Ask the Director
Camp life is the Life for Me
By Summer Camp Director, Scott (Doc) Hicok
Summer has settled into a fond memory here at Camp Ocean Pines. Sitting here in the office the sounds of laughter, visions of tie-dye shirts, and occasionally a walk through the forest make me feel the need to duck and avoid flying dodge balls. I still always have an extra band-aid in my wallet; that is after all why they call me Doc.
Heading into my fourth year here at camp I can safely say that this summer was the best one yet. It was great to see so many familiar faces at camp. With many of them being here for every summer we’ve had the chance to watch them grow right along with our camp. Of course there were also many new faces who we welcomed into our camp family. I look forward to seeing them next year, commenting on their newly found height, and quickly feeling my own age!
This summer the kids who came to Camp Ocean Pines had an experience they’ll never forget, they were also a reminder of why camp life is the greatest. I was reminded every time I tried to give an “announcement”, and the whole camp exploded into our announcements song; or when the campers dressed me (unwillingly!) as a pirate to go to the beach for pirate booty dodge ball. But more than anything else, camp life is so great because the connections made between friends, between counselors, and how each child seemed to grow just a little in their short time with us.
Summer camp can mean many different things to many different people and deciding what marks a successful summer camp can be equally hard to pin down. Here at Camp Ocean Pines we measure the success of summer camp in laughter and song, in new experiences, in friendships and connections, in the awe inspired by nature, and of course in the stories that campers take home to their parents. With that as our measure, Summer Camp 2009 was a resounding success!
So as I step into our newly created role of full-time Summer Camp Director I know how lucky I am. Camp life truly is the life for me, and I hope to share another fantastic camp experience with campers in Summer 2010!
Camp Ocean Pines gets better every year, and next summer should be our best yet! Here are some of our plans next summer:
-
Leadership: Scott Hicok (Doc) will be
the Summer Camp Director, assisted by many returning counselors. This
will be his 4th summer at Camp Ocean Pines, and he is excited about serving
your kids. He doesn't just think of your child as a number. In
fact, he shared his beliefs with me the other day:
I believe that youth who have positive experiences with their peers in an outdoor environment will grow to become more environmentally and socially aware individuals. I believe that by challenging and stretching youth, they grow in confidence and self-awareness and are more likely to be positive and active members of society.My goal is to create an environment where youth can have new and challenging experiences, make and maintain lasting relationships, and be a part of a community that strives to have a positive impact on the world environmentally and socially.
- Schedule: We will again follow the pattern of a week here at our site, followed by a campout. We will be repeating the Big Sur campout, and are working out campsite details for the Morro Bay and Yosemite campout (the "Morro Bay" campout may be held in Montana de Oro, just a few miles south of Morro Bay, and we're trying to get the Yosemite campout closer to the valley). We will be adding some "Family Camp" weekends, and perhaps a whole week of family camp at the end of summer. Ben and Martha are investigating sites to hold a snorkeling camp in the Caribbean for older kids, and we are leading a few backpack trips in Yosemite and Kings Canyon! We will again be having a Counselor In Training (CIT/Jr Counselor) program with a few adjustments.
- Cost: We are evaluating costs, and may need to have a small increase in the cost of camp (we haven't raised the price in 4 years), UNLESS we get a whole lot of kids signing up! Tell your friends so we can save money on marketing and keep the price the same!
- We will be publishing the final dates and costs in before thanksgiving - in time for you to give a week of camp as a Christmas present!
