It’s always heart-warming to hear from campers, staff, and parents about how much they got out of their summer. We love the stories of campers learning how to swim, riding a horse for the first time, catching fish, climbing that steep hill to their secret forts, finding the daily D’junos, and meeting every morning and afternoon for Bus Spirit songs, skits, and announcements from Staff. We have such a special and fun time together! Every day we hear from campers and their parents during the summer about, “Guess what I (or ‘my camper) can do!”
That is why I love camp – because I love to see our campers amaze themselves with their accomplishments, and realize that they can do anything they put their minds to! Looking forward to another amazing summer in 2015! See below for photo of Freddie and Grace, long time campers, with two new campers, Walker and Grace, and Gus the camp dog – all ready for summer 2015!
I think back to two stories about swimming. One is from several years ago when we had a CILT high-school age camper who did not know how to swim, as she was from Ireland and it was not conducive to swim where she lived. She was very self-conscious about not knowing how to swim, as she felt that EVERYONE in California, with our warm weather, must be an accomplished swimmer. Her swim counselor was very nurturing and supportive and told her to just try what she was being taught, and she would learn how to swim in two weeks, and be going off the diving board in four weeks. So she took to the water with determination. Guess what? She did learn how to swim, went off the board, and could swim 10 laps in the deep pool. She was so pleased with herself, and said that she learned that just because you did not know how to do something, you shouldn’t be afraid to try, because you CAN accomplish any goal you set for yourself – with a little help from others!
The other story is from last summer. We had a PreK who was afraid of the pool, and disliked putting his head underwater. He had a previous experience with swim lessons. His Mom was very worried about how he was going to do at our swim program. We told her not to worry. We had many non-swimmers over the years, and we knew how to work with them! Our Swim Director, Stasi, and the swim counselor worked one-on-one with him, taking it one step at a time. By the time his Dad came to the 4th of July picnic and saw him swimming, he could not believe the progress his little boy was making. This camper now loved his swim lessons and loved taking a bath at home. How lucky we are to see what our campers, with help and support from our staff and thier camper group, can do!
Campers:
“My favorite part about Roughing It is definitely my group because I used to live inBoston,Massachusettsand we had a camp a lot like this back there. When I moved here about two years ago, I got into camp and it felt very at home because I really like everyone in my group.”
-Eddie B3 (3rd grade, 2 years at camp)
“ My favorite activity is horse back riding, because all the horses are really nice. It introduced me to riding and I can ride outside of camp now.”
-Lauren JHG (7th grade, 6 yrs at camp)
“Roughing It is all outside and out in the open. Its like back inNew Zealand. I used to live on an island and it was just country-side all over, so it’s kind of like being home.”
-Harper B4 (fourth grade, 1 year at camp)
“I like that we go horseback riding and fishing because most other camps don’t do that, and that’s fun.”
-Zeb JHB (7th grade, 7 years at camp)
“I was really happy when I dove into the water for the first time because I was really scared. My swim instructor helped me with my confidence for diving, so I did it pretty well.”
-Jacqueline G56 (6th grade, 1 year at camp)
“My favorite camp memory is all of camp because I love camp so much.”
-Zach B56 (6th grade, 1 year at camp)
Parents:
“My daughter made such great friends! I attribute that to the structure of the camp and the training of the staff, which contributed to their strong bond and unconditional support of each other.”
– Liz W. (Parent of Lauren, 8th grade, 7th year camper)
“We sent our 1st grader to a 4-week session this summer, and she had the time of her life. Some of the other camps in the area have similar activities, but what makes this place special are the traditions, songs, and wonderful outdoor setting at the reservoir. Also, the group environment is really conducive to building camaraderie and strong friendships. Every one of them knew my daughter’s name, and there was no doubt she felt loved there.”
-Michael Y. (parent of Meghan, 1st grade, 1st year camper)
“What a terrific camp! My daughter absolutely loves this camp and there are so many wonderful things about it that it is hard to put them all down here.”
-Alexis P. (parent of Francesca, 2nd grade, 1st year camper)
“It’s too bad that I cannot give this place more than 5-stars. I would if I could. My daughter has been coming to Roughing It now for 6-years. She’s grown up with the anticipation of spending a part of her summer there. It is an institution, run by a dedicated, passionate couple who’s been doing this for over 40 years! Hobie and Ann have created a great ‘camp culture’ with a mix of singing, crafts and a huge variety of lake activities. The highlights for my daughter though are swimming and horseback riding. She loves it all, and we love the supervision and mentoring she receives from the well-trained counselors.”
-Damon M. (parent of Aubriana, 8th grade, 6th year camper)
Counselors:
“One thing that I’m definitely going to be able to take away from this summer is how every person has something different and unique to offer and the kids have really taught me that it’s really important to be able to focus on those strengths and everyone’s character.”
-Charlie B3 counselor, (1st yr at camp)
“It’s so awesome to be in this kind of environment with junior high girls. They don’t spend as much time outside appreciating things when they’re at school, and I love having them outdoors at the reservoir just being kids. I really loved having that time with them.”
-Christina JHG counselor (5 yrs at camp)
“My favorite memory is seeing all the excitement and passion from both campers and counselors and how much they love Roughing It and all that it brings. I really stuck with Roughing It and moved all the way up from Crafts Counselor to Head Counselor. Every year I come back summer after summer and I’m able to learn something new and build confidence as a counselor and a leader and it’s really been an amazing experience.”
-Allison D Head Counselor, (5 yrs at camp)
We hope you treasure all those summer camp memories, keep growing, and continue to use everything you learned last summer. Remember, only 6 months until camp starts again, and we can make some new memories! See you this summer!!
