Big news on girls’ side! Our big sister/little sister program is officially up and running, and we couldn’t be more excited about it!
It all started a few days ago for our inter and junior girl campers when they received their first letters from their camp big sisters: anonymous notes left on their beds while they were busy out and about at their activities, filled with fun clues about what their big sisters look like, what their favorite activities at camp are, and more!
Little sisters were excitedly comparing notes and making guesses about who their big sisters could be, while eagerly waiting to hear when they’d get to meet!
Well, we finally had the big reveal! Big and little sisters were paired up for an epic night of fun together! We got to know each other while making delicious ice cream sandwiches (what a treat!), decorating picture frame pillow cases, and learning our new 2023 camp song together: “Welcome to Pine Forest” – just wait until you hear it!
Throughout the summer, bigs and littles will have many special events together. During hobby time, you’ll often catch little sisters visiting their big sisters’ bunks, bonding with each other and getting to know each other’s friends.
Big brother/little brother is also in the works for boys’ side, so stay tuned for more details about that soon! This special PFC tradition is a highlight every summer, for sure.
There’s opening day, the 4th of July, College Day, Visiting Day, Color Days, but there’s no more exciting day at camp than — drum roll, please…
LAUNDRY DAY
Today was our first laundry day of Summer 2023 and it went down without a hitch. Every bunk had their bags out by breakfast and by evening, as if by magic, the laundry was returned! Clean and “folded.”
Clean underwear, clean sheets, ahh. It doesn’t get much better than this!
It was also Wacky Wednesday! We broke out our wackiest outfits and tonight it’s the Big and Little Sister all girls camp event. Surprise, meet your big sister! She can’t wait to see you. Big/Little Sister-themed crafts, photos, songs, and ice cream cake. Our spirits are high, our sisterhood is strong.
There may be a heat wave across the country, but it’s chilly up here. Longs and longs tonight. Great sleeping weather. (In our CLEAN pajamas!)
In camp we talk about good character. We want to acknowledge good character, but also we want to remind us about goodness and kindness. At the beginning of camp all bunks come up with Rules of the Bunk. One of them being having fun and making memories. We have a Good Vibes box that little “love notes” are written sometimes anonymously about another camper or counselors to continully spread good vibes in camp. An example could be about someone in your bunk helping you with your job during clean up. Another camper letting a friend borrow their stationary to write a letter.
In Girls Camp, we all get a bracelet that represents spelling out G.I.R.L.S. Gratitude, Inspiration, Respect, Love, and Support. The bracelet ceremony will be at our first all girls campfire this Friday.
In boys’ camp, we focus on The L.F.B. Way: Leadership, Fair Play, and Brotherhood – a tribute to Lee Forest Black. When boys camp gathers for line-up, counselors, camp leaders, and fellow campers can share about any campers they noticed that day exhibiting those characteristics, and those boys earn a special bracelet. It’s a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the big and small moments of kindness, brotherhood, and leadership that may otherwise go unnoticed. Throughout the summer, there will be many other ways we’ll continue to develop and celebrate these characteristics.
A French Toast breakfast with fruit and whipped cream?! Phew! What an amazing second real day at camp! And the first official day of Waterskiing on Lake Wallenpaupack! The rain held out this morning for us to hit the water and it was a SPLASH! We were back at camp just in time for a “Chipotle-style” lunch. Yum! Junior Boys did relays in Marvin Hall, Inter Girls played (indoor) field games with Chad, and Senior Girls made inspirational bunk posters! Cup tower races, human pyramids – you name it, we did it! We can’t wait to see what tomorrow has in store!
Camp is off to a GREAT start! If it weren’t for the fresh haircuts and shiny, new sneakers, you wouldn’t even know that the summer has only just begun! On day one, friends picked up exactly where they left off – making jokes, shooting hoops, singing songs in the dining hall, and calling each other by their camp-exclusive nicknames, of course. New campers jumped right in, too, and within a few hours, you couldn’t tell a new camper from a returning one. Everyone was busy with activities right until their heads hit the pillow last night, with fun evening programs planned for each division.
Of course, our first full day has been action-packed. Our youngest campers had the chance to visit the lake, and they had a blast both in the water and on the beach with friends. One junior proudly shared, “I tried the canoe for the first time ever, and it was SO fun!” No doubt there were so many other firsts happening today. We’re playing sports, visiting all of our amazing choice activities, trying out the ropes course, and of course swimming (which has been especially exciting as girls camp gets to spend time at the new and improved girls’ pool!).
What an amazing 24 hours it’s been! Everywhere we turn, we’re reminded of the magic of camp: true friendships that stand the test of time, opportunities to try new activities and feel proud of ourselves, and so much more.
“What’s a line-up?” a camper in bunk Lilac asked as she bounded up to the girls flag pole after clean up.
It’s how we start the day at camp. Announcements are made, jokes are told, camper-friendly news from the world shared and birthdays celebrated Today’s line-ups featured introductions of all of our camp leaders!
At boys’ line-up, Hal talked about his guiding principles for the summer: L.F.B. Leadership, Fair Play, Brotherhood. A tribute to Lee Forest Black.
And there was sports news from Slansky. Special, interesting holidays from Jack. And ,“Did you know..” that not one, two, but three campers were visited by the tooth fairy last night?!
At Girls’ line-up, there was a rousing rendition of the traditional camp song, “We welcome you to Pine Forest,” followed by Chad’s pep talk about athletic leagues. Jonathan gave news of Taylor Swift’s “surprise songs” from last night’s Minneapolis concert. “Dear John.” The crowd gasped!
A reminder by Stephanie to wear sneakers and sunscreen. Yes, the sun came out!
Tooth fairies, songs, funny holidays, brotherhood, Taylor Swift all followed by the eggs, bagels and homemade gravlax for breakfast. What a great way to start the season (or really any day)! We’re off and running.
Our 92nd summer begins NOW and it’s going to be the best one ever. Leave your worries at home. When you step off of that bus or out of your car, you’re going to be stepping into a summer of Pine Forest fun, “Up where the sky begins.”
It doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from or how you get here. It doesn’t matter what happened all school year long. If your destination is Pine Forest Camp in Greeley, Pennsylvania today -you are in for the summer of your life.
As we sing every year on opening day, “We welcome you to Pine Forest, we’re mighty glad you’re here!” And we are. Mighty glad.
From Vermont to Miami. From LA to NYC. Today and tonight, all across the country and the world, children are getting ready to go to Pine Forest Camp. And tomorrow we welcome them, with open arms, big smiles and high fives. And with high hopes too, for each and every camper.
For some parents we know that your hearts are beating a little faster, that you might be fighting back tears of both excitement and nervousness, that you’re holding your camper a little tighter and doing your best to stay calm. We also know it’s so much easier said than done to try to play it cool (which we recommend you try)!
We want to tell you that we’re ready for your children, and that you’ve made the best choice in choosing Pine Forest. After 92 seasons and five generations you can count on us.
We’ve trained our counselors on everything from first aid to kindness. We’ve role-played difficult situations and every day camp situations. We’ve read and re-read your confidential forms and notes. We’ve meticulously arranged bunks, made welcome signs, and put the final touches on activity areas. Try to keep goodbyes short and sweet, and if you have any questions, concerns, or thoughts call or email us any time. We’re here for you children, but we’re here for you too!
Good luck in these final moments and know that the gifts of camp you’re giving are immeasurable. When your children step off their buses and cars, we’ll be waiting and ready to give them the best summer of their lives.
Dream big tonight campers! Our job is to make those dreams come true.
Bring on SUMMER 2023!
P.S. This will be the first of our camp blogs! Look for them here: Uncle Hughie and the News named after “Uncle” Hughie Black, our founder! Make sure to check back for all camp happenings!
April showers will bring May flowers, and do you know what May flowers bring? CAMP, of course! We know that the change in weather has all of us thinking SUMMER, and we hope that these tips will be helpful to you during the excitement of the final countdown. Even if you’ve sent an older child off to camp before, these TOP TEN TIPS for NEW CAMPERS might be worth a refresher!
1. Communicate with the directors about any and all family, social or medication issues or changes during the year and in the summer. Nothing is too small! A meaningful camp/parent partnership benefits your camper. Call or email us anytime! We are here for you!
2. Stay positive about separating from home! Don’t focus on what your camper will be missing (vacation, trips to a favorite ice cream shop), rather discuss what he or she has to look forward to at camp! (The same goes for what you write about in your letters once the time comes!)
3. If your camper asks about homesickness, normalize it! “Of course you’ll miss things about home every now and again, because you have a wonderful home and family! It would be unusual for you not to miss home!” Also, in the same spirit, try to minimize your own feelings of child-sickness! “Of course we’ll miss you, but we’ll be fine! The summer will fly by and we’re so excited for you. You’re going to have an awesome time!”
4. If your camper has specific needs (in the cabin, in the health center, in the dining hall), make sure to call or email us, and make sure to write about it in your confidential forms (or as an addendum to the form) before camp– those confidential forms are our bible!
5. Discuss different activities your camper might enjoy and also talk about trying new ones, keeping an open mind! Camp is a great, safe place to go outside of one’s comfort zone!
6. Take advantage of New Camp Weekend on June 3rd and 4th at camp, either for the day or stay overnight! It’s a great opportunity to meet other first-time campers, see camp, get to know staff, and have positive camp experiences together as a family.
7. Keep all “camp talk” light! In letters, in person, keep it upbeat!
8. Now is when your camper may start asking you about what he or she will bring. Make sure to send your camper’s stuffed animal, a favorite book or two, and any other item that makes them feel at home; if there’s something your camper sleeps with every night, please make sure to send it! Believe us when we say that most campers bring a security object of some sort. You’re never too old!
9. If panic sets in, call us. We’ll talk you through it, but when speaking to your camper NEVER promise to PICK UP YOUR CHILD. He or she might ask in the time between now and camp! It’s normal to get cold feet in the spring! Remind your camper that you’ve made a commitment as a family, that camp is only for a short amount of time, and that you know he or she is in the right place, that they can do it! They are in a safe place. CAMP IS WHERE CHILDREN LEARN INDEPENDENCE! By giving your camper the gift of camp, you’re giving them independence, resilience, and the ability to adapt to and thrive in new environments! If your children know that they’re definitely going to camp and definitely staying at camp for the summer, they’ll allow themselves to relax and let go. Squash the “what if!”
10. If there’s anything (big or small!) you’re worried about before, during, or after the summer, call or email any time: 570-685-7141, !
We invite you to schedule a one-on-one, interactive family tour of camp, led by one of our awesome camp leaders. You'll meet our owners/directors and learn more about our amazing, 95-year camp history and traditions. Come feel the love and warmth that Pine Forest Camp has to offer! Email hillary@pineforestcamp.com to coordinate!
