors to be straight to the point with directions and to be kind at all times, even if the day is not going as smoothly as desired, learning not to sweat the small stuff and that there is a way around every obstacle. Patience is how hard work is completed and positive results are made, slacking in energy will only hinder the progress and yourself. It is amazing to see that even though counselors are doing most of the teaching in terms of technique, skill and instruction, campers are the one that do most of the life changing in the counselor. Campers are full of surprises in terms of what they have learned and what they can create, but they consistently teach counselors the same lesson of patience every summer and the lesson isn’t fully taught until the last day of summer. When the counselor sees their campers accomplished in their sport or activity on the last day, this is when the lesson of patience is learned and mastered by the counselor.
Helping Campers Reach New Heights
Down at Outdoor Adventure, survival skills and the rush of adrenaline fill my day. With the ropes courses, zip line, rockwall and woods, everyday I help campers achieve new goals and help them face their fears which is why I believe I have the best job on campus. Every day I interact with campers who have never tried climbing a rock wall or building a fire and it is my job to teach them these survival skills and coach them through difficult tasks. I especially love teaching kids how to build fire because I get to see them create something out of nothing, sharing my knowledge with the campers and seeing the end result is a magical moment for me. A very unique thing about Outdoor Adventure is that all the goals we hope campers achieve are personal ones, something only they can accomplish on their own and for themselves. When campers complete a task, big or small, they exclaim “Look at this! Look I did it!” and it is one of the most rewarding aspects of my job. Even though I am covered in dirt from the very start and end of my day, helping these campers achieve goals of reaching new heights or mastering a survival skill makes all the dirty work more than worth it. I feel very proud to watch my returning campers advance in skill levels or even when I notice the change in one day from a new camper. I absolutely love how these campers always want to learn more and put in the effort to achieve goals, and the satisfaction I feel when I know I’ve helped these campers grow in more ways than just one is why I know I have the best job at Camp.
From “I’m never leaving home” to “I’m never leaving camp” – Brant Lake Dance Camp
In the summer of 2012, my daughter Reilly was 11 years old. She had always been an adventurous sort, but when the subject of sleep away camp came up, she wasn’t having any of it. She couldn’t imagine leaving her home and her friends for over a month, and the thought of trying to fall asleep in the middle of the woods with strangers and without her parents was far from appealing.
Throughout that Spring we spoke to Rachel Kerchman, the Director of Brant Lake Dance Camp, no less than five times. She even made time to visit our home when she was in Washington DC. Kerch was patient and warm, open and respectful of my daughter’s feelings. Reilly agreed to try BLDC, and we started packing.
As the bus pulled away from Lincoln Center that first summer, Reilly never looked back. (I cried my eyes out, however!) During every weekly phone call, Reilly’s happy voice and excited stories made us sure she was in the right place.
It is now five years later, and Reilly is getting ready for her last summer as a camper at BLDC. She is dying to get back to her friends and Brant Lake’s beautiful setting, but the thought that her time as a camper is coming to an end is bittersweet. She knows the years that follow will hold new adventures and challenges, but if she had her choice, she would ask for five more summers.
It is bittersweet for us as well. During these last five years, we have watched Reilly grow into a graceful, poised, self-assured, independent and outgoing woman, in no small part because of her experience at BLDC. Her friends and counselors have seen her through happy and hard times, from the exhilaration of her first Enchoreo to the heartbreak of a chronic injury which took her off the professional track she was aiming for. Reilly’s Dad and I are grateful for the love, friendship and endless summer days she has experienced at Brant Lake. While I still cry every time she leaves, we now know that camp, after being eagerly anticipated for ten months, will be the highlight of her year. And who knows? Maybe we will be back if we have a grandchild that loves to dance as well.