Episode 83: Creating a Happier World with Woody
Chuck “Woody” Radke’s GAC story began in 1990 and continues to 2025. His wife “Tahoe” (Assistant Director) and son Will (Junior Counselor) will join him at Gold Arrow Camp this summer. Woody interviewed many alumni and authored the amazing Sierra Summers book about the history of Gold Arrow Camp. He has many insights about the impact of GAC on every generation of campers and staff.
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Episode 82: Creating a Happier World with Glitter
In this episode, Audrey “Sunshine” Monke chats with Amy “Glitter” Bolton about her long career as a year-round GAC staff member serving as our Office Manager and Registrar. Glitter’s is the friendly voice most parents hear when they call the GAC office. Glitter’s GAC story started in 2001, when she joined our staff as an Office Assistant. Her six-year-old son Turner joined his mom at camp for the first time last summer.
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Episode 81: Creating a Happier World with Evergreen
In this episode, Audrey “Sunshine” Monke chats with Becky “Evergreen” Johnson about the impact Evergreen’s time as a staff member and parent have impacted her life and her career. Evergreen’s GAC story started in 1995 (30 years ago!), when she joined our staff as a Group Counselor. This summer (2025), Evergreen will be serving as a Staff Coach during staff training week (we call it “Tweek”) and Session 1.
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Episode 80: The Magic of Camp (Happy Campers Book Excerpt)
This week on the podcast we’re featuring a short excerpt from the introduction to Audrey “Sunshine” Monke’s book, Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults.
Learn about the research-based, intentional practices behind the “magic” at Gold Arrow Camp in this episode, The Magic of Summer Camp.
About Happy Campers
Why are kids more optimistic, resilient, independent, and competent
after just a few weeks at summer camp?
Why do they feel less depressed, anxious, and disconnected at camp than they do anywhere else?
Why are so many campers heartbroken when it’s time to go home?
Veteran summer camp director Audrey “Sunshine” Monke, psychologist and parenting expert, shares what she’s learned from three decades of creating a summer camp that kids call their “happy place” and “second home,” a culture where research has proven kids become happier while gaining important social and emotional skills in just two weeks.
Based on thousands of interactions with campers, camp counselors, and parents, and on academic research in positive psychology, Happy Campers introduces a framework of intentional strategies to help parents create the same kind of transformational culture that kids experience at camp. Instead of raising a generation of kids who are overwhelmed, anxious, depressed, and unable to function as independent and responsible adults, parents can create an environment at home that promotes the growth of important character traits and social skills that kids need in order to have meaningful and successful lives. Complete with specific ideas to implement these summer camp secrets at home, Happy Campers is a one-of-a-kind resource for parents wanting to raise happy, socially intelligent, successful kids.
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Episode 79: Creating a Happier World – The GAC Philosophy
Join Sunshine, Chelster, Gem & Delta for a chat about Gold Arrow Camp’s Vision, Mission, Goals. Learn about the positive habits and character traits we want our campers and staff to take with them far beyond their time at camp. Learn WHY Gold Arrow Camp exists and about the vision we have of creating a happier world, one camper at a time.
Watch a video about Gold Arrow Camp here.
Learn more about the Gold Arrow Camp philosophy here.
Hear what campers say about GAC here.
Podcast Credits
Music by Henry “Dobro” Johns
Narration (intro & outro) by Henry “Bravo” Pederson
Produced by JRS Production Creative Audio
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Episode 78: Creating a Happier World with Speed
This week on the Gold Arrow Camp Podcast, Sunshine chats with Armando “Speed” Negrete about the lasting positive impact of his experience as a GAC staff member in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The communication and leadership skills he learned at GAC are professional skills Armando uses today as a Lead Public Safety Dispatcher (9-1-1), a track and cross country running coach, and a sports photographer. Armando also shares about how the skills he learned and practiced as a Group Counselor are ones he still uses and benefits from as a parent.
“I remember how incredibly in awe I was of the camp ground,
of all the different activities that Gold Arrow Camp offers.
I was just completely awestruck.”
Armando “Speed” Negrete
Article about Armando’s return to Fresno State to get his Bachelor’s Degree
Podcast Credits
Music by Henry “Dobro” Johns
Narration (intro & outro) by Henry “Bravo” Pederson
Produced by JRS Production Creative Audio
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Episode 77: Creating a Happier World with Bagel
This week on the Gold Arrow Camp Podcast, Sunshine chats with fourteen-year veteran camper and staff member, Ben “Bagel” Bronstein about the community and positive culture that keep pulling him back for another summer at good ol’ GAC!
Bagel shares about what he enjoyed about being a camper and what he still enjoys today as a staff member.
“Especially when I came back on my own, I really realized the community I could build on my own at camp and how special it was a place to do that.”
-Bagel
Podcast Credits
Music by Henry “Dobro” Johns
Narration (intro & outro) by Henry “Bravo” Pederson
Produced by JRS Production Creative Audio
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Episode 76: Creating a Happier World with Chelster
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
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Episode 75: Creating a Happier World with Airborne
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!
5 Steps to Help Kids Resolve Conflicts, Sunshine Parenting:
Conflict Resolution Wheel
How Big is My Problem?
“Effortful Fun” Laura Vanderkam
Podcast Credits
Music by Henry “Dobro” Johns
Narration (intro & outro) by Henry “Bravo” Pederson
Produced by JRS Production Creative Audio
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Messages For An Anxious Camper
Read more of Sunshine’s camp-related posts at her website, Sunshine Parenting.
“Children want to be independent, and they realize that they cannot be truly independent until they beat homesickness, even when they have a painful case of it.”
– Michael Thompson, PhD., Homesick and Happy
Recently I spoke with a mom whose 11-year-old son is coming to camp in a few days. He’s nervous. He had a negative experience at a one-week science camp. He doesn’t think he can “make it for two weeks” and is worried he’ll be too homesick to make it at camp. I chatted with the mom and gave her some key messages to communicate to her son. She asked for them in bullet points in an email, and I thought there are probably others who might benefit from this same list, so I’m sharing this with anyone who has a child suffering from pre-camp anxiety.
Before I share my list, let me say that if you are not a camp proponent and don’t plan on sending your child to camp, you should probably not read any further. I am a huge supporter of camp and recently had a JC (Junior Counselor) tell me that “Camp made her who she is today.” So, I think that camp is a great thing for building kids’ independence and confidence. I have also seen many kids work through some pretty painful emotions at camp, so I know that camp is not easy for all kids.
We have 7-year-olds at our camp who do great during our two-week sessions. They are the ones who’ve begged their parents to let them come to camp and generally have older siblings who’ve attended camp. I also talk to a lot of parents with older kids who “aren’t sure if they’re ready for camp.” One thing I’ve learned after close to three decades at camp is that the same kids who are anxious and hesitant about going to camp when they’re nine or ten will still be anxious when they’re 13. And they may not be interested in going away to college when they’re 18, either.
So, as a parent, you need to decide how to approach your child’s separation anxiety, as well as your own. You can avoid it and not send them to camp and hope that they develop independence in other ways, which is definitely possible. Or, you can bite the bullet, give them these positive messages, and send them off to camp with a smile, knowing that it may be hard for them, but they will grow from the experience.
In Michael Thompson, PhD.’s book Homesick and Happy, he says “It is the very challenge of camp that makes it such a life-changing experience for so many children.” I know there are many parents and children who just can’t stomach the idea of going through some painful time apart. Again, you need not read further if you are not sending your reluctant child to camp.
This post is for those of you who have decided that your child is going to camp, and especially for those of you who had a previously excited camper who is now having last-minute camp anxiety. Here are some messages you can give prior to dropping your camper at the bus or at camp. Pick and choose, and of course, use your own words, but acknowledge your child’s feelings and empathize with them while holding firm in your confidence in their ability to succeed and your belief that camp will be good for them.
Without further ado, here are some messages to give to your anxious camper:
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Let them know that missing home is okay.
“You may feel homesick, and that’s okay. A lot of kids feel that way. That just means that you love us and you love home. I feel homesick when I’m on trips, too. Missing home is part of life. But I know you can still have fun at camp, even if you feel sad sometimes.”
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Reassure them that there are people at camp who will take care of their needs.
“There are adults at camp (counselors, directors) who are there to take care of you and help you with anything you need. They can help with things you normally come to me about. Let them know if you are feeling sad, and they can help you. They have lots of experience working with kids who are away from home for the first time.”
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Talk with your child honestly about the importance of starting to develop some independence.
Something along the lines of: “It may seem like a long way off, but in a few years, you’ll be ready for college. I want you to feel confident in your ability to live away from me so that you can choose any school you like, even if it’s far away from home. Think of camp like your practice time for when you’re older and ready to move away for school or a job. You’ll get better at being independent by starting now, when you’re young, with short spurts of time away. Some kids aren’t doing well when they start college because they don’t have any experience being away from home. I want you to feel great when you go to college because you’ll know that you’ve already been successful with short camp stays.”
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Share the reality that many good things in life come with some pain and failure.
If you have a story from your own life of something that you had to work hard at or had to go through difficulties in order to master, this is a great time to share. Something along the lines of, “Many good things in life aren’t easy at first. Learning a new sport or trying something new is really hard. Sometimes you have to get out of your comfort zone to discover something you really love. If you never go through anything hard, you’re going to miss out on some great experiences. The first few days of camp may be hard, and that’s okay. I know you’ll work through it and figure out what makes you feel better. I have confidence in you, and I am so proud of you for going to camp and trying this new adventure!
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Let them know that you are confident in them.
“I am so excited that you get to go to camp this year. I know it’s going to be such a great experience for you and that you are ready for this.” If you went to camp, share with your camper what you liked about it and how you grew from the experience.
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Make sure they know you want to hear about everything.
“Every day comes with its good and bad parts. When you’re at camp, I want you to write me letters and tell me all of the stuff that you’re doing and feeling. If you feel homesick at rest time, tell me about it, and also tell me what you did to help yourself. Did you talk to your counselor? Keep yourself busy playing cards with friends? Write me a letter? I also want you to share good stuff. Did you get your favorite food for lunch? Try rock climbing? Get up on a kneeboard? I want to hear both the good and bad things about camp in your letters.”
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If your camper asks you if you will pick him up if he’s sad, you need to let him know that you are not going to pick him up early.
“Even if you’re a little homesick for the whole time you’re at camp, you’re going to feel so much better about the experience if you stick it out and make the best of it. Most kids feel better after a few days of getting settled in and adjusted, and I know you’ll feel great once you let yourself relax and just start enjoying all the fun things at camp. I’m not going to pick you up early, no matter what, because I know you will feel really proud of yourself for making it through camp, even if you have some hard days.”
In Homesick and Happy, Thompson says, “Homesickness is not a psychiatric illness. It is not a disorder. It is the natural, inevitable consequence of leaving home. Every child is going to feel it, more or less, sooner or later. Every adult has had to face it and overcome it at some point in life … If you cannot master it, you cannot leave home.”
I would like to note that you do not need to use all of these messages but instead choose the ones you think will resonate most with your child. What’s most important is that you express confidence in your child and in the camp experience. These same messages would be great as responses to a sad letter you receive from your camper.
I always tell the kids that the fun and happy feelings at camp usually far outweigh any sad feelings. Many kids tell me they “don’t feel homesick at all,” but there are some who struggle, especially during their first summer. Those kids seem to grow the most and feel the most pride in their accomplishment of staying at camp. If you are feeling worried about how your child will do at camp, know that you are giving your child a precious gift by allowing them this special time where they get to grow their wings.