The 2014 summer season was excellent!
It usually takes me a few months after summer camp to fully reflect on what just happened. People think summer camp is this easy thing that just happens. You just get together and have a bunch of fun and hang out in the woods, right? I wish!
With 700 campers, 30 staff, 40 advisors plus families, parents, wildlife, vendors, program areas, and budgets to consider simultaneously, it keeps your head spinning. I typically have at least 6 things on my mind at the same time, and half of those are things in the moment! There is a ton of work!
Luckily, Oswegatchie has great staff, campers, and advisors that all do a part of the work. Working together, we have created a system that divides up the responsibilities and allows for a routine that gets many things accomplished simultaneously.
I would like to thank the many FFA advisors that give a week of their life to get kids here and then spend time improving the camp. They are often doing work that nobody would ever volunteer for on a hot summer day. Everything from chainsaw work, roofing, and sheet rock can be on the volunteer list. The FFA Advisors do work that helps keep our costs low and make major improvements at the same time. Thank you for making the difference!
Next I would like to thank the staff that work tirelessly to get the job done. Long hours, little sleep, and challenges all creep into each day to make the work tough, but your love for Oswegatchie and making a difference in camper lives is essential part of our success. I hope that each and everyone of you learn something daily that will make you better people in all of your future endeavors!
Lastly, thank you to all our campers and parents that take part in our summer camp program. Every year we are so lucky to have fantastic campers. You folks "get it". You understand the"Why" of summer camp.
One of the big things I noticed this summer was the "richness in laughter" we had in the dining hall. Between the cascading songs that would overlap in competition with each other, to throwing bread rolls into the crowd, to chicken pit volunteers at the last minute, I was blown away by how organic the good nature was in the dining hall. This summer, the laughter was a sound that you felt inside your heart!
You know camp was good when you can feel it!
Excelsior,
Bill Waite
With 700 campers, 30 staff, 40 advisors plus families, parents, wildlife, vendors, program areas, and budgets to consider simultaneously, it keeps your head spinning. I typically have at least 6 things on my mind at the same time, and half of those are things in the moment! There is a ton of work!
Luckily, Oswegatchie has great staff, campers, and advisors that all do a part of the work. Working together, we have created a system that divides up the responsibilities and allows for a routine that gets many things accomplished simultaneously.
I would like to thank the many FFA advisors that give a week of their life to get kids here and then spend time improving the camp. They are often doing work that nobody would ever volunteer for on a hot summer day. Everything from chainsaw work, roofing, and sheet rock can be on the volunteer list. The FFA Advisors do work that helps keep our costs low and make major improvements at the same time. Thank you for making the difference!
Next I would like to thank the staff that work tirelessly to get the job done. Long hours, little sleep, and challenges all creep into each day to make the work tough, but your love for Oswegatchie and making a difference in camper lives is essential part of our success. I hope that each and everyone of you learn something daily that will make you better people in all of your future endeavors!
Lastly, thank you to all our campers and parents that take part in our summer camp program. Every year we are so lucky to have fantastic campers. You folks "get it". You understand the"Why" of summer camp.
One of the big things I noticed this summer was the "richness in laughter" we had in the dining hall. Between the cascading songs that would overlap in competition with each other, to throwing bread rolls into the crowd, to chicken pit volunteers at the last minute, I was blown away by how organic the good nature was in the dining hall. This summer, the laughter was a sound that you felt inside your heart!
You know camp was good when you can feel it!
Excelsior,
Bill Waite
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