News

Welcome Session 1 Campers!

Welcome Session 1 Campers!

Session 1 starts now! We're so excited to welcome our Session 1 campers to camp today! This session we have campers coming from as far away as Canada and Mexico as well as representing many states! Of these campers... 53 are 1st-time campers at GAC 226 are returning campers 57 are 3-year campers 17 are 5-year campers and 2 are 10-year campers! We are so excited for the next 2 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 Session 1, Week 1 Menu

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Session 1 Plus – Shaver Week Has Begun!

Session 1 Plus – Shaver Week Has Begun!

Yesterday, we welcomed an awesome group of campers for Session 1+, which starts with a week at our Shaver Island Outpost camp. Among this group of campers, there are ten 3-year campers, two 5-year campers, and two 10-year campers.  Eight campers from outside of California.

They're going to enjoy an action-packed week of waterskiing, wakeboarding, and kneeboarding on our island outpost in the middle of Shaver Lake. They will get to sleep under the stars after spending fun-filled days on the lake! How lucky they are!

June Shaver Specialty Menu Want to learn more about June Specialty? Click here.

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How to Respond to a Homesick Letter from Your Camper

How to Respond to a Homesick Letter from Your Camper

The Sad Letter

You're anticipating with much excitement your camper's first letter from camp. It finally arrives, and this is what it says... “I want to come home!" "It's awful here." "I hate everything." "This is worse than prison." [caption id="attachment_6038" align="aligncenter" width="1166"] From: https://thoughtcatalog.com/melanie-berliet/2013/08/10-desperate-letters-i-wrote-from-sleepaway-camp-and-the-separation-anxiety-i-still-cant-shake/[/caption]

Your Options

Option #1:  Hop in your car and drive to rescue your child immediately. Option #2:  Take a deep breath and think about possible next steps.  As a veteran camp director with a lot of experience helping campers (and parents) work through the difficult transition that often accompanies being away from home, especially the first time, I would highly recommend you choose option 2. It will be better for both you and your child. Getting a sad letter from your child is difficult, but, as experienced camp parents will tell you, you should expect to receive at least one sad letter during your camper’s time at camp. Letters are usually written during quiet times when campers are feeling more reflective. Often, even when they've written a super sad letter, the camper is actually adjusting well to camp and is letting you know the emotions they felt during a particularly down time (like rest hour or bedtime).

Next Steps

If you feel uneasy after hearing from your camper, here are a few steps you can take (after your deep breaths, of course):