CAMPANION The Quarterly Newsletter of the Connecticut Camping Association C C A H o s t s F a l l To u r s f o r Members The Connecticut Camping Association is pleased to hold its 6th Annual Fall Camp Tour Program on October 23. Over the years, we have worked with member camps to be able to present camp in all its various forms and permutations. We have been fortunate to visit camps from all over the State, including Camp Jewell, Winding Trails, Camp Woodstock, Incarnation Camps, and Hole in The Wall Gang Camp. This Fall, we are visiting June Norcross Webster Boy Scout Reservation in Ashford, and Camp Horizons in South Windham. Our tour at J.N. Webster begins at 10am and allows us to see one of the premiere scout camps in the Connecticut Rivers Council—the State’s largest. Volume 11, Issue 2 CCA Board of Directors Officers: Camp Horizons, now in its 35th years, provides an extraordinary program for individuals who have special needs. We will visit Camp Horizons at 1pm. We encourage camps to bring facilities and program staff to the tours, as that will give a full picture of the operations. Please plan on bringing a bag lunch to these events. Connecticut Camping Association: The Voice of Organized Camping In Connecticut Since 1965 President Keith Garbart 1st Vice President Rhino Merrick 2nd Vice President Jill McCarthy Treasurer Scott Lambeck Secretary Alex Thomas Directors At Large: Among the new facilities around the State, Channel 3 Kids Camp has added year round residential opportunities for children of all abilities (you’ll see it in March). Dan Albert Anita Pizzutiello Mark Clifton Suzanne Richards Patty Clifton Lou Seiser Pauline Jepson Alycia Williams Immediate Past President: David Meizels Steve Maguire Presents Kickoff Program By Patty Clifton In mid-June, Camp Hazen's rustic dining hall overlooking Cedar Lake was filled to the brim with counselors, skill area directors and administrators from dozens of camps across Connecticut, all eager to experience CCA's guest presentation, motivational camp speaker Steve Maguire. It was the perfect way to kick off the summer camp season, for Steve in his unique and high energy way, manages to get down to the nitty gritty of the most important topics of how to provide the best camp, the best staff, the best role models every camper deserves. Steve kept us all on our toes, with an awesome blend of professional content, humor and experiential learning, while moving us through small group and large group games and situations. Topics included goal setting, effective communication with kids, staff & parents, tone and body language interpretation, team building and team dynamics, safety, and how to be a stellar, and genuine role model while working with the many personalities of campers and staff. We didn't want Steve's presentation to end, it was the perfect "shot in the arm" every staff needed to begin the magic of working at camp. To quote one camp director: "As a director who participated with my CIT's I will say that the girls used the activities learned in this session while at camp and they really found the personality quiz very helpful in understanding staff, campers, and themselves! Ever minute was packed with interesting and useful fun and learning!" ~ Alexandra Thomas, SJ Riding Camp Inside this issue: ACA Trainings 2 Annual Meeting 2 DPH Meeting 3 Bernie Moore Scholarship 3 Membership/ Directory 3 CCA Anniversary 4 Allen Beavers Scholarship 4 Page 2 CAMPANION ACA Standards Visitor Trainings Scheduled -By Alexandra Thomas Camp Horizons in South Windham, CT is hosting! As a Visitor you are able to see firsthand how other camps accomplish their missions and reach their goals. It is also a great way to give something back. As a camp professional, you have much to share through the Accreditation program in regard to operating a quality camp. Accreditation is a voluntary educational program operated by trained Visitors who are volunteers. These volunteers are the key to the success of the program. Once trained with this ACA, Inc course, you can be a visitor anywhere in the US! Do you think you might enjoy working with camps as they go through the Accreditation process? Join the team of New England Visitors! Prerequisite: Participants in the Associate Visitor Course must be at least twenty-one years of age, a current ACA member, and have completed the Standards course. CCA Events Information and events are great reasons to be part of CCA. The organization typically holds several events a year, always available to members. All events and trainings are listed on our website: www.ctcamps.org. November 7 & 8, 2014 9:00 am to 5:00 pm each day Cost: $25 Contact Elizabeth Snell, Membership & Accreditation Coordinator ACA New England 781-541-6080 x17 www.acanewengland.org Stay with CCA so that you know the ropes in camping all through the year. CCA Fall Camp Tours—Get a look at some of the great camps around the State (see page 1) CCA’s Annual Dinner, Elections and Raffle—Please see below. Educational Seminars and workshops—Whether it’s regulation, accreditation, education, or recreation, CCA holds program during the school year to benefit its members. CCA/DPH Springtime meeting—Usually held in early March, this meeting allows members an opportunity to discuss regulations and inspections with the staff from the State of Connecticut Youth Camp Licensing. Summer Kickoff—Held in June each year with a guest presenter, this program is fun and educational for summer staff. 2014 Annual CCA Dinner, Raffle and Elections Join us at Camp Hazen YMCA, Wednesday December 3rd, for an evening of food and friends. The 2014 Annual Dinner begins with a reception at 5.30pm, followed by dinner, Annual Meeting, election of board members and presentation of the Bernie Moore Scholarship. The evening will conclude with a raffle of items generously donated by mem- bers, camps and businesses. All monies raised will support the Bernie Moore Scholarship. All members and their guests are invited to attend and tickets are available for $20 per person by contacting Keith Garbart, Board President: [email protected]. Please consider donating to the CCA raffle. This year’s raffle will include: Gift Certificates. Donated Trainings, such as Lifeguarding, CPR, and First Aid Recreational Passes for all seasons. Wine, beer, etc. Holiday items and displays. Volume 11, Issue 2 Page 3 BERNIE MOORE SCHOLARSHIP Bernie Moore was the quintessential camp director and camp administrator. During her 38 year career as a director she fostered, trained and inspired thousands of campers and staff members, many of whom went on to become camp administrators and directors themselves. Her lessons were to accomplish all we could, and to succeed when we attempted to challenge ourselves. Bernie knew her campers by name, and always had a special hug for everyone. To all who knew her, she was a hero. Bernie began her career in camping after graduating from Sargeant College in Boston with a degree in physical education. That summer found Bernie at a Girl Scout camp in Michigan. She soon moved back east to run a Girl Scout camp in Torrington. Newly married, she began her career Membe rs hip And Directory as a director. Bernie was a founding member of the Connecticut Camping Association, and served in every position in the association. Bernie stayed active in meetings long after her retirement. In honor of Bernie’s service to camping, the CCA established and maintains a Bernie Moore Scholarship Fund. This $500 scholarship is awarded to a deserving applicant from Connecticut Camps’ summer staff in order to help them further their studies. Please look at our website: www.ctcamps.org, for scholarship information and application. Deadline is November 21, 2014. As we embark on our 50th year, CCA is establishing a membership drive to commemorate the event. Our hope is for 2015 to be the greatest membership in the history of the organization! In the coming weeks, membership information will be emailed to you and available on our website. Once again, CCA is maintaining a low price of $40 for individual membership. Please make sure you have your place in the organization for this historic year. Directory applications will be available in the next week via email as well as the website. In order to be in the printed Directory that is mailed out to all libraries, pediatrician offices, and schools in Connecticut you must return the information by November 1st. Directory listings are $75. All Directory listings will also be available on our website and will be accepted after November 1st but only for website publication. If you have any questions or concerns, or if you are interested in serving on a committee for CCA, please contact Keith: [email protected]. Summer is always around the corner. Your Date TBA: DPH MEETING CCA is hosting its annual information session with the CT Department of Health in late February or early March. Over the last several years, we have enjoyed the great fortune of enjoying a close working relationship between DPH and CCA. This event in particular is a great opportunity for Camp Administrators to come and find out what is trending in Camps. DPH representatives will discuss what is new, what is changing and what we can expect as we go through the camp licensing process this summer. Reports from Youth Camp licensing indicate that inspections are showing fewer violations over time, and that more directors are current in their knowledge regarding the regulations. In an attempt to ensure that we all stay at the forefront of regulatory compliance, CCA will send further information as it becomes available. CCA membership and directory listing can keep you prepared. If you have a particular topic of interest or question that you would like to be discussed, please email Keith Garbart, [email protected]. For further information regarding this event and other CCA events, please visit our website: www.ctcamps.org. Connecticut Camping Association: The Voice of Organized Camping In Connecticut Since 1965 www.ctcamps.org CONNECTICUT CAMPING ASSOCIATION 204 West Main Street Chester, CT 06412 My Oh My, How Time Flies! 2015 is CCA’s 50th Anniversary By Alex Thomas CCA has a lot to celebrate and we want you to join us! Be part of the planning and delivery of special issues of the CAMPanion, special events and training opportunities, and gatherings of past, present, and future CCA members and board members! We have a strong history of dedicated camp professionals working together to provide Connecticut campers and their families with exceptional summer camp programs and we should celebrate where we have been and where we are going! We are looking for photos and stories to share during the year so dig into your camp's history or camping in CT going back to 1965 and share it with us! It's also a great year to join the board or one of our many committees! Loads to do and so much fun too! Future Camp Professionals on the move. Contact any board member today - our info is on our web site at www.ctcamps.org. Allen Beavers Memorial Professional Development Scholarship As one of the founders of CCA, Allen Beavers valued education and development opportunities for camp professionals above all else. Through his multiple endeavors, Allen sought the betterment of the camping industry as a whole. With this commitment in mind, CCA established the Allen Beavers Memorial Professional Development Scholarship fund in 2013. Now in its second year, this fund provides scholarship for any camp professional to pursue educational programs, workshops, or seminars. During our Annual Meeting in December, we will allow interested parties an opportunity to support this important fund. Unlike many scholarships, this award is distributed on an as-needed basis. Professionals interested in this scholarship can find more information on our website: www.ctcamps.org.
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