The Best Summer of Your Life
There’s a lot to schlep around at camp for Juniors! Water bottles, sunscreen, sneakers – and we’ve got a lot of hills here in the mountains. How do we do it?
Meet “Carty A,” Carty B,” “Paul Mc “Cart”-ney…” You get the idea!
We’ve got these carts that go with each bunk so that campers don’t miss a thing!
And that’s how we roll.
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!)
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.
We can’t wait to do it again tomorrow!
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.
June is a crazy month. With end of year school work piled on, recitals, playoffs and camp packing, even my lists have lists! It really is the single most crazy month of year, at least for me and I am sure most of you can agree. As I keep telling myself, this is all the “good stuff” so I try not to stress because it really is true. How lucky we and our children are …to be wrapping up another successful school year and now they get to go to CAMP!! Lucky ducks.
Last week, I had the good fortune to be up at camp for New Camper Weekend with my son who is about to start camp. While there, my daughter, who has been already been at camp a few years, called me, stressed about her finals and things going on at home. All I could say to her was “don’t worry, it’ll be over soon and you’ll be here at camp before you know it. Camp couldn’t look more beautiful and it’s waiting for you with open arms.” She replied in four simple words,“I can’t wait, Mom.” Her reply brought tears to my eyes. It perfectly sums up why we do this. Yes, to have our children learn independence, make new friends, try new things, etc. But, my daughters words made me think even deeper.
Camp provides an escape for our kids…a place to truly get away from it all, and, purely and simply, just relax. In this modern age, I can’t imagine anything being more needed and important. For 10 months out of the year, our kids run around like crazy, live on their phones, engulfed by social media and technology. I am so thankful for Pine Forest and for the opportunity it provides to leave all that behind for 7 weeks. PFC is my daughter’s happy place on earth. I don’t know what she would do without it. She has grown to need camp, to work all year to have camp and to cherish camp all year long.
I share this story with you because my hope is that every child who steps foot off the bus on June 24th can exhale like I know my daughter will. I hope they truly feel that PFC is their home away from home and the place that they look forward to returning to and getting away from it all summer after summer.
T.G.F.C.
Hillary, PFC Mom
It’s that time of the year! You forget what your living room floor looks like under all of that camp gear, you’re constantly hearing the most up-to-date countdown to camp (15 days, 18 hours, 33 minutes!), and you miss them already. Take a deep breath. We are here for you as always! Below are some last minute tips as you make your final preparations for PFC 2017!
What to pack:
A good flashlight
Lots of socks
Bug spray
Sunscreen
Stationary and stamps
Hopes and dreams
What not to pack:
Electronic devices (Kindle, iPod Touch, screens that play games or shows, cell phones)
Important dates:
First day of camp: Saturday, June 24
Visiting Day: Saturday, July 22 @ 11:30AM
Last day of camp: Saturday, August 12
Important contact information:
PFC Summer Office: (570) 685-7141
Mountain Baggage: (570) 775-0556
R&B Baggage (for Florida families): (603) 536-2197
PersonalRx: (877) 302-3881
PFC mailing address:
185 Pine Forest Road
Greeley, PA 18425
Policy reminders:
-Phone calls are not necessary, but one can be scheduled before Visiting Day and one after Visiting Day. You can schedule your first call once your camper arrives at camp.
-NO packages, please!
Photos:
Photos from the day will be uploaded to CampInTouch almost every night. You can access them using the same login you use to fill out forms.
https://pineforest.campintouch.com/v2/login
Expert tip: Mail a letter to your camper a few days before camp starts so that there’s one waiting for him or her on the first day of camp.
Follow us! You can find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter using @PineForestCamp.
New Family Weekend is an amazing Pine Forest Camp tradition, when all first-time campers and their families are invited up to camp to spend their first weekend at PFC together! Families stay overnight in their own bunks before camp starts, and future campers participate in activities in their age group to get to know one another. It’s a sneak preview of the fun to come this summer.
Ziplining, canoeing, gaga, arts and crafts, basketball – you name it, we did it! And the weather was perfect! The day ended in the best way possible, around a campfire! There was a fantastic talent show that included dances, jokes and gymnastics. You’d never be able to tell that these campers just met that day! Mickey led everyone in a rousing 3-part round of his famous “Fish and Chips” song. And we ended the campfire as we always do at PFC, arm-in-arm, singing “Taps and Friends.” After the campfire, it was s’mores for all!
The next morning, families enjoyed a delicious breakfast in the Dining Hall, complete with lox, bagels and hot chocolate with whipped cream. Every new camper left that morning looking forward to the excitement yet to come (and with an exclusive, special edition new PFC long-sleeve shirt!)
We want to extend a special thank you to our outstanding staff for making New Family Weekend 2017 the best one ever! It really is all about the people! Being at PFC with new families each year reminds us that Pine Forest campers are awesome because Pine Forest families are awesome.
“WE WELCOME YOU TO PINE FOREST, WE’RE MIGHTY GLAD YOU’RE HERE!”
And now, the big show! We can’t wait to see our new campers again in 19 DAYS!
It’s finally here! New Camper Weekend 2017! Did you know that each June we invite all new campers and their families to spend the whole weekend at camp a few short weeks before opening day? It’s a unique opportunity for campers and their families to connect with staff, meet future bunk mates and really start to feel at home in Greeley, PA. We don’t know any other camp that opens its doors the way we do, and we’re proud of it!
Attending New Camper Weekend? Here’s what you need to know!
Please arrive at camp between 11:30 AM and 12:45 PM on Saturday, June 3rd to experience your first camp lunch! Introductions begin around 1:00 PM. As a reminder, nights in the mountains can be quite chilly, so bring warm and comfortable clothing for the campfire and warm PJs, too! Don’t forget warm bedding or sleeping bags, and remember toiletries and towels as well. There will be free time to explore, so if you’d like to play, boat or swim as a family, bring tennis racquets, softball gloves, and bathing suits.
Stay tuned for live updates and photos from what will surely be a weekend of lifelong memories in the making! WELCOME NEW CAMPERS!
Craig Wallace is the founder of the Superstar Tennis program and has been its director for over 30 years! His 3 children were PFC campers and he met his wife there, too. He is the charismatic leader of the program and has credentials that are top notch, among them certification by LTA (British Tennis), coaching badges level 1-4, Australian Module One Tennis Coach, United States Tennis Pro (USPTA) and United States Tennis Registry (USPTR). Not only does Craig oversee the entire program but he also personally teaches one-on-one private lessons on a daily basis. One of our favorite features of the Superstar Tennis program is the individual stroke analysis. Each camper receives a computerized “Zoom Report” (just like the below photo) of their game!
All campers signed up for Superstar Tennis will also receive:
-One daily high-energy instructional drill session including conditioning and tactical sessions.
-Two private individual lessons per week.
-Membership in the USTA.
-Participation in a USTA sanctioned tournament.
-Personalized, in-depth evaluation and development plan by the head tennis pro.
-Certificate of completion.
-Tennis Ladder competition.
-Superstar Tennis T-shirt.
-Stroke Analysis and strategy sessions.
An exciting highlight for this year: all of our tennis instructors play on their school’s teams!
To sign up for Superstar Tennis, private lessons or our other extraordinary Optional Activities, click here or call the office at (267) 639-2488.
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, 93-year camp history and traditions. Come feel the love and warmth that Pine Forest Camp has to offer! Email to coordinate!