Dispatches from Y Camp: Director Bob Sellinger

During this historic Grand Opening year at YMCA Camp: Horsethief Reservoir, we are asking campers and staffers to share their experiences with parents, camp alumni, prospective campers and other blog readers. Today, we hear from Camp and Leadership Development Director Bob Sellinger:

Well, here we are entering our last week of the 2010 season! And what a summer it has been! Over 1,200 campers total, including 140 this week. What an unbelievable way to open such an amazing facility that so many have given their time, money, resources, expertise and love to make possible.

This week, we have Youth Campers ages 7-12, Rangers ages 13-17, LITs ages 15-17, and our Teen Adventure group (Choose Your Adventure) ages 11-14. Youth campers will receive their Camptivity assignments this chilly morning and spend time with their cabin group before lunch taking hikes, swimming, bike riding, practicing teambuilding activities and climbing the rock tower. Our rangers will be finishing some projects, like our group meeting area benches and limb clearing, which is part of our fire management plan on our property. And the LITs will begin planning some special activities for youth cabins that will happen later in the week.

Last night, campers ran crazy in our all-camp game Smugglers and Sneakers, collecting marker colors and avoiding the dreaded biffers. We also held our opening campfire ceremony where Jayden (first-year 7-year-old camper) got to add the ashes from fires before and Monty (sixth-year ranger camper) had the honor of lighting the ceremonial first fire. (Each week the youngest camper adds the ashes and the longest returning camper lights it.) All in all, it was a high-energy, smile-filled opening to our finally camp of the 2010 season. We thank all the parents who have chosen to give their children the incredible gift of camp this summer!