What's New for 2012
Wow! We are super excited about all the new activities that we’ll be doing at camp this summer. We know you will be too! Are you curious? Here’s the scoop on what we are adding for this summer.
Paddleboarding is all the rage these days. Not wanting to miss out on the fun, we have purchased several paddleboards for campers to try out. It will be great to look down into the water and see all the fish, turtles, and other cool wonders of nature. Bonus points to campers who find sunken treasure! Really, you never know.
As many of you know, we like to go big at camp. Over the years, we have added Giant Jenga, Giant Chess, and Giant Connect-Four. So obviously, we are excited to welcome the new Giant’s Ladder into our family of giant activities. So what is it, you ask? The Giant’s Ladder is the newest addition to the High Ropes Course. Campers age 13 and up will be able to try out this new element. Two or three people must use a great deal of teamwork to make their way up the ladder as it swings and sways, while they try to climb up the rungs that are several feet apart! Difficult, but wicked fun! (See One in Action)
After many requests from campers over the years, we are very happy to announce that we will be offering Yoga as a regular activity. Yoga is a great way to take a step back and relax while enhancing strength and flexibility at the same time. We are looking forward to seeing our campers amaze us by contorting themselves into some crazy positions. Okay, maybe not at the beginner level, but someday!
Some of our big purchases for this summer include our very own Dunk Tank and Cotton Candy machine. Nothing quite makes a carnival like munching on some tasty, sweet cotton candy and taking turns trying to dunk the counselors. We will also be purchasing a new Inflatable Rolling Log attachment for the Blob, which had worn out last summer after having been enjoyed by campers for many years.
Get ready for a 5th period revolution! We are gearing up to offer some very exciting, creative and new options. For those campers who prefer a low-key afternoon activity to do with friends, we will now be offering a Craft Option for EVERY 5th period. One of the many crafts we will be doing is Leather Tooling- for the first time ever at KP! A very popular craft, we expect that campers will be lining up to create their own personalized wristbands and make a lot of cool gifts for mom and dad.
Get ready for another summer filled with new, exciting activities to try. We can't wait to see everyone!
Some of you may have heard that our longtime waterfront director, Bob Windrow, will not be returning this year due to education obligations. Bob has been with us longer than almost any other staff member in the history of Kingsley Pines. It is with great appreciation that we thank him for giving us 16 amazing years as a camper, counselor, assistant waterfront director, and waterfront director. During his time at KP, Bob has supported the camp community in countless ways helping to create a safe, respectful environment where both children and staff felt comfortable being themselves. I think he held our deep and abiding admiration not for his physical strength (which was clearly unsurpassed), but for his inner strength. %20of%20pirate%20day%20breakfast%20july%2013%20003.jpg)
Most impressively, Bob is a very modest person and you may not believe it, but he generally preferred to stay out of the limelight...for the most part. Although he was certainly (and infamously) capable of telling 40 minute stories, like “Bobo the Clown”, his real strength was listening. One of his most important contributions to camp was simply his willingness to give you his time and lend an ear, free of any judgment. Whether he just met you or had known you for 10 years, he was happy to help. So it seems very natural that his chosen profession, (which he is currently studying) is in fact, counseling. Bob was unmatched in his ability to be straight-forward, respectful, honest and fair to those around him. He was a true team player, willing to help out anyone with anything to support the greater good.
Sometimes we toss around the phrase “role model” with a general idea of what it is supposed to mean, but not a clear definition. A role model has integrity. A role model is a respected member of a community who puts the needs of others before themselves. A role model is always dependable and hardworking, they see the bigger picture. A role model helps to keep people on the right track as well as guide them to make good decisions and help them build character. This is the sort of person campers and staff aspire to be and we are so glad to have had such a shining example for them to look to for so many years.
Lisa and I are ecstatic to announce the newest member of our family and part of the third generation of the Kingsley Pines Family. 