Episode 93: Growing at GAC with Vision
Join Sunshine’s conversation with Luke “Vision” Beshoff, the Rock Climbing and Ropes Course Program Head this summer. Vision started as a camper at GAC in 2012 and has now been on staff for four summers. 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.
Related
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Spotify | Email | RSS
Welcome Session 3 Campers!
We’re so excited to welcome our Session 3 campers to camp today! This session we have campers from Canada, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and from twelve states outside of California (Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming)!
Of these campers…
83 are 1st time campers at GAC
231 are returning campers
48 are 3-year campers
25 are 5-year campers
and 1 10-year camper!
Session 3 Outpost & Events Schedule
There’s always something going on at camp, whether that’s a cabin theme day, a backpacking trip or a visit to Shaver Island! Check out the outpost schedule below to see where each cabin is going this session.
Episode 92: The Positive Impact of Camp with Echo
Cady “Echo” Latt shares her GAC story, which started back in 2008 when she attended a one week “Nuggets” program after she had finished Kindergarten. After 10 years as a camper, Echo joined as a Junior Counselor. She’s now in her 5th year on staff. This year, Echo joins Sneaks in heading up our Junior Counselor Program.
In this longer conversation than our typical podcast chat, Echo and Sunshine talk about the benefits of camp, how camp has shaped her, and how much teens especially benefit from time at camp.
Related
Five Reasons Every Teen Should Go To Summer Camp
Dancing and the Brain (Harvard Medical School)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Spotify | Email | RSS
Episode 91: Getting Outside with Boulder
Fifth year camp staff member and 2025 Head Counselor, Boulder, talks about his experience as a camper at GAC and his love of backpacking and being outdoors that has developed as a result of his time at camp. Since one of our GAC core values is “Connecting with Nature,” it’s great to hear about the impact GAC has had on Boulder’s love of the outdoors.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Spotify | Email | RSS
Today’s Friendship Tip: Find Your Best Calm Down Strategy
Today at Morning Assembly, we talked about the important skill of learning to “unflip our lids” by figuring out our go-to calm down strategies for when we’re feeling irritated, frustrated, annoyed, or angry with our friends. We talked about how it’s important to learn how to “unflip our lids” when we’re upset.
Flipping Your Lid
We talked with campers about how sometimes we “Flip our Lids” and how being a good friend to others means learning good strategies for calming ourselves down so that we can interact with our friends in ways that build up – not tear down – our friendships. We talked about how when our lids are flipped, our thinking brain isn’t in charge and we’re being led by our big feelings. When our lids are flipped, we often say or do things that make our friends feel bad and that we later regret.
We shared our brief summary of Dr. Dan Siegel’s Hand Brain Model with campers:
And we’ve shared this poster with campers so they can see a visual about a flipped verses unflipped brain.
Calm Down Strategies
We then had campers share their favorite calm-down strategies, and they had so many! We also shared this poster with more ideas:
Session 2 Outpost & Events Schedule
There’s always something going on at camp, whether that’s a cabin theme day, a backpacking trip or a visit to Shaver Island! Check out the outpost schedule below to see where each cabin is going this session.
Welcome Session 2 Campers!
We’re so excited to welcome our Session 2 campers to camp! This session we have campers here from all over the United States, and even France, Spain, and Mexico! Of these campers…
95 are 1st time campers at GAC
210 are returning campers
38 are 3-year campers
27 are 5-year campers
and 1 are 10-year campers!
We are so excited for the next two weeks that will be spent hiking, singing songs, waterskiing, campfires and so much more! Make sure to keep up with everything going on at camp through our News section and the Campanion App!
What are we eating this week? Check out the week’s menu!
Episode 90: The GAC Experience with Punkie
Paige “Punkie” McKee reflects on her five years as a camper and five years (including this summer) on staff at Gold Arrow Camp. She reflects on the impact of her camp experiences and how the independence and adventure she experienced at camp has helped her pursue an equally adventurous adulthood. This summer, Punkie is leading the Media Team (photographers and videographer). We talk about some of the behind-the-scenes work that goes into posting all those great photos parents get to see while their camper is at GAC!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Spotify | Email | RSS
Teaching Teamwork
“No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it.” -H.E. Luccock
In this competitive, self-focused era, learning to be part of a team is a valuable skill that is not often taught to children (or adults!). Kids participate on many sports teams, but often that experience does not end up being a lesson in teamwork. Instead, sports teams often become a competitive experience of trying to get the position or play time they want as an individual.
One reason for our focus on non-competitive activities at GAC is so that kids can learn new skills without feeling the pressure to win or be the best. We also want kids to learn to be part of a team (their cabin group) and be better team members. The experience of living with a group of diverse people in a cabin group is the first lesson in teamwork that campers learn. Campers learn to work together to keep their living area organized, do daily clean up, and get to where they need to be (meals, activities, etc.). They also learn to support and encourage each other and help each cabin member do their best at each activity.
During the first few days of camp, each of our cabin groups goes through a “Team Building” program led by our trained ropes course staff. During a variety of games and activities, the campers learn to work together to accomplish tasks that they can only perform as a group. They learn about listening, leadership, and how to work through conflicts. The communication skills they learn at Team Building are used throughout camp. Lessons like taking turns when talking, sharing leadership, and planning before doing are all teamwork skills that campers can take home with them.
- To help them see how they contribute to their team and what special skills they bring to the group.
- To teach them to communicate well as a team, including how to brainstorm without judgment, listen to others’ ideas, and work through conflicts.
- To focus on how they can be good friends to their cabin mates.
