How New Activities Get Added at GAC
Session 2 campers enjoyed learning about how new activities get added at GAC!
GAC Short Movie featuring Bon Bon, Soy, & Monkey
Filling Buckets: Our 2019 Theme
This year’s summer theme, chosen to help guide campers to be the best versions of themselves, is “Filling Buckets.”
Our first summer theme was in 2012 when we chose the theme of gratitude. We followed that theme with kindness (Cool 2B Kind), relationship building (Creating Connections), helpfulness (Give a Hand), grit (Growing Grit), positivity (The Energy Bus), and 2018’s focus on friendship (Find-a-Friend).
One thing that makes life at camp special is that we live in a community where our shared experience is full of face-to-face, positive interactions with each other. At camp, we are shielded from input and news from life outside of GAC and we take a break from the pressures of social media. This unique setting provides us the privilege and responsibility of maintaining our own positive and encouraging atmosphere.
Every interaction we have with another person is an opportunity to have a positive, negative, or neutral impact. It is easy to be too self-focused and worry about our own agenda and needs. Encouraging others and actively seeking opportunities to have a positive impact are noble challenges we are excited to embrace in our community.
Tom Rath and Donald Clifton of Gallup Strengthsfinders introduced “The Theory of the Bucket and the Dipper” in their bestselling 2004 book, How Full is Your Bucket? Positive Strategies for Work and Life.
Carol McCloud’s 2015 children’s book Have You Filled A Bucket Today? presents Rath and Clifton’s concept in a simplified version and is our inspiration for this year’s theme.
Here are some of the 2019 GAC staff reading Have You Filled a Bucket Today?:
We’re thrilled to make our GAC community stronger by helping campers understand that encouragement makes others feel valued. Together, we will experience the joy that comes from making others our focus.There are many opportunities at camp to fill other people’s buckets through kindness and encouragement. Filling Buckets means using our words and actions to show how much we care:
- Sharing a heartfelt smile
- Greeting each other by name
- Helping others without being asked
- Giving sincere compliments
- Recognizing others for bravery and achievements
- Encouraging others when they succeed and also when they’re struggling
- Elevating the needs of others above our own
- Seeking opportunities to have a positive impact on others
Filling Buckets builds on the work we’ve done in the areas of positivity, friendship, and kindness. The friendships we forge at camp are special for many reasons, and we know that keeping the focus on lifting each other up will add depth and richness to our connections. It is our sincere hope that 2019’s GAC campers will take this theme home and continue to make positive changes in their communities by being kind and encouraging with everyone they encounter. Everyone deserves a full bucket!
Resources/Related
How Full is Your Bucket, Tom Rath & Donald Clifton
Have You Filled a Bucket Today? Carol McCloud
The Theory of the Dipper and the Bucket
Remembering Hope “Fiji” Mirano
We are so sad to let our GAC family know that our longtime, beloved staff member (2000-2008), Hope “Fiji” Mirano Chen, lost her 3 1/2 year battle with cancer earlier this week. She leaves behind her husband Mike, her daughter Olivia, and a large a loving extended family – including many current and former GAC staff members.
Hope’s sister, Anna Mirano Macalino writes:
On Wednesday May 1, 2019, my sister and best friend, Hope Mirano Chen, died after a courageous and inspiring 3.5 year battle with a very aggressive form of AML due to complications resulting from her most recent treatment. On her last days, she was surrounded by her loved ones and is finally resting in peace and no longer in pain. The Mirano and Chen families would like to thank everyone for all of the love and support throughout this journey. The outpouring of support and prayers, blood and platelet donations, gifts for and time with Olivia, traveling across the globe to visit, weekly visits, slumber parties, texts, facetime, calls…the list is endless. We could never list all of you, but please know that we are eternally grateful to each and every one of you. Hope and our families didn’t have just a village, we truly had the world helping us fight…friends, family and the kindness of many many strangers. Hope left us knowing she was truly loved. We would especially like to thank Dr Stein and the City of Hope for their care and becoming part of our family throughout this process. Gary Ragat your donation gave Hope hope twice, it meant so much to her. And to Cheryl Oliver-Cervantes for never leaving our side and helping us navigate through every single emotional and administrative step of Hope’s last days. We would like to compile stories of your memories of Hope for her daughter, Olivia. Through all of you we will keep Hope’s memory alive in Olivia. Please post on Hope’s timeline any thoughts and we will ensure that your messages are passed along to Olivia and the family. Thank you all again for being with us on this journey.
We have received so much love and an outpouring of people that want to help. Your kindness at this time is genuinely appreciated. For those asking about donations, Hope wanted to help find a cure for blood cancer. Donations can be made in Hope’s name to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. In order to send a tribute gift, please donate directly at https://donate.lls.org/lls/donate. As you personalize your gift, please put Hope Mirano Chen under the Personalize Your Donation section and Mike and the family will be notified of your generosity.
A few of the words shared about “Fiji” from GAC staff include:
“Heaven gained an angel far too soon. Hope, I will forever cherish our memories on and off the mountain from our GAC years. Thank you for being you and such an inspiration to many. Mike, Olivia, family and all who are walking with heavy hearts today. You are all in my thoughts and prayers.”
-Abbey “Wild Violet” Butcher
“My beautiful friend! I cannot put into words all the memories we have shared over the past 16 years! From camp sleepovers in “The Hilton” to dressing up in the most ridiculous costumes for GAC dances to weddings to welcoming our children together! I have so many cherished memories to hang on to! Your legacy lives on in your beautiful O! To Mike and Anna and all your family and friends who are feeling this pain, we love you and miss you everyday! I pray that your family finds peace during this hard time. Until we meet again and run a LOT of “errands” together we LOVE YOU Fiji Feeeeej!
-Renee “Zippy” Say
Hope, This breaks my heart. I love you sweet lady.
-Aaron “Elf” Kessler
We love you, Fiji, and will always cherish memories of your cheerful spirit, your warmth, and your love for others. You will be missed dearly.
A Graduating Camper’s Story
Gold Arrow campers who have completed the 9th grade take part in a special celebration at the end of their camp session. These campers and their counselor gather around a magical campfire created just for them when the rest of camp is settling into their sleeping bags. This is a milestone and tradition that campers both look forward to and have feelings of trepidation about because it signals the beginning of something new and the end of their time as a carefree camper. Each camper receives a paddle inscribed with their name and a special word selected by their counselor. Notches on the wood represent the years spent at GAC. For our graduating campers, this paddle is more than wood and inscriptions, it’s the hope of what lies ahead after the many lessons learned as a camper.
Rachel Huntley, a long-time GAC camper, had this very experience last summer. Here’s what she shared about camp and the graduating camper experience…
It was the night of the paddle ceremony, session 2. I didn’t really know what to expect, besides me getting my paddle that night. Walking to the waterfront from the dance with my cabin and seeing Soy with a burning fire already had my eyes watery. As everyone took a seat I calmed myself down and told myself, “you’ll be ok, just hold yourself together.”
As soon as Soy started talking about why they use a paddle and not an anchor had me bawling my eyes out. It really showed me how throughout these past 7 years at camp I’ve used my paddle that didn’t even exist. When the counselors were calling campers up to get their paddles, it was such an amazing moment, because every counselor said things about their camper and who they are as a person and everything that’s beautiful about them. As soon as my name was called I completely lost it. I was in tears crying and trying to control myself. My counselor told me all the things that were great about my personality and what they hope I wish to peruse in the future.
At the end of the ceremony, Soy gave the star speech. I will never forget that speech. Every summer for the rest of my life when I’m not at camp I will think about how I’m still looking at the same sky that camp’s looking at. I already knew from the moment I walked into GAC in 2012 I was apart of the GAC family, but from that moment on I knew that I had made my mark there and I was/am never going to leave my home away from home. I cannot wait for my adventures that hold in these next years!
Why Henry Blum Loves Camp!
Recently, a copy of Fast Forward magazine arrived at the Worldwide Gold Arrow Camp
Headquarters (GACHQ) and we were thrilled to see that one of our campers, Henry Blum, had written an article about GAC for Fast Forward!
Ari Blum and Mead Wallace were both campers and counselors at GAC in the 1990s and early 2000s. Now Ari and Mead’s sons, Henry and Caleb, are continuing the family GAC tradition. It seems like GAC really runs in their family!
You hear from us about why camp is great, but it’s even better to hear it from a camper. That’s why we’re re-printing Henry’s article here on our blog for you to enjoy.
Gold Arrow Camp
By Henry Blum
Marin Primary & Middle School
5th Grade
Have you ever felt the urge to go outside, camp, tell stories by the campfire or go down by the water and play? If so then Gold Arrow Camp is the place for you. There are great experiences at Gold Arrow. The last time I went I discovered a love of sailing. I love the wind in my face, the spray of the water, and being outside. I chose sailing every evening during free time. Because I practiced so much, I qualified for the sailing trip to Willow. The Willow Sailing Trip is a six-mile adventure across Huntington Lake. Sailing to Willow took all day but it was a lot of fun. Now I love sailing. I started sailing on a team at home. Gold Arrow brought that out in me.
Gold Arrow is a place where you can be whoever you want to be. Your cabin mates are like your brothers. If you get homesick a counselor is right there to comfort you. At camp the counselors pick camp names. It’s fun to figure out what their real names are. The counselors are really kind. My counselors encouraged me to try new things. Sometimes you’re scared to try a new activity and then your counselors help you try it. You discover a new favorite activity.
Gold Arrow has water sports like waterskiing, wakeboarding, kneeboarding and stand up paddleboarding. Giant stand up paddleboarding gets a whole cabin of kids on two or three giant paddle boards. My cabin mostly spent giant SUP time jumping into the lake. Gold Arrow Camp is in the mountains on Lake Huntington. The lake can be cold but on hot days it feels refreshing.
The food at Gold Arrow is really good. I loved orange chicken. Around the end of every session we have a banquet with soda and very special food. And, everyone is super friendly.
That’s why I love Gold Arrow Camp.
April!
Episode 40.
The GAC POG-Cast is over the hill! We’re also over the moon that April joined us to talk about her role as a photographer at camp last summer. She also had great insight on how to deal with the fear that coming to camp sometimes creates in campers. Soy is back to playing guitar and telling Dad jokes and there’s a GACspiration too!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Spotify | Email | RSS
REX and the OLC
Episode 37.
On the 37th episode of the Gold Arrow Camp POG-Cast, we’re chatting with a camper who had his life changed by the Outdoor Leadership Course. REX, who has also completed our Junior Counselor program, sat down with Soy to talk about what made the OLC special and how the lessons he learned on the trail have impacted him at school and beyond.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Spotify | Email | RSS
The Greatest Internship
By Alison “Bean” Moeschberger
I still cringe every time I hear a counselor tell me that they’re not returning to camp next summer because they have to get an internship to prepare for their “real job.” It stings because this is my real job, but, more than that, I believe wholeheartedly in the training and life preparation counselors experience while working at summer camp. It would be easy to say that camp counseling is a good internship for people who want to work with children for their career, but the work experience camp counselors gain at camp translates to strong, employable skills that any company would be excited to see in their applicants.
6 Critical Skills Counselors Develop at Camp:
Responsibility
There is no greater responsibility than caring for other people’s children. Camp counselors are responsible for the 24-hour care of a group of children. They have a very significant presence on the camp’s organizational chart, and their work with campers is essential to camp’s operation.
Teamwork
Camp provides a unique opportunity where counselors live, work, and play together. The friendships they develop over the summer are some of the strongest and most long-lasting relationships. Camp counselors learn to live in community with people who have very different personalities and life experiences. They adapt and work well with a range of people.
Creativity & Problem Solving
Whether it’s altering the plan for the day because of weather or figuring out a more efficient way to move 10 children from one place to another, camp counselors are constantly provided with opportunities to solve problems and be creative. They must be flexible and be able to think quickly when alternative solutions are required.
Communication Skills
Without the distraction of technology and social media, camp counselors strengthen their communication skills by engaging in face-to-face interaction with campers and fellow counselors. They learn how to lead group discussions and practice conflict resolution almost daily.
Leadership
Children want and need positive role models in their lives. Camp counselors are closer in age to campers than most of their adult role models at home, and the unique relationships they can form are hugely influential as campers navigate adolescence. Counselors are forced to examine themselves and share important life lessons with their campers. They need to remain appropriate in their language and appearance at all times, and living closely with children often causes counselors to see themselves from a different perspective. It is a powerful experience to be a role model for a child.
Selflessness
The nature of the job as a camp counselor is humbling. Camp counselors focus primarily on the safety and happiness of the campers in their care, at the expense of personal freedom and privacy. Young adulthood can often be a very self-centered time. People seek instant gratification and act more spontaneously. The selflessness practiced at camp makes counselors happier and more fulfilled, and we often hear that counselors feel like the best version of themselves because of camp.
Internships are temporary positions that are designed to provide on-the-job training and work experience, and there is no better internship than becoming a camp counselor.
Sources:
http://www.acacamps.org/blog/counselors/10-reasons-why-businesses-should-hire-former-camp-counselors
http://www.acacamps.org/campmag/1405/camp-belongs-resume
http://college.usatoday.com/2011/07/27/opinion-skip-the-internship-go-to-camp/
http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/02/25/the-internship-that-looks-good-vs-the-job-that-pays/
http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/29/the-camp-counselor-vs-the-intern/?_r=0
Wolfie
Episode 36
On episode 36 of the POG-Cast, we’re talking with Wolfie about backpacking and the Outdoor Leadership Course. Wolfie led OLC trips in 2017 and 2018 and has amazing things to say about the experience for teens. We still have space in our second OLC for 2019, which you can find out more about on this page. If you would like to hear more about the OLC, you can also check out the third ever episode of this very podcast, where Soy chatted with Mac and some OLC participants about the trip. Today’s episode also features a joke about seafood and music as well as a brand new GACspiration about love.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Spotify | Email | RSS
2019 Theme: Filling Buckets
by Alison “Bean” Moeschberger
Every summer at Gold Arrow Camp, we choose a theme to guide our efforts in helping campers become the best versions of themselves. This practice started in the summer of 2012 when the staff selected “gratitude” as the guiding theme. We followed that with kindness (Cool 2B Kind), relationship building (Creating Connections), helpfulness (Give a Hand), grit (Growing Grit), positivity (The Energy Bus), and 2018’s focus on friendship (Find-a-Friend).
One thing that makes life at camp special is that we live in a community where our shared experience is derived solely from our interactions with each other. At camp, we exist in a perfect bubble, shielded from input and news from life outside of GAC. This provides us the privilege and responsibility of maintaining our own positive and encouraging atmosphere. Every interaction we have with another person is an opportunity to have a positive, negative, or neutral impact. It is easy to be too self-focused and worry about our own agenda and needs. Encouraging others and actively seeking opportunities to have a positive impact are noble challenges we are excited to embrace in our community.
In keeping with our core value of equipping campers to bring positive changes to the world, we’re proud to announce our 2019 summer theme: Filling Buckets!
Carol McCloud’s children’s book Have You Filled A Bucket Today? is our inspiration. McCloud tells the story of a young boy and the impact his kindness and encouragement have on his community. Every person carries an invisible bucket. When someone does something kind, encourages another, or helps in some way, it fills another person’s bucket. Conversely, negative interactions empty people’s buckets. In the story, the boy discovers an important truth about kindness. He realizes that when he encourages others, his own bucket is filled. We’re thrilled to make our GAC community stronger by helping campers understand that encouragement makes others feel valued. Together, we will experience the joy that comes from making others our focus.
There are many opportunities at camp to fill other people’s buckets through kindness and encouragement. Filling Buckets means using our words and actions to show how much we care:
- Sharing a heartfelt smile
- Greeting each other by name
- Helping others without being asked
- Giving sincere compliments
- Recognizing others for bravery and achievements
- Encouraging others when they succeed and also when they’re struggling
- Elevating the needs of others above our own
- Seeking opportunities to have a positive impact on others
Filling Buckets builds on the work we’ve done in the areas of positivity, friendship, and kindness. The friendships we forge at camp are special for many reasons, and we know that keeping the focus on lifting each other up will add depth and richness to our connections. It is our sincere hope that 2019’s GAC campers will take this theme home and continue to make positive changes in their communities by being kind and encouraging with everyone they encounter. Everyone deserves a full bucket!
Enjoy this video of Monkey and Soy announcing the theme on our Facebook page.
