Camp Yumka 2011- a recap in 10 parts harmony

As we get farther and farther from camp, I find that the memories are getting a little fuzzy. So I felt like a bit of a refresher course was necessary. For this recap, we are going to play "Common or Uncommon?"- a quiz game of whether this is something we often see at camp or rarely see at camp.

Uncommon- sadly Mr. Victor was only with us for a short time this summer before jetting off to New Zealand for his semester abroad. It should be noted that this version of Mr. Victor is also a rare sight as he is dressed here as the King of Skits.

Common- very common. If you spent the summer with us, you know that your camper tended to come home somewhat dirty. This would be one reason why.

Common- at least once a week. A very common sight featured here is Ms. Maggie, our educator at Mill Grove. It is worth noting that she is also completely awesome and an excellent canoe-er.

Uncommon- Andrew is covered in pudding, which, as you will remember, we only did once this summer.

This one is actually a bit of a trick question- it is a common sight in that Zacharia is often running and usually this fierce of a competitor (note- this is during an all-camp game of Capture the Flag). The uncommon factor comes in here- I think Zacharia's shirt might actually be clean.

Common- hopefully. We hope that all of our campers are this excited and are getting along so well. Actually it's what we strive for.

Alright, my memories are flooding back now so look forward to more frequent updates and perhaps another round of "Common or Uncommon?"

Camp Yumka 2011- a recap in 11 parts harmony

So I know that When I dream of Michelangelo is a mouthful but I always thought that a camp with this many opportunities to create should have a title befitting its stature. As we begin to plan for next year, Ms. Nichole and I sat down to review this past summer. We tried, the past two years, to separate the focus of the weeks into different mediums. So during sculpture week, our budding artists made some awesome clay figures, excellent mobiles and found several entirely new uses for silverware. Beyond stretching canvas during our painting week, they also tested out different textures and surfaces to see what effect they had. The jewelry that came out of Art to Wear was truly awesome and enviable but even though this system has work for us, we are looking to make a change for this upcoming year.


Instead of exploring a different set of mediums each week, we are looking to broaden our artists' horizons by exploring a theme. So now if you want to spend one day painting a tree and the next building it out of forks and knives, you can. Undersea creations can come from the fish on your chain link bracelet and the floating squids, sharks, and sting-rays on your mobile. Now that we have that figured out, we just have to start saving our "recycled" supplies and searching the Goodwill for the ever elusive $5 box of mismatched silverware.

Camp Yumka Talent Show

Campers of Camp Yumka show thier Camp Spirit by Performing "Blue & Purple" at the Talent Show!

Real song: "Black and Yellow" by rapper Wiz Khalifa.

Camp Yumka 2011- a recap in 12 parts harmony

So I know that this looks like a typical summer camp image- just another happy camper jumping in an awesome pool on a hot day but to understand why this is one of my favorite images from the summer, you need a little back story.
Our now pro-cannonballer here was wary of going of the diving board. When I say "wary", I don't mean he's thought about it a few times before- I mean he's been thinking about it since swim lessons over the winter. But on this field trip, he was taken with Towamencin's numerous diving boards and all the fun everyone seemed to be having. While his first attempt was quickly rethought as he got close to the board, after a little time hanging out with Ms. Allison, he was ready to try again. They came up with a plan- Ms Allison hung out in the diving well so there was an encouraging face down there in that slightly scary place but far enough away so there was no chance of interfering with a truly great cannonball. And then, he did it- right off the diving board into the air and then into the water with an excellent splash factor! When he emerged with a smile on his face, we all knew that the hesitancy was over. And we were right- as our new diving board enthusiast spent the rest of the afternoon jumping and diving to his heart's content.
So this is a little of why I love camp and a lot of why I love this picture- this moment really. Everyday we're at camp, we spend out time running around with and after kids, making crafts with them, teaching them proper dodgeball rules and techniques, catching frogs, and ultimately keeping them safe, happy, and usually very dirty. But sometimes, actually a lot of the time, we get to be there for things like this- a first, the conquering of a fear, a chance to try something new- a really great first cannonball. So rather than giving you all a recap, I really want to say thank you for trusting us with your kids for the summer and letting us share these moments with them. It is an honor, truly- and also the reason why many of us love our jobs.
For the other 11 parts of my recap, I want to share more of what happened this summer but for this first recollection, I just wanted to share this moment and, again, say thank you.

Whoa, that was close!

I will be the first to say that camp ended just in time. Hurricane Irene struck and hit hard just a day after camp closed for the season. Let's just say that the fields and surrounding areas of camp got a good cleaning. Water rose to 2 feet over the campground and began to move up the tick trail. Many people came out to see the awesome sight as all of the Pavillion 1 picnic tables and bleachers traveled 50-100 yards from their original spot and were not-so-neatly stacked at the main entrance of camp. This flooding paled in comparison to the 2007 flood that completely drowned the campground. I remember fondly looking at the Pavilion and being able to touch the roof from the top of the water level and watching what used to be our Camp Office Trailer and storage container get washed away. The water level came to the top of the tick trail...imagine that.

Yes, it has been quite a remarkable summer for the books as far as natural disasters go. This blog was written in mud understandably so. Nature rocks!

Farewell Camp 2011

As the final week of camp comes to a close, we want to say THANK YOU to all of our participants this summer. We have enjoyed every second of the children this summer, but alas, we have to turn our focus towards the school year. Summertime has come and gone so quickly and it is only appropriate that we had an earthquake and now expect Hurricane Irene to completely wash away the summer for good. She can't wash away our friends and memories though! As we look toward the fall, we want to wish all of our campers good luck with school. Before you know it, we will get to do it all over again. We look forward to next summer already. Look for our 2012 Camp Registration to be sometime in late January. Put away the bathing suits and get the sweaters out folks...WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT SUMMER!

Camp Pulitzer

The Camp Chronicling Crew! Thank you campers for producing a high quality piece of camping literature. It is already a "must read" for those who consider themselves "campy".

Thanks DJ for editing and contributing to the 2nd Edition of the Camp Chronicle. I know the kids had a great time.
Easy on the smile...thank you too Natalie!

Surprise, surprise, surprise!

It was a bit eerie walking down to camp at 5:00AM to hide the clues this past Wednesday, but looking back, it was all worth it. The chiefs were unaware of the day's scheduled activity, but by 9:30AM they were all buzzing with excitement. They gathered into the camp office and were given their instructions and first clues. They all chose to accept the mission and they were off to their groups. Eight groups (2 Braves, 3 Apache, Iroquois, Sioux, and Teens) set out around 10:00AM on the very first Camp Phoenix Scavenger Hunt.
We didn't know quite how it would turn out, but after a few minutes, groups started appearing in the building looking for clues. Outside, other groups ran across the fields and ducked back down to camp looking for other clues. It was a sight to see! We had no idea who was in the lead or how long it would take the groups, but when the smoke finally cleared, the Sioux camp rang the bell in the Camp Office, and declared VICTORY!

The rest of the groups were close behind and it took a little less than an hour to complete the hunt. Thank you Julie and Eric for helping to plan it out. The Sioux will receive a pizza party today for their efforts. CONGRATS SIOUX! GREAT JOB to all of the other groups who displayed teamwork and responsibility during the event. We are glad you had a great time.

The game is afoot!

That's not a clue...it's a ring-ding!

Campers run down a clue.

Campers hunting clues with a clever counselor.

The Sioux are victorious!

We went big and then we went home- Week 9

Born to be Wild week had us testing the limits of our imaginations and endurance. Here is some of our wild ways-
- The Fear Factor Food Challenge pushed our Mohawks, Oneidas, Cayugas, and Senecas to their grossest limits. They were given a set of ingredidents and challenged to put together the grossest looking but best tasting concoction imaginable. Mr. Nick then took up the noble challenge of tasting each creation to determine which best meet the challenge. Oneida 4 won with a mixture that no one wanted to look at but quite a few ate.
- Our Best of What's Around continued to explore everything this area has to offer.
- Get on with the Show put on an awesome production of How to Eat like a Child!
- Easy as Pie continued their culinary feats including the best chicken parm that Ms. Trish has ever had! (As we have no evidence of all the other chicken parm that Ms. Trish has eaten in her life, this must be taken with a grain of salt. But everyone else agreed that it was pretty awesome.)
- Gimme Shelter set out for a most extereme adventure by day camp standards- a three night overnight as Camp Tohikanee in Quakertown where they enjoyed the low ropes course and tested their abilities to cook over a fire, even pizza. They even ventured up to the Delaware Water Gap for hiking and waterfalls. In their downtime, they also learned how to play the best game ever- Phase 10.When asked what they would change for next year-all responded that they wanted a longer overnight. . . So look forward to a four night overnight for Gimme Shelter next year!

Okay that's all that comes to mind right now but trust me, there's more. Keep posted for more updates as we cling to every bit of summer we can!

Falling Skies!

Wow, yesterday afternoon was a doozy! The skies became dark and pushed the younger camps indoors, then came the lightening and thunder. Crack! Boom! Bang! To say the very least, it then rained! It rained so hard you could hear it pounding on the roof from the lower level, two floors below. When we looked out of the gym, we couldn't see camp or the parking lot in front of us. We did need the rain, but what we did not need was a monsoon! After about an hour of the wet stuff, the skies turned blue just in time for pick-up. It is amazing what mother nature can do in a couple of hours. It was sure a sight to see!

If the weather holds out we will be holding our 1st Annual Camp Phoenix Scavenger Hunt on Wednesday! Look for some great hunting pics to follow!

AWESOME WEEK!

This self-titled week is dedicated to someone who we rely heavily on everyday. Her tireless efforts help to keep the camp days running smoothly. Whether it means speaking with parents when they come in or assisting counselors with various tasks. She continues to do a fantastic job. We all know there is never a dull time at camp and she is living proof of that. When the phones ring, she is there to answer them. When the bees sting, she is there to apply sting-stop. When the flys enter the office, she is waiting with swatters in both hands ready to end the threat. Yes, her duties are many and she cares most about the campers and the staff who also keep her days plenty engaged.

For all this I would like to say...THANK YOU JULIE!

Shout Out's

Because all of your hard works pays off and shines in the end!

Thanks to Mrs.T and the Teen group for working very hard on the comfort station mural. It looks fantastic!

Thank you so much to the Maintenance Crew for all of your hard work throughout the summer. We have a huge facility with many members and you go above and beyond keeping it safe and clean for all of our participants. Most of what you do is behind the scenes, but we want you to know you do a great job and we appreciate your hard work.

Camp Craziness!!

The Crazy Hats came out of the attic today! Lets pay tribute to some of our best in show!
Pokemon rocks...I think.
Ya mon...it's Friday...dig it!

Arrr...pirate Minnie.

"Tangled" it is. Great hair!

Nothing says CAMP like a fedora.

Good luck!

A gaggle of goofy hats!

Best friends forever!

Check out those lights.

Sure Fine Week 9!

Thank you counselors!

Gymnastics Camp

Dance Camp

Exploring the creek

Finding "peace" with nature

The creek in all its majesty

The Braves claim to be #1

A little critter

Camp Chronicles editors work diligently

Wow, it has finally cooled off to a respectable 82 degrees. The weather has been picture perfect at camp as we go into the home stretch. The counselors are getting their "second wind" so to speak. Many of our counselors will be leaving soon to go back to school and we wanted to wish them the best of luck and say THANK YOU! for all of their hard work and dedication to make sure Camp Phoenix was safe, fun, and educational for all of the campers. If you haven't had the chance to say "thanks" please do so before they pack up for the season. We hope to see them back next summer!

A hunting they will go!

Those who shall not be named are very busy preparing for our 1st Annual Day Camp Scavenger Hunt. Sometime during Week 10 all age groups and counselors will really test their knowledge of Camp Phoenix. Clues will be given, obstacles will be set, brains will be strained, alligators will be positioned! Ok, well maybe we won't go that far. It is sure to be a very busy day for the day campers and the staff. The group that finishes 1st will win the bragging rights of the camp and enjoy a group pizza party. Look for the exciting pictures to follow. Best of luck groups!

Shakespeare and Facial Hair- a match made in late 16th century literature

A tiny bit of Knights in White Satin Week-

As we made our way through a week of joists and chainmail, dragons and princesses, we also indulged in a few Shakespeare skits (each camp group acted out an entire Shakespeare play in less than 12 minutes or at least, hit the high points) for a bit of culture and context. Here is how that translated for the Mohawks and their production of Julius Caesar-

This was our Caesar- facial hair provided by us, dramatic flair all his own.

Some caught on to the gravity of the subject matter immediately.

While other became somewhat distracted by their props . . .

Ultimately, the dignity of the theater won out.

All of the kids did an awesome job from the Mohawks with Julius Caesar and Romeo and Juliet to the Seneca's ambitious undertaking of A Merchant of Venice. They were great performances.

School Age Child Care Registration

I know, we can't believe it either. Summer has been a BLAST, but school is only 3 weeks away! If you do need care in the morning before school starts or after school, please feel free to stop by the Phoenixville Y front desk and pick up a registration packet or visit www.fvymca.org and download a packet offline.

Our programs run from 6:30AM until 6:30PM. We promote caring and well-trained staff and all of our sites are Keystone Stars accredited. Our programs have daily homework time and also indoor/outdoor recreation time.

Space is limited so please sign-up ASAP!

Week 8 is going great!

Everybody is jumping for joy...Week 8 is in the books! Camp Phoenix is still rockin' with an extravaganza of sport themed activities. Next week will be Wacky & Wonderful so please join us for these upcoming crazy days:

Tues-Wacky Hair Day
Wed- Wacky Socks Day
Thurs- Backwards Day
Fri- Crazy Hat Day

*There are a few trips scheduled for the remainder of the summer so please check out our Blog Home Page.

Check out some of the pics from Week 8.


Counselors are ALL smiles and giving the thumbs up for FUN!

So you think you can dance? Yeah...we do!

Everybody CONGA!

On top o' the world.

The judges are tallying the results of the cheer competition.

Cheer campers performing.

Dance campers get instruction from our professional who owns L.A. Dance Galaxy (check it out at www.ladancegalaxy.com)

A camper shows her medal off with Joe Grejdus our Archery Instructor.