Author: PineForest

First Drizzly, Frizzy Day

Posted on by PineForest

You know that counselors are doing a great job when their campers emerge for breakfast (and PCR Covid testing) wearing raincoats and it’s only a drizzle. Not to mention all campers have brushed their teeth. (Hey, it’s not an automatic, they need reminders!)

So here’s the latest buzz this morning on this first day of July!

Junior boys’ animal sightings to date:

Water snake

Frog

Squirrel

Chipmunk

Hawk

Salamander

Fish

 

Junior girls and boys favorite meal:

Breakfast and in particular pancakes and hot chocolate, both with whipped cream

Favorite evening activities

“Hyper space- lots of rules, don’t ask, think capture the flag, meets  hide and seek, meets hare and hound

Sing Down (socially distanced of course)

Dodgeball (Pretty funny, it’s as old school and simple as you get but Lower Camp leader Adam Slansky said that there were more “what if “ questions than you can ever imagine)

For some reason, Girls bunk Honeysuckle decided to call their very cool counselor “Alex” from Texas “Rachel”, not sure why, but they all seem to think it’s pretty funny

Speaking of  great counselors, Madison, this year’s music counselor and Musical Theater major is awesome. She’s getting ready for the first talent show.

Upcoming special events:

July 4th celebration

Greeley Games

Olympics

Stay tuned.

Last Day of June, Fun Day at Cam

Posted on by PineForest

It was another hot but fantastic  day here at PFC. Lots going on, on this last day of June.

Here are some dispatches from “up where the sky begins.”

Hi Senior (9,10,11) boys kick started the flag football season, while Senior boys (7, 8) played baseball and practiced for the “Greeley Games” next week.

Inter boys and girls (5,6) had a busy day including tennis, soccer and swim and got ready for “minute to win it” evening activity.

11th graders stepped up in leadership roles around camp. Many are taking the lifeguard certification program and we even had Sami teaching a yoga class today. Ask the girls about “Sigma Alpha Burger!”

“Quickball” for seniors boys today. It’s like baseball but more fun!

And Superstar tennis lessons were in full swing under the supervision of Fernando, Carolina and their awesome (and very good-looking) tennis pros.

Here’s a big announcement – The first camp show will be “FROZEN” Try-outs begin tomorrow. Also, try-outs for the famous 4th of July talent show begin tomorrow, too.

Speaking of tomorrow’s fun, it’s our 2nd  at-camp PCR test! Can’t wait!

A few thunder clouds rolled by tonight at dinner time, but we kept our cool and by evening activity the skies were beautiful.

Hope yours are, too!

Good Morning, Pine Forest Camp!

Posted on by PineForest

Good morning, Pine Forest Camp!

Maybe it’s the new smell of pines trees or the first bird you hear, but when you wake up at camp it’s awesome. Look to your left, look to your right and there are camp friends right next to you. Can life get any better?

Okay, the bad news is that you still have to brush your teeth, but it’s gonna be a day like no other. You’re at camp! You’ve made it through your first night, the clouds part, the sun shines , the worries disappear, the fun starts!

 

Let the Fun Begin!

Posted on by PineForest

 

Our 90th summer begins NOW and it’s going to be the best one ever.  Leave your worries at home. When we step onto camp grounds, we step 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.

The Trail Ahead | May 7, 2021

Posted on by PineForest

May 7, 2021

Dear Camp Families,

We can’t wait to welcome your children to camp in Greeley, Pennsylvania! We’re preparing for a safe, healthy, happy summer in the great outdoors at camp. Attached you’ll find our comprehensive plans for the summer, all informed by the newest CDC set of Guidance for Operating Youth and Summer Camps During COVID-19, in particular, the Additional Guideline for Overnight Camps, released just last week. We remain vigilant in staying up-to-date with all latest information, as we expect guidelines to change and evolve.

Our strategy (“Make it Safe, Make it Fun!”) remains the same: keep camp as safe as possible while retaining and regaining as much normalcy as possible over time. Rigorous testing will complement layered NPIs (Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions), specifically focusing on: Outdoor Activities, Masking, Distancing, Hand-Washing/Sanitizing, and Cohorting. These measures have a proven record of success in a camp environment.

In particular, we do want to draw your attention to the following:

Before Camp:The key to a safe summer starts at home. Every camper must 1) restrict behavior, 2) participate in a daily symptom check through the GENETWORx app, “Aura,” which you will be receiving before camp and 3) ALL CAMPERS must take PCR Tests on June 22nd or 23rd with results sent to camp before opening day.

In the coming weeks, you will be receiving upcoming information from PM Pediatrics, on the Aura tracking app, and testing in general.

Arrival Times:Instead of buses, we are asking all parents within driving distance (NY, NJ, PA, MD, CT) to drive to camp. Camper arrival times will be staggered on arrival day morning so as to allow for adequate time to screen and test all arrivals in an organized fashion. We ask that you do your best to arrive in the following time periods.

9AM – 10AM: North Jersey/New York Area
10AM – Noon: Central Jersey/Philadelphia Area
Noon – 1PM: Maryland/DC Area

Visiting Day Plans:To protect the health of our community, we are not planning on an in-person Visiting Day this summer. We’re prepared to be creative and make memorable, meaningful connections for your campers. And for parents driving, you’ll get a special Visiting Day box to send to your camper! (Parents of children flying to camp will have their Visiting Packages sent to them or one can be picked up at your local post office.) Stay tuned!

Vaccinations:We encourage all campers to be vaccinated when eligible.

Please click here for our most comprehensive plans and more detailed information. Please review!

In short, we’re ready! We’ve got this! Your camper is in good hands.

Let’s get to camp!

Honoring Lee Forest Black

Posted on by PineForest

It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Lee Forest Black, husband of Molly, great grandson of our founders Hughie and Selma, grandson of Marvin and Annette Black, son of Mickey and Barbara, brother and brother-in-law to Anna Black Morin and Eric Morin and best-ever uncle to Ruby and Hattie Morin.

Lee was a bright and shining light of goodness and kindness everywhere, but his favorite place in the world was camp. Lee loved every little bit of camp life. He loved nature walks and the bird feeders in front of his bungalow. He loved funny hats and costumes at lineups. And he especially loved camp snacks.

Lee also loved the big stuff. The buses rolling in on Opening Day, the “Skeeter Swift,” the ‘A’ Game that takes place during Color Days — that his longtime friends and bunkmates still attend, and the 4th of July Fireworks display; Lee always curated the perfect pre-fireworks playlist, sharing his love of music with all of us.

“Lee’s Rink” is named after him and many campers have visited “Lee’s Forest” on the other side of Marvin’s house. It’s secluded, and you have to hike Chipmunk Trail to get there, but it’s one of the most beautiful, peaceful places at Pine Forest. It’s extraordinary but unassuming, like Lee.

Lee was a devoted, loving husband, son, grandson, brother and uncle. He was an outstanding camp director who never took himself too seriously. Lee’s greatest wish for everyone at camp was to feel the happiness he felt there. His legacy is found in each and every bunkmate, camper, and counselor’s life he touched, in the smile and laughter that will echo through the Forest when we think of him.

To honor Lee, donations are invited to the Hughie & Selma Black Foundation, funding organizations that provide camp experiences for children of all socio-economic backgrounds.

We look forward to celebrating Lee with our camp community in the future.

Remembering Aunt Blanche

Posted on by PineForest

Aunt Blanche Milligan, Beloved Outdoor Leader at PFC, passes away at age 102

Aunt Blanche was the Outdoor and Overnight Hiking leader at Pine Forest Camp for over 50 years. She was a very special part of PFC as was her husband Uncle Mike Milligan. For generations of campers, she embodied the beauty and strength of the great outdoors. She was an original. In her pleated khaki shorts and scout blouse, with windswept grey hair, she drove a green truck named “Greenie” and always had a trusty dog beside her. She was a camp legend.

Aunt Blanche lead many a camper to their first true encounter with the wonders of nature. She took girls out on overnight hikes, picked wild blueberries and taught them to cook over an open fire. She was a true naturalist and environmentalist long before the first Earth Day or an EPA. She was a Pioneer.

Aunt Blanche was a gentle but hearty soul. A humble, natural, unassuming woman, she took great joy in introducing campers to the simple, natural life. She knew that for some campers it would be the one and only time in their lives that they would come face to face with the natural, wild world. She was small in stature but she was mighty.

Aunt Blanche and her love of nature will always remain as much a part of Pine Forest as the pine trees that surround us during summer and the sounds of laughter in the mountain air. May her lasting legacy be the many lives she touched at camp and in the world.

For those Alumni who would like to make a donation in her memory, her family is recommending:

Juniata College: https://www.juniata.edu/ or the Central Pennsylvania Humane Society: https://www.centralpahumane.org/

Notes of condolences can be sent to Aunt Blanche’s sister, Carolyn Snow, at 143 Swartz Rd., Altoona, Pa. 16601