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? Join Sunshine & Chelster on April 30 at 12pm PT to 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).
REGISTER HERE
2026 Theme: Crank Up the Thanks (Turn Up the Gratitude)
Our vision at GAC is to create a happier world, one camper at a time. Each summer, we focus on building positive habits and character traits for a thriving life while having fun, making friends, and growing.
We also choose a specific character trait or skill that leads to a happier life. This summer, with our summer theme of “Crank Up the Thanks,” we’re focusing on building our gratitude!
Grateful People are Happier
“In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.”
–Giving Thanks Can Make You Happier, Harvard Health
Over the past 14 years, we’ve covered a variety of character traits and social skills that lead to better well-being. We’ve focused on kindness, friendship, giving, resilience, positivity, and encouraging others. Choosing Kindness, Count on Me, Building Empathy, and Try Something New have been our most recent Summer Themes.
Adults who are thankful for what they have are happier than those who are constantly in the entitled state of reaching for the ever-elusive “more.” According to Christine Carter, PhD, “Studies of adults and college students show positive outcomes from consciously practicing gratitude. My own experience with children has been that they become kinder, more appreciative, more enthusiastic and just generally happier.”
How we’ll Crank Up the Thanks this Summer
- Brainstorming gratitude practices we each want to work on.
- Noticing and acknowledging the “little things” that make life enjoyable and joyful: a cup of hot chocolate on a cool mountain morning, a spectacular sunset, a few deer roaming past Morning Assembly, glassy waters to water ski on, or a belly laugh because of a funny story or song.
- Writing and saying WOWs to thank our friends for how they’ve encouraged us, helped us, or made us feel happy. These can be put on the WOW board at camp (on the ramp when exiting the Dining Porch) or delivered verbally.
- Writing and saying WOWs to thank camp staff.
- Sharing “3 Good Things” at dinner, at our nightly campfire, or at bedtime.
- Writing gratitude postcards and letters to friends and family.
- Making friendship bracelets and other arts & crafts projects to thank people who make our lives better.
- Cleaning up our dining table and area to show our appreciation for our kitchen staff for making and preparing great food and washing 2000 dishes a day!
- Wiping down bathroom counters and keeping bathrooms clean to show our gratitude to our hard-working housekeeping staff.
- Picking up trash and keeping camp and our cabin areas clean to show our gratitude for all the hard work that goes into getting camp set up and ready each session.
- Doing gratitude walks/hikes.
- Making gratitude journals (an optional free time arts & crafts activity).
- Sharing about someone we’re grateful for during paired activities.
- “Warm Fuzzies” for all cabin mates and counselors at our final campfires (verbal and/or written).
Daily Family Sharing excerpt from Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults)
Want to start “cranking up the thanks” at home this spring?
Having a daily family sharing practice is a great tool for building connection. Sharing one (or more) things we’re grateful for not only makes for a positive conversation but also helps us each – individually – grow our gratitude. Sharing about what we’re grateful for can be at dinner, on the car ride to school, at bedtime, or whatever time works best with your family’s schedule.
Some kind of positive daily sharing can improve your family’s positivity quotient. Martin Seligman did a remarkable study on the impact of a simple gratitude practice. He found that depressed patients improved their outlook significantly in just a few months by writing down three good things from their day. When I learned of the benefits of this simple practice, we switched our family’s nightly sharing from “Highs and Lows” of the day to “Three Good Things,” focusing our minds on the positive.
When your family members know that sharing three good things is a nightly ritual, they’ll start noticing more of the good things that are happening. Even a day that has had some bad stuff happen also has some good stuff. By having a time each day when you and your kids share one or more “highs” or good things from their day, your brains will eventually become more aware of the positive things.
–excerpt from Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults)
There are so many ways to build up our gratitude muscles, and helping our kids learn to be more grateful people can have a life-long positive impact.
Here’s to promoting an attitude of gratitude this summer and all year long!
Resources/Related:
Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults
Ep. 63: Growing Gratitude with Sara Kuljis | Sunshine Parenting
Ep. 101: Entitlemania with Richard Watts | Sunshine Parenting
Ep. 11: The Opposite of Spoiled with Ron Lieber | Sunshine Parenting
Vision Receives Award
In 2009, Gold Arrow Camp lost a dear friend. Ken “Coach” Baker (March 10, 1951 – April 5, 2009) worked at GAC as Camp Assistant Director and Director from 1981-1992 and had a huge, positive impact on many of us who are still here at camp today. Ken was instrumental in helping Sunshine purchase Gold Arrow from Jeanie Vezie in 1989, and mentored Sunshine, Monkey, Woody, Chelster, Tigger, Junior, Trapper, and many other GAC staff during their early years working at camp.
Ken had an amazing way of making even mundane tasks like picking up trash and painting buildings feel monumentally important. He had a way of clapping his hands together and giving a pep talk that got everyone fired up to do their jobs well. Ken had a near-constant smile on his face and took every challenge that came his way in stride. We all knew we could go to him with any problem and he would help us figure out how to fix it.
To honor Ken, in 2009 we established “Coach’s Award.” This award has been given each year since to a leader at camp, nominated by his/her peers, who motivates others through positive leadership and encouraging words and exemplifies Ken “Coach” Baker’s dedication to GAC’s vision.
To select each year’s recipient, we ask the entire staff to complete a nomination form, where they put the name of one person whom they think deserves this honor. They include comments about the person they nominate. We have such a high caliber of staff, many of whom are extremely positive and exemplify what Coach stood for, and we are grateful for the legacy he left us and that so many people at GAC are incredibly positive and motivating to others.
2025’s recipient, Luke “Vision” Beshoff, stood out in those many nominations for his kind and positive leadership, bounding enthusiasm for all things GAC, and for his genuine support and encouragement of staff and campers. Vision’s name has been added to Coach’s Award, which hangs in our camp post office.
Vision has a long history at GAC. He was a camper for seven years, from 2012-2018, and joined our staff in 2022. Vision has primarily worked with our Rock Climbing & Ropes Course team as an activity counselor and then joined our Leadership Team as head of the program. His sister, Sophie “Sage” Beshoff is also a long-time camper and staff member, and last year’s Coach’s Award recipient!
There were many amazing comments about Vision in his nominations from fellow counselors, including:
Vision’s leadership these past two summers has completely shaped my camp experience and is one of the reasons I want to keep coming back. He is incredibly compassionate toward his staff and genuinely cares about others. I cannot imagine camp without his positive presence. I genuinely believe knowing and working with Vision has made me a stronger leader and better person. I am incredibly grateful to have Vision at camp.
He has been the best leader I have ever worked with. His passion, attitude, perseverance and how easy he’s solving situations makes Vision such a great leader not only for GAC but also for creating big impacts on people’s lives. Vision has been a really hardworking leader. He’s not a boss but a leader who knows how to handle complicated situations and his team. I love the way he encourages others to do their best!
Over the last four years at GAC, I have watched Vision grow more and more as a leader. This year especially, I have seen him lead his Rocks and Ropes team to be the best they can be – creating camaraderie amongst the group, offering support whenever needed, and checking in frequently. He has been an incredible mentor and role model to me as to how to be a great leader. His can-do attitude and genuine love for GAC is radiant. There is nobody who deserves this award more than Vision.
Vision has done an awesome job of stepping up to act like a leader this year. He always volunteers whenever anything is needed. He is a huge support for staff members, and also kind and supportive to campers. His smile and enthusiasm bring positive energy to camp wherever he goes.
Here’s what a few campers had to say about Vision this summer:
HILARIOUS! Loved him so much!
Super welcoming and friendly.
He’s so nice and tells good stories and riddles.
Really helped me with being homesick.
Vision was super funny, kind and considerate!
Earlier this summer, Vision sat down with Sunshine in Episode 93 of the GAC Podcast.
Vision is incredibly positive and enthusiastic about camp and his experiences here. He describes in detail the activities that fall under the “Rocks and Ropes” category here at camp, and how each of them offers amazing opportunities for campers and staff to get outside their comfort zones and grow! Vision also shares how he’s started appreciating different aspects of camp as he’s gotten older.
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!
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.