Oswegatchie FFA Camp
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Oswegatchie was the WORST week of my life!

11/29/2012

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Recently,we received a comment on our Facebook page from a young lady that said "Oswegatchie was the WORST week of my life"! Which led us to reflect on how we could have made it better for her. After pondering the situation, I thought about how I also hated my first week at Oswegatchie. In 1989, my counselor was so bad that he was fired midweek, my fellow campers got us all in trouble for trying to sabotage another campsite, and my glasses were smashed the second night.

Besides all of these things creating a perfect storm, there were many great things about my first week of camp. In particular, some of the other guys in my campsite were very funny and turned out to be my friends for years to come, and the medical staff that week was very warm and encouraging, especially as she glued my glasses back together 5 times that week.


I experienced serious "culture shock" that week! Any camp is a departure from home. Not only was I getting less sleep and being more physically active, the facilities were not like home. I also didn't like the food. I really was unprepared for the week of camp mainly since I did not know what to expect. I only had the reassuring word from my FFA advisor to get me involved.

That was 1989 and this is the now the 21st Century. Since then camp has made several major facility improvements, increased enrollment, hired full time staff that hire much better seasonal staff, and created a much better culture for today's teens. Most importantly, we now have the ability to share what we do with our future campers 10x better than we did then. 

Here are the 5 things any parent and camper can do together to determine if Oswegatchie is the best place for a camper. 
  1. Visit our family of websites at www.oswegatchie.org to learn as much about us as possible. For summer camp, focus on www.oswegatchiecamp.com . 
  2. Visit our Facebook page, read the posts, and look through the photos. We have thousands of photos that show you life at camp. Look at comments as well to get extra info!
  3. Read our brochure, especially the parents page to get a grip on smaller bits of information.
  4. Give us a call at (315) 346-1222 and talk to Bill Waite, Camp Director. I will talk endlessly about camp, especially if you list some questions for me.
  5. VISIT Oswegatchie! We have employees here year round ready to tour. The camp director will be clear about what you will experience and what things you should mentally prepare for at camp. Call ahead anytime for any date. We also have a camp open house the same day as our major fundraiser Adironduck Race! Even a 4 hour drive one way is a good investment of time compared to having the "worst week of your life".

Looking back on my first week of camp, I did have fun and as time moved on, I remembered all of the great and forgot the bad. I did go back for another 3 summers and had the best weeks of my life. That made all the difference since I eventually worked on summer staff and became a year round employee at Oswegatchie! Its now my problem if someone has a bad week at camp. 

Lastly, the medical staff from that week at camp has remained a life long supporter of camp and I still see her on a regular basis. She married another Oswegatchie staff member from the 1980s. Her 3 children all went to camp, and one of her daughters is now a summer employee. Its interesting how life comes full circle!



Sincerely,
Bill Waite
Camp Director 
2000 - present

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Horsemanship versus Horse Trail Rides

11/19/2012

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Here at Oswegatchie, we have an awesome opportunity to provide campers with fun, and engaging hands-on learning; and that includes the Horse Program! There are two ways that campers can get up close and personal with our four-legged staff- Horsemanship and Trail Riding.

In the morning, we offer Horsemanship classes. These classes vary from morning to morning, but all provide campers with the ability to learn how to safely handle horses, and learn about their care. Classes in the past have included Horse Judging, Bathing, Tack Identification, Grooming and Saddling, and Anatomy. No matter what topic, students have the chance to handle horses and every class provides the horses with fresh water and hay. Horsemanship classes do not involve riding. Because we don’t ride the horses in Horsemanship, you may wear shorts or pants, but must wear clothes toed shoes like sneakers or boots.

Trail Riding (afternoon only) allows campers to see Oswegatchie on horseback. For three blocks in the afternoon (including free time!) students can go on horseback rides lead by the OEC staff. On sign up day campers are paired with horses who fit their experience level, to give campers the best experience. We ride in rain or shine! Since Oswegatchie has a limited number of horses, this activity fills up very fast on Registration Day! If during sign ups you don’t get a spot on a trail ride, stop in during your free time to see if a spot has opened up!

See you at the barn!

Amber Wynkoop
Horse Director 2010-2012


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What to Wear for Horse Trips!

11/19/2012

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Like many other camp activities, Trail Riding requires specific clothing in order to keep you safe and comfortable. First, riding helmets must always be worn when riding; Camp "O" provides helmets but campers are welcome to bring their own. Boots with a defined heel must also be worn (the defined heel is necessary so that your feet sit properly in the stirrup). Oswegatchie can also provide boots, but again campers are welcome to bring their own. Full length jeans are best suited for riding as they don’t let you slip around in the saddle, and prevent scratches and cuts on your legs if you brush by branches or trees while on horseback. While exceptions can sometimes be made for sweatpants, jeans are highly recommended. We try to keep a few extra pairs of jeans in the barn, should a camper forget to bring their own. (Don’t worry, we wash them!) Shorts are not a good idea for multiple reasons; you skin can get pinched in the saddle or become sore from rubbing against leather, shorts won’t protect your legs from tree branches, and imagine how it feels getting out of a car with leather seats on a hot day! 


Remember to pack jeans, we’ll provide the rest!

Happy Trails!

Amber Wynkoop 
Horse Director 2010 - 2012

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New York State FFA Officers Rally for Hunger

11/8/2012

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In another post, you will be able to learn more about the NY FFA state officers that teach our leadership classes each mornings. In short, they are great young people. In the last few years, we have seen our very best state officers ever. 

Substantial effort has gone into recruiting better and better students for this job. Plus, the adult leadership they are currently getting is excellent.

Please take a moment and watch this video prepared by the 2012 -2013 New York State Officers. You will be inpressed!

For more information about their Food Insecurity Challenge / Lesson, Click Here!

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Ski Boat: A “High Octane” Ropes Course

11/8/2012

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One thing that Oswegatchie  has offered for decades has been a Ski Boat for water skiing, knee boarding, and recently TUBING! It was deemed as a good fit for the camp because our main pond is so long and has such little traffic on it.

Our main pond, Long Pond is 1.5 miles in length and over half a mile wide. Its the perfect distance for teaching skiers. Plus, Oswegatchie owns 99% of the lake front property so we are not competing with other pond traffic. 

Historically, water skiing was the main purpose for this boat and that was great for the educational goals of this program. It takes work to become a water-skier.  Somewhere around 2004, a "tube" was purchased for the ski boat. We field tested it for the summer and received clear feedback from campers that tubing was way better than skiing. To this very day we still offer skiing and kneeboarding, but the tube has become more demanded from campers. Once we figured out you could safely put multiple campers on bigger tubes, the campers really started to love this experience. 

A few years back I got a chance to ride double on the tube with my nephew. It is a bit awkward to be holding on to the tube next to another person while holding on for dear life. What I realized is that all of a sudden you will start giggling and then the other person will start giggling,and then you start laughing more. It goes back and forth till you are having the time of your life!

Sometimes it feels like the driver is trying to throw you off the tube. but typically the driver is trying to take you to the limit of excitement with out you falling off. 

Comparing it to the ropes course seems like a stretch, but the excitement of tubing is equal to that of the Giant Swing or the Zipline. The true magic comes when you don't think you can handle the tube ride or learn to ski, but when you do, the exhilaration stays with you.


Excelsior,
Bill Waite
Camp Director

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Tactical Swimsuits

11/7/2012

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When I first proposed this title to my co-workers, they thought I meant "tactful" swimsuits. I sincerely meant "tactical" for a reason. 

If you look at our "what to bring to camp" list, it lists "One Piece Swimsuit". This usually means more to the ladies than to the gentlemen, since swim trunks are considered "one piece". A one piece swimsuit means a bathing suit that is connected from top to the bottom. This is not mandatory, but is considered a strong recommendation.

During an average week of summer camp, our campers have several opportunities to be on the water. Swimming, water skis, tubing, kayaks, and canoes are regular scheduled events. Monday night's events also include a water component. All of these activities are highly physically active events. Many of them include Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs), but regardless, the campers are moving a lot. Your choice of wardrobe is important to how well that experience is going to go.

Ladies often have a hard time finding a swim suit they appreciate. So its natural for a camper to bring whatever swimsuit they have and would not go buy another swimsuit just for camp. The problem is not that you have girls in bikinis, but that they can not take advantage of more activities because its awkward to run, jump, throw, dive, and paddle in a two piece swimsuit. By wearing a one piece swimsuit, like a lifeguard would, a female camper can do just about anything and have little concern about what their swimsuit is going to do. Hence the word "TACTICAL"!

As far as it goes for guys, properly fitting swimsuits are important as well. You do not want to loose your swimsuit halfway down the pond while water-skiing. If you do not have an official swimsuit and plan to use shorts, make sure they will hold up to wear and tear and will stay up when they are soaked. Nylon athletic shorts usually are the worst swimsuits.

When it comes to drying out your swimsuit each day, campers have access to cloth lines around the property. Some times its easier to wrap it up in your towel and air it out at your campsite. This is a prime reason to have more than one towel. I recommend when you get back to your campsite at night, you get that swimsuit out and hang it up in your cabin. The 8  - 10 hours each night will give you plenty of time to get a dryer swimsuit. 

Lastly, exposure to the sun is a big deal. You should bring sun block and make sure you use it. If you have a "swim shirt", this is a perfect "Tactical" addition.


Excelsior,
Bill Waite
Camp Director
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    Chance Favors the Prepared Mind!

    This blog is intended to share the important details that only experienced campers know. Everything from cell phones, swimsuits, and horses will be covered! 

    Oswegatchie is a TEEN camp! It takes more maturity and responsibility than younger campers may be ready to assume. Hopefully this blog will help you make sure camp is the right fit for each individual camper. We want everyone to have a great camp experience, but the old adage "Chance Favors the Prepared Mind" is very true. Do your part and make sure Oswegatchie is the right place!

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