News

Episode 76: Creating a Happier World with Chelster

March 17, 2025

We're continuing our podcast series on Creating a Happier World with Sunshine's chat with our beloved Director of Camper and Parent Services, Chelsea "Chelster" Rowe. Chelster shares her GAC story and many insights about camp. Chelster has been on the Year-Round team at GAC for almost four decades and has experienced being a camper, staff member, director, camper parent, and staff parent! Chelster talks about the importance of the GAC community, how much she enjoys getting to know campers and their parents, and how meaningful her career at camp has been. She also talks about some of the benefits of camp, including the increased confidence campers gain from trying new things, being independent from parents, learning to advocate for themselves, talking to adults other than their parents, and making decisions on their own.

Podcast Credits

Music by Henry "Dobro" Johns Narration (intro & outro) by Henry "Bravo" Pederson Produced by JRS Production Creative Audio

Episode 75: Creating a Happier World with Airborne

March 10, 2025

Welcome to the Gold Arrow Camp Podcast's 2025 Season! We're kicking off the season with a series on "Creating a Happier World," because our vision at GAC is to create a happier world, one camper at a time. In this episode, Audrey "Sunshine" Monke chats with Aaron "Airborne" Johnson about many topics related to creating and being part of positive communities for kids. Airborne's GAC story started back in 1999, when he joined our staff as a Group Counselor. This summer (2025), he'll be at our Shaver Island outpost camp during Session #2, serving as our Shaver Host. In the role of Shaver Host, Airborne provides leadership and support for our campers and staff while they're on Shaver Island, which is about 20 minutes from our "Main Camp" location on Huntington Lake. When he's not at GAC, Airborne serves as principal of Ironwood Elementary School in Tucson, Arizona.

Resources Discussed

Sunshine & Chelster's Parent Orientation that includes information about parent expectations, reviewing camper standards of behavior, camper medications, communication during your camper’s stay at GAC, and more!

• Parent Orientation (video)
• Parent Orientation (audio only)

5 Steps to Help Kids Resolve Conflicts, Sunshine Parenting: Conflict Resolution Wheel How Big is My Problem? Kelso's Choices "Effortful Fun" Laura Vanderkam

Podcast Credits

Music by Henry "Dobro" Johns Narration (intro ... Read more

2025 Theme: Try Something New

February 5, 2025

  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 ... Read more

Helping GAC Families

February 3, 2025

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 ... Read more