Two Cool Visitors!

Brian Klugman is a Hollywood movie star and director. Dion Dawkins is a 2nd round NFL draft pick soon to be a star for the  Buffalo Bills. Both came to camp to talk to campers and answer questions about the big wide world of sports and arts!

Brian held a Q & A  at Netsy Playhouse where he first stepped foot on the stage as a Junior camper.  Now he’s written movies, directed and starred in them and appeared on TV.  In fact you may recognize him for his recurring role in “Frasier” and  “Bones”. And the best part is that he’s a PFC old-timer with his name proudly displayed on our 10 year tree (He was here for 11 years!).

Thanks to our own PFC alum and professional sports broadcaster, Zach Gelb, Dion Dawkins visited us to conduct some camper football drills on Mitchell Field. He signed autographs and answered lots of questions from campers about the life of a big time football player!  We’ve got a lot of Eagles, Giants, Jets and Dolphins fans here, but we all agreed to root for Dion and the Bills this season!

G. I. R. L. S.

Last night’s all girls campfire was really something special.

The campfire was started by igniting a log saved from the end of last summer marked 2016. Every summer is special but we link ourselves to those who have come before us at PFC for the last 87 summers.

Every camper received a bracelet with four strands of color; Green for Gratitude, Blue for Inspire, Gold for Respect, Purple for Love and all tied in a knot for Support.

G.I.R. L. S.

Our great division leaders told stories, led songs and talked about how we all may have different ideas and come from different backgrounds but at camp how we all support each other as one family.

The campfire ended with a rousing chorus of “You’ve Got a Friend”, “Taps” and “Friends” and s’mores!

 

PFC Ninja Warriors!

It’s new. It’s crazy. It’s fun.

Campers are loving the new American ninja Warrior course.  First, you jump side to side on tilted “islands”, then cross a log, pull yourself up a ramp with rope, leap between swinging rings, climb across a wall using special grab links and run to hit the buzzer at the end. On go the flashing lights as your bunkmates cheer!  You need agility and strength (and a sense of humor).

It’s the all-new PFC American Ninja Warrior course!

Back from the Wilderness!

Back from the wilderness!

Bunk Fern survived the first overnight hike of the summer! Crunched together in their round yurt campers slept pretty well last night.  There was a chill in the air as they awoke on a  beautiful morning to the  sound of woodpeckers and songbirds. They rolled up their sleeping bags and headed back to camp for an outdoor breakfast in the grove. Made to order omelets awaited them.  Does it get any better than that? Not much.

Big Sister / Little Sister!

The secret is out!

Yesterday Seniors and Hi-Seniors got the names of their “little sisters” . Now it’s up to them to provide clues as to who they are. Is that a note under my pillow? A bracelet in my cubby? Who made my bed for me? Soon there will be the big reveal, when older campers identify themselves to their little sisters at the all-girls Big Sister/Little sister campfire.

There’s excitement and mystery in the air throughout girls camp!

 

Basketball Leagues Have Begun!

Basketball leagues have begun.

The NBA just had the draft and so did PFC. Last night, High Seniors divided into teams and began the first games of the 2017 league program. Intramural leagues were started at Pine Forest back in the 1960’s by Stan Ward, coach of Brown University and taken to a new and exciting level by our own award-winning  Athletic Director  Steve Chadwin. Every division is divided into equal teams and there’s all-out competition until at the end of the summer one team in each division is crowned champion.  It’s fun, it’s high energy, and the winners get their names inscribed forever in Hughie Hall. (Named after Hughie Black, our own basketball star.)

It’s Hoops time in Hughie Hall!

 

We’re Off to a Great Start!

First full day was awesome!
Wherever you were at camp it was a high energy day! From the lake with Conner and company, up at Art with Jamie, or Soccer with our new head coach, Neil, PFC was a buzz with activity. It rained last night but today was brilliant and so were our campers and counselors!
Alyson, Phil and Abby rolled out a new improved schedule with more choice and more jam packed action than ever.  It was a rousing success!
 

Good Morning, Pine Forest Camp!

Maybe it’s the new smell of pine 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 you still have to brush your teeth, but this is 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.

Oh, what a beautiful morning!

Let the Fun Begin!

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.

Our 87th consecutive summer begins today and it’s going to be the best one ever.  A little rain fell this morning but by breakfast it was all sun in the mountains. Counselorsdonned their yellow staff shirts (just like the kind we wore back in the 60’s), put on their name tags and BIG SMILES! They can’t wait to meet our 2017 PFC campers.

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.

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.

Hiding Behind My Sunglasses

Yes, that will be me tomorrow morning, hiding behind my sunglasses, holding back my tears.  Me, who promotes camp to other parents and me, who believes whole-heartedly in the lifelong benefits and pure and simple fun of overnight camp. But, still, that’ll be me.

It doesn’t matter how much you know they’ll love it, it doesn’t matter that you know they’re about to make friends and memories that will last for a lifetime.  It doesn’t matter that you know they’re about to have more fun than they ever thought imaginable.  The bottom line is, letting your child go, allowing and empowering them to spread their wings without you is hard.  Really hard.  I think of this as the most selfless act we, as parents, have probably ever done to date.  Putting our needs and wants second to what we know is best for our children. It’s something we do everyday, but this is the granddaddy act of them all.

But, I find all the comfort and solace I need knowing my children will be safe, loved and cared for by some of the most amazing people I know.  That they will be making friends and living with other amazing children who, like them, just want to have fun and take in all that camp has to offer.  I will, like you, pour over the posted pictures each night and hang on every word that comes to me in letters. All the while, reminding myself how lucky we all are…The kids who get to go, and we as parents who get to send them. Their summer ahead at Pine Forest Camp is going to be incredible. For all these reasons, I truly can’t wait for my children to get started.

Good luck, Mom and Dad. I like to keep the morning short and sweet and without a lot of fan-fair.  That’s my advice. And, of course, don’t forget to wear your sunglasses.

Hillary Slovin