2025 Theme: Try Something New
While we always want our campers to Have Fun, Make Friends, and Grow at camp, we also put a focus on one specific character trait or skill each summer by having a Summer Theme. Over the years, we’ve covered a variety of themes. In 2012, we focused on gratitude. In subsequent summers our themes have been: Cool 2B Kind, Creating Connections, Give a Hand, Growing Grit, The Energy Bus, Find-a-Friend, Filling Buckets, Be You, Better Together, Choosing Kindness, Count on Me, and Building Empathy, which was our 2024 theme.
We chose this year’s summer theme, Try Something New, because we want our 2025 campers to challenge themselves to get outside their comfort zones and try new activities and experiences while at camp. For our first-time campers, coming to camp is a great example of Trying Something New!
At GAC this summer, we’ll practice setting goals and taking safe risks by trying new things. And we’ll encourage and cheer each other on while doing so. We want all of our campers to build confidence in their abilities and to understand that it’s normal to feel some discomfort when trying new things.
Our “Try Something New” theme builds on the work we’ve done with campers over the past few years as we’ve talked about getting outside our comfort zones, putting fear in the backseat, and challenging ourselves to try new things.
We’ve noticed more campers in recent summers who are hesitant to try camp activities they haven’t done before, and we want campers to experience the increased fun and confidence that comes with learning and practicing new skills. It is our sincere hope that our 2025 GAC campers will take this theme to heart and continue to explore new activities and grow confidence outside of camp.
During the summer, we’ll talk with campers about all the different ways they can TRY SOMETHING NEW at camp, including:
- Trying an activity they’ve never done before, like water skiing or rock climbing.
- Trying a new food or salad bar item.
- Practicing a new friendship skill, like introducing themselves to someone they haven’t met or asking a friend three questions to get to know them better.
- Challenging themselves to build a new skill in an activity they’ve done before. For example, they might try sailing a bigger boat this summer or signing up for the Will-O sailing trip.
- Learning a new camp dance (like “Tragedy” or “Foot Loose”).
- Overcoming a fear of heights by going up on the ropes course or zipline.
- Overcoming a fear of speaking or being in front of a large group by singing a song with their cabin group or acting in a skit at Big Campfire.
- Telling their cabin mates a story around the campfire.
- Reading a book (if they don’t normally read for fun) or reading a book in a different genre than what they usually read.
- Learning a new craft or hobby, like crocheting, juggling, or guitar, by signing up for a free time activity that you’ve never done before or learning from a friend.
- Starting a gratitude journal or a journal about what you’re doing at camp.
Facing challenges, acknowledging big emotions, overcoming discouragement and frustrations, and learning how to get comfortable pushing ourselves to try new things are all skills that help us – and our kids – grow our resilience and our confidence. These are traits that will help our campers thrive both at camp and in life!
Resources
Homesickness – Gold Arrow Camp – California Summer Camp and Traditional Sleepaway Camps for Children
Helping GAC Families
With the recent Southern California fires, we’ve had many people from the GAC community including current families, alumni, and staff reach out to us asking how they can provide support.
We have heard from 36 camp families who lost their homes in these devastating fires, and we have been gathering information from them about how the GAC community can help.
In addition to replacing camp supplies and memorabilia, we are also offering tuition aid to families who need financial support. The Caldwell Foundation, which facilitates camp scholarships for campers to attend Gold Arrow Camp and other camps every summer, has set up a special fire fund for the GAC families who lost their homes in the fires. All donations to the GAC Fire Fund will go towards replacing camp supplies and covering camp tuition for the families who lost their homes.
You can pledge your support (which is a tax-deductible donation) here, and we will add the amount to your next camp invoice (for families currently enrolled) and forward the funds to the Caldwell Foundation.
Alternatively, you can donate directly by:
- Using this PayPal link. Be sure to include “GAC Fire Fund” in the space “Add note to your donation.”
- Mailing a donation check with memo “GAC Fire Fund” to:
The Max and Marion Caldwell Foundation
PO Box 1653
Capitola, CA 95010
You will receive a receipt of your donation directly from the Caldwell Foundation. All funds received will be distributed by need to families who have lost items and/or their homes in one of the fires.
Thank you for your consideration in supporting our camp families!
April Parent Coffee
“Why Campers Can be Homesick AND Happy”
Are you worried that your child will struggle adjusting to being away from you and away from home at camp this summer? Come discuss the discomfort some children experience being away from home and parents and how you can help your camper not only work through separation anxiety but end up confident and happy about future away-from-home adventures (like college).
March Parent Coffee
Building Empathy (GAC’S 2024 Summer Theme)
Empathy is our ability to understand how others feel, and building empathy provides a foundation for friendships and overall well-being. In a world that is increasingly divided, building empathy is vital to cultivating meaningful relationships with people from diverse backgrounds.
Empathy is a skill that can be practiced, and this summer, our theme will focus on building empathy by improving emotional literacy, active listening, perspective-taking and storytelling skills, and learning the importance of disagreeing without debating and being an upstander.
Building Empathy is about putting less emphasis on “me” and more emphasis on “we.” Empathy builders connect with others in meaningful ways and seek to better understand how others are feeling.
We hope you can join us on March 13 for a discussion about:
- What we’ll be doing at camp this summer to help campers build their empathy skills.
- How you can help your kids build empathy habits that last.
We’re going to offer a morning and an evening session to accommodate more parents’ schedules. Join us on March 13 at 10am PT OR 7pm PT.
Here are some optional resources to check out before our chat:
Ep. 138: Unselfie with Dr. Michele Borba | Sunshine Parenting
Empathy is a Verb | Michele Borba | TEDxTraverseCity
UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World is Dr. Michele Borba’s book about empathy habits we can help kids develop, practice, and live out.
Book description: “Empathy is a trait that can be taught and nurtured. Dr. Borba offers a framework for parenting that yields the results we all want: successful, happy kids who also are kind, moral, courageous, and resilient. UnSelfie is a blueprint for parents and educators who want kids to shift their focus from I, me, and mine…to we, us, and ours.”
Register for one of our March Parent Coffees:
March 13 @ 10am PT Register Here
March 13 @ 7pm PT Register Here
Check out other upcoming parent and camper events here!
February Parent Coffee
“Make Friends: Coach Kids to Better Friendships”
Social and emotional skills, just like academic and athletic ones, are not fixed or personality dependent. The skills necessary to make and keep friends need to be discussed, modeled, and practiced at camp and at home. Come learn about:
- The specific social skills research that shows what skills are are most important for healthy friendships & relationships.
- Simple coaching strategies to help kids improve their social skills.
- Camp practices we use to help kids make and keep friends.
Come learn from Audrey “Sunshine” Monke how to be your child’s “Friendship Skills Coach” at February’s Parent Coffee on Wednesday, February 7 at 10am PT.
Register HERE for the February 7 Parent Coffee. Registrants will be sent a recording after the meeting. We hope to see you there!
November Parent Coffee
The GAC Parent Coffee series kicks off next month!
Join Audrey “Sunshine” Monke & Chelsea “Chelster” Rowe at 10am PT on November 15 for a discussion of your biggest parenting challenges. We’ll talk about our observations about campers and staff, share ideas and resources, and discuss topics you listed on your evaluations as areas where you want more parent education this school year, including:
Social Emotional Health of Kids & Teens (including anxiety, overcoming disappointment)
Social Media
Friend drama, mean girls, and bullying
Fostering independence & raising self-starters
Plan Ahead!
January 17 Parent Coffee – How to Raise Kids Who Become Thriving Adults
Audrey “Sunshine” Monke, GAC’s Chief Visionary Officer and author of Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults, will discuss simple, research-based and experience-backed strategies covered in HAPPY CAMPERS for bringing some camp strategies home to your family.
Summer 2024 Registration Now Open for Returning GAC Families!
Hello GAC Families!
Registration for Summer 2024 is now open for returning GAC campers (and siblings) and families who were wait-listed for 2023. We cannot guarantee or hold space for your camper and registrations will be processed on a first-come first-served basis. We recommend enrolling as close to August 1 as possible and before September 16 when we open enrollment for new camp families.
Some age groups in our two and three-week sessions are wait list only so be sure to check out the 2024 Dates & Rates, 2024 Availability, and contact us if you have any questions. Please enroll your camper through your My GAC Login or the Campanion app.
90th Year Reunion This Summer!
Gold Arrow Camp is celebrating 90 years! If you are a former GAC camper or staff member, please help us celebrate this incredible milestone on August 19, 2023.
If you’re not sure that we have your current contact information, please join our searchable Alumni Guestbook. Gold Arrow Camp has a long, rich history and we would like to continue to update our alumni database to share upcoming reunion events and news.
Check out more details and a link to register for the 90th Year Reunion Dinner.
We hope you’ll join us on August 19 to reminisce about your days (and years) spent at good ‘ol G-A-C.
GAC Virtual Assemblies are Back!
Summer seems so far away so we thought we would bring some GAC to you now with our virtual assemblies! If you’re new to GAC or need a refresher, most days (unless on outpost), campers will attend Morning Assembly at our beautiful outdoor amphitheater. After breakfast, the entire camp community gathers for announcements, games, songs, and fun before heading off to their first activity for the day. For cabins who arrive early, an optional dance party on stage is always a camper favorite.
From February through June, campers, parents, and staff are welcome to join us on the first Wednesday of each month at 4pm for a GAC Virtual Assembly. A reminder and link will be emailed to camp families prior to each assembly. We hope you’ll join us!
Manhattan Beach 10K Highlights
The GAC Runners had another successful year at the Manhattan Beach 10K! Thank you to the campers, parents, staff, and alumni who represented GAC on the course and at the booth! There were lots of smiles from a happy runners crew. Also at this event, the winner of a free week at camp was selected from the many names of parents who completed their 2022 Parent Evaluation by September 10th! And the winner is… The Shallenberger Family. Congratulations!
If your school or town hosts a running event, let us know! We love to be a part of these community events.