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Welcome back to my Summer Camp Glossary!
Welcome back to my second installment of Summer Camp Glossary. In this post, I am jumping into letters F through to N. If you missed my first post - click here to read letters A-E.
F is for…
Field Trip: Every age group has one field trip per summer. The campers and staff leave camp for a day to take part in a unique activity. Usually, the activity is followed by a meal of some sort. Campers get very excited about leaving camp. (Bonus: you may ride a yellow school bus - bucket list item check!)
Friday Night Service: As I work at a Jewish summer camp, we attend a friday night service. The whole camp cleans up and dresses in blue and white. It is a small service run by a different age group every week. It is a time where the entire camp slows down and reflects on the theme of the week. The only religious aspect is the prayers over the candles, bread and grape juice.
As someone who isn’t jewish, I can appreciate the calmness in the atmosphere on a friday night - it’s pretty special.
Activities that begin with F:
Fitness, Food chain, Fishing
G is for…
Garden: During my time at camp, a garden has been added to the camp grounds. This is a garden filled with flowers, herbs, fruits and vegetables planted by campers and staff. They also contribute to decorating the planters and pots in the area. Everyone loves using the ingredients at ‘Food chain’, an activity at camp (like cooking). The garden adds to the nature that we call home for the summer.
H is for…
Head Staff: These experienced staff members usually have a few years of camp under their belt. They overlook a certain area of camp be it an activity or an age group. If you have any questions/concerns/things to laugh about, do not be afraid to go to them. They are your people. They have lots of wisdom to give and are great staff members to look up to.
Hot water: Let's face it, you are in the woods, you are not going to have an unlimited supply of hot water. In my first year, I would wake up before my campers and get the first shower of the day. I had guaranteed hot water! For me, this really helped with my comfort level in this new environment.
I is for…
Intercamp: This is an exciting event for campers and staff alike. It is where numerous camps gather and play a variety of sports against each other. Camp pride is definitely on display! It is nice to hear campers and young staff members get excited about seeing their city friends from other camps.
J is for…
Just desserts: I may be scraping the barrel with this one but it is something which my camp has once a summer. Just desserts is just as the name suggests… just desserts. These are baked in house for all staff members to enjoy one night of the summer. You pick your treats, relax and hang out. If you are a sweet tooth you would love this event just as much as me!
Activities that begin with J:
Jewelry
K is for…
Kids: The kids, the campers. They absolutely love camp! They wait all year to come to their ‘second home.’ They count down the months, weeks, days until they drive through those gates. They are the reason why we do what we do.
Activities that begin with K:
Kayak
L is for…
Laundry: Laundry is a huge logistics operation at summer camp. My experience with camp laundry is: every cabin has a laundry day, you put your laundry out in sacks at the beginning of the day, and you will get it back the next day. Then sorting laundry is an activity all in itself! Top tip: label your clothing!
To make sure you get everything back that you put in, label your clothing. Mistakes will be made, and at camp you go through lots of clothes. Even though they might not come back to you straight away, if you label them they will always have a chance to find their way back.
Lake: The beauty of the lake. If you haven’t swam in a lake, you have not lived. (I hadn’t until going to camp) It cools you down on a hot day and it is the perfect hang out place. It is the one thing you cannot get in the city. You miss that first jump in the lake.
Lights Out: This term means bedtime. It is when the lights should literally be switched off/go out. Depending on the age group, the older the campers, the later the lights out time. In my experience, when the lights go out it doesn’t necessarily mean the campers are going to sleep.
Letter writing day: As campers can stay at camp for up to two months at a time, communication with friends and family back home is mandatory. Twice a week, campers should bring a letter to breakfast, hence the term ‘letter writing day.’ However, campers can write/send as many letters as they want!
Activities that begin with L:
Low Ropes.
M is for…
MASH (Health centre): Every camp has a dedicated team of healthcare professionals that are there for you. They take care of campers and staff daily medications, bumps, scrapes, sickness, you name it. So don’t worry if you get sick or hurt at camp they will nurse you back to health!
Music: With over 800 people living at camp during the summer, there needs to be a way for everyone to be on the same page. This is where the music comes in. When the music plays over the campwide speaker, that is an indication that it is time to move onto the next activity or meal.
N is for…
Nature: Camp's are located on beautiful pieces of property. You are living and working in nature. It definitely makes me happy being in the sun and living in pretty surroundings.
Stay tuned for the final part of my summer camp glossary!
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