ErnstLIFE is good.

At the end of summer 2022, we dedicated “The Q”—a brand new outdoor amphitheater at camp!

The gift of this amphitheater actually started before I was born. In the 1960s, the donor (Bill) had been identified by his elementary school principal to receive a scholarship to attend Camp Ernst. He returned for many summers, bringing his younger brother (Jim) along, and both of them eventually working their way to spending their summers on staff. The relationships built through their summers at camp carried both Bill and Jim through high school, college, and careers launched across the country.

In October, 2021, Jim passed away suddenly. Bill called me at camp and said he would like to build an outdoor theater in Jim’s memory. Just the week before, I had pointed out the future amphitheater spot to my husband saying, “Wouldn’t this sloping area be great for an amphitheater? This is going to be my next capital project to raise money for!” Bill and I connected on this amazing coincidence and immediately went to work.

By Spring we had broken ground and Bill had shepherded several large gifts, including his own, to support the project. At Labor Day Weekend Family Camp we dedicated “The Q” (for Jim’s nickname “Quinn”) with camp friends and family from all over the country. The event was a celebration of Jim’s life and full of camp memories from the 60s and 70s. The alumni enjoyed seeing each other again after so many years and catching up on the newest developments at camp.

Already this fall, Bill and I have been talking about the next “phase” of the project: how to add bathrooms nearby. (Bill refers to this as “THE LOO AT THE Q”) It is an incredible gift to work with such a gracious and willing donor. I am grateful for the camp directors of the 60s and 70s, cultivating the environment which allowed Bill to shine and sparked his commitment to camp for decades to come. I hope that the community I am leading here in the 2020s will yield friends of camp committed to continuing its mission fifty years from now!

Ernstlove,

Not only growing up living at camp, but growing up going to camp regularly of course, I have a favorite place at camp. People say that it’s not the place it’s the people, but I think moreso it’s the place that holds the people. The 365 acres make me think of the 365 plus people camp holds every week. Everyone is different, different backgrounds, different stories, and you only know as much as they tell you. 

For me, the valley, in specific center campus and the memorial, have my heart. I’m sure those spots hold countless people’s hearts and memories. Starting as a young, young child I can remember the walk across center campus with my mom and Megan to go to the campfire. 

I remember hanging out with cabins thinking how I couldn’t wait to be in one myself, then I was! I remember going to vespers with my mom looking at all the valley campers thinking they looked so old, then suddenly i was sitting there doing my own devotion with the 10 girls in my cabin who I still remember today.

When I was younger, I was full on camp girl, always. I took advantage of every single perk of that! Everyone knew me and I knew everyone. 

When I got a bit older I realized I wasn’t sure if I liked everyone knowing me. I started over-thinking everything, thinking that people just wanted to be my friend because of my mom. I felt like I had to make my own name for myself. When it was my crew year (last year) and it came time for me to go, all I worried about was people finding out who my mom was. Looking back I find it ridiculous that that was my main concern. 

When I finally realized at a weekend camp that no one cares who my mom is, they care who I am, that made me completely open up and make new friends that I now talk to everyday. I am back to the camp girl Kara that I was in my younger years. I always was her; she just went in hibernation for a couple years. 

I now am sitting here in my happy place thinking about how excited I am for this place I get to call home become home for all my new and old friends. I get that same giddy feeling I did when I was 6 with it being this close to camp. 

I have a necklace with the coordinates of center campus. I wanted the valley to be with me everywhere. When you stand at the memorial you feel on top of the world, you feel almighty. Sitting down in the center of the valley you feel hugged by everything around you, it swallows you up. So when I feel alone I think about my favorite 365 acres, my safe space, and carry my light everywhere I go.

See you soon! 

                          xoxo & ernst love, 

                                    kara jane

Today I got asked to answer these questions for an upcoming magazine article about camp--sharing my answers here, too! (BRING ON SUMMER!)

1.     Sleep away camp is a great way for kids to meet friends and build independence - in addition, what is the BIG purpose behind sleep away camps?  

Overnight camping started in the late 1800s as a movement to get kids out of the industrial/city environment and back to the fresh air of nature. In many ways the purpose is the same today—unplug and connect with each other, oneself, and nature, while building leadership, friendship, and confidence.

 2.     Why do parents and kids choose sleep away camp over local camps or why do they choose sleep away in general (some do both!)

Going to camp really is the best way to get out of your comfort zone and into the “challenge zone”—while being supported by enthusiastic role models (cool camp counselors) to try new things and celebrate achievements in a community where you belong. Parents, too, need camp—as a break from scheduling, cleaning, driving, etc, and can benefit from the taste of independence their camper gains from camp.

 3.     What are some of the main reasons you find that kids love sleep away camp? How have you seen kids grow/change from when they came to when they left? 

Kids come for the first time for the exciting activities and love to return year after year for the friendship and acceptance. I have seen kids grow leaps and bounds in confidence, self-advocacy, leadership, self-awareness, curiosity, and so much more!

 4.     Name some challenges kids face in sleep away camp, and how have you seen them overcome them?

Most of the challenges come from having to navigate advocating for themselves. At home and at school they have their family and their teacher. At camp they have to quickly figure out how to find the trusted adult and let them know what problem they are having, from feeling a little homesick to getting annoyed with another camper, or simply not liking what’s served for dinner! This is a critical turning point in a kid’s life and so empowering—when they can learn to identify their needs and speak up for themselves and affect change on their own.

 5.     If you had to explain to a parent who is new to sleep away camps what they are and are REALLY about, what would you say? What other advice can you give to parents wanting to know more about sleep away camps? 

Camp is youth development at its finest and camps are ready to partner with parents in this great adventure of raising empathetic, curious, kind kids!

This is the email I  was going to send:

Dear Camp Families,

THANK YOU for all of  your generosity so far this fall! We have already received several items from  our AMAZON WISHLIST  and we are excited to get our ranch and program closets stocked early for  2022! On this GIVING TUESDAY, please add one of our wishlist items to your  Amazon cart and send it our way.

Ernstlove,

Eli

*****

But then I got  inspired...

Among the dozens of  Giving Tuesday appeals I received today, the one that prompted my immediate  response of a "click" and "donate" was from Camp Stomping Ground, a new, special camp in New York with a fresh take on  community, friendship, and living with empathy. Laura, one of their founders,  wrote that Giving Tuesday is about "...celebrating the individual donors and small donations  that make up a larger movement of giving and generosity. A worldwide movement  that proves generosity is infinite."

I love that  sentiment! And I love hearing so many messages today about all the PURE GOOD  in the world that Non-profits are creating with the help of generous donors.

*****

...And that leads me  to this story

Late in the  afternoon I received an email from my dear friend, Julie. She and I met as  campers and worked as counselors together at Camp Ernst in the early 90s (see  photos below, straight from my scrapbook!). She now lives with her family  outside Philly and works for Visa. In addition to being one of my personal  cheerleaders, she has been a faithful supporter of our camper scholarship fund  for many years.

 Along with Julie's  generous Giving Tuesday gift, she shared an email that she sent her  team at Visa:

 I grew up going to  YMCA Camp Ernst as a summer camper, and eventually became a Counselor. During my 10+ years there, I learned a lot about  independence, and leadership, and  serving others. I also made lifelong friends, one of whom is now the Executive Director  of camp (!), so I know firsthand that it is still as magical now as it was then. In the past, right before each summer, I  used to make a donation equal to the cost of one  week of camp in order to sponsor a child who would otherwise be unable to afford the  experience. I eventually increased that to two weeks. 

Now, with the Visa  match, my donation covers more than 4 weeks of camp, and that means  that 4 kids are going to have life-changing experiences this coming summer.

 Think about your own  “Camp Ernst” and let Visa help you make an impact there.

 Happy Giving  Tuesday!

Julie

Horses have long been a part of the Camp Ernst experience. The connection between a child and a horse is amazing to watch. Working with horses can build confidence and mental muscle as well as improve balance, flexibility, and physical strength.

At Camp Ernst’s ranch, we rely on philanthropy in several ways to expand impact.

Last winter we launched an Amazon Wishlist where dozens of camp families purchased horse feed supplements, bridles, and other riding gear to benefit our ranch program.

We have several regular donors who make sure that campers who attend on fee assistance also get the chance to participate in ranch camp or a trail ride.

We also host a growing number of volunteers each year. Our beloved regular volunteer, Pat, spends 15 hours a week here cleaning stalls and feeding horses. Corporate volunteer groups have made a huge dent in our to-do list this year, having spent many hours clearing and painting pasture fences.

Camp counselors in 2021 had an enormous challenge: help campers connect with each other after most (both children and counselors!) had not been together in school in more than a year.

Weekly camper surveys consistently reported that campers’ favorite things about their week were the zipline, banana boat, and their counselors.

Positive comments from camp parents emphasized that this summer was a particular gift to their families. One parent wrote in, “Check-in and check-out were handled so smoothly and made us feel so comfortable leaving our kids with you for the week. Our 12-year-old daughter was really impacted by the evening activities that included reflection and sharing. Our 10-year-old daughter loved that her counselor sang to them each night at bedtime. (I teared up when she told me this because I expected her to be a little lonely at that time or have trouble falling asleep. This is such a loving touch.) I can't wait to send our girls back next year!”

Counselors were able to adapt to COVID protocols while maintaining beloved camp traditions. Campers enjoyed Opening Campfire with skits and songs, classic evening programs like CHAOS, Thursday night camp dance (now known as the “Camp Ernst Party”), and of course Closing Campfire on Friday nights.

This year the Recht family, longtime campers and dedicated donors, established a resource to provide campers with items essential for their safe enjoyment of camp. Brothers Davis and Jackson Recht, current and  former camp staff, respectively, came up with the idea after recognizing the need. As camp counselors, they knew that some campers came without enough tshirts, right-sized shoes, a pillow, or a toothbrush. They wanted to make it easier for the counselors to do their job of helping campers have a great time and make new friends. Thus, “PROJECT CAMPFIRE” was born!

Davis and Jackson worked with their mom, Stephanie, to secure donations of clothing and toiletries from local charity Care Closet. They also raised money through tshirt sales and private donations to fund purchases of much-needed sleeping bags and pillows. All summer, the Recht family responded to requests from camp counselors for camper items from shower shoes to body wash, and sweatshirts to water bottles. The results were incredible.

Throughout the summer, Project Campfire wrote more than 250 letters to campers, provided more than 700 items to campers. BIG CAMP CLAP for this amazing illustration of volunteerism in action!

Against the odds, with great effort and support from a superior team, more than 3500 campers and 300 staff enjoyed a summer experience at Camp Ernst with no reported cases of COVID!

Throughout the spring, we worked with a Medical Advisory Committee led by our longtime camp physician, local pediatrician Chris Cunha. Our camp nurses and other medical professionals familiar with the camp operation joined the team to help shape our Camp Ernst-specific policies under the guidelines of the local Health Department and CDC. The result was a much-needed summer of reconnection for all.

Campers from all walks of life were thrilled to be back at camp, experiencing community in the outdoors, and playing together. Camp counselors embraced the challenge of constant hand sanitizing, mask reminders, and limiting group mixing. Food service changed from the traditional “family style” meals to more of a cafeteria-type serving line. Sunday camper check in was faster and more centralized, allowing parents to stay at the car to say their goodbyes.

The best news is that overall, the outcomes of the camp experience did not suffer! Campers still had fun, learned new skills, acted silly, made new friends, and felt a sense of belonging as they connected with their camp counselors and navigated the week of camp activities with their cabinmates.

We are so grateful for the hard work of our camp staff and the financial support of our camp donors who made summer 2021 another successful one!

dear ernst,

 there's something so magical about finally

pulling into the camp ernst property looking

across the lake at what will be your home for

the next week. you are ready to make

memories that will last you a lifetime.

 something so special about camp ernst is that

i never think a year can get better after the

last. but that is the complete opposite actually.

you are welcomed by so many friendly faces at

opening camp fire and you brace yourself for a

week that will fly by in the blink on and eye.

 i've always heard my counselors say that crew will

forever be their favorite year at camp and i

never understood why. all you do is clean

toilets and mop the floor. how could that be

fun?

 well week 5 of summer 2021 gave me the

answer to that question.

 it's sunday afternoon and you just finished

the hassle of making your

bed trying to stand on the ladder of your top

bunk. you take a deep breath and open the

door to your yurt ready to begin the best week

of your life.

 you gather on the pav to figure out

which kitchen you will be spending your week

in. you see your name under the valley

category and smile in relief that you got where

you wanted to be.

 When you are on crew you

will form strong bonds with everyone in your

kitchen by sunday night. When you are working

together with your kitchen you learn to use

each other to get the job done.

 when you are

on crew you gain respect from those who see

all the hard work you do. having a positive

mindset about the work you will do is so

necessary for a fun week.

 when you hear music you need to get up and

dance because the energy will bounce off your

fellow crewies and soon enough you will have the whole

dining hall on tables screaming taylor swift as

you laugh at all the pots and pans you still

have to clean.

 being on crew gives you responsibilities that

will test your hard work

and dedication.

 crew isn't all about work work

work because you also get to experience all

the traditional camp activities that you would

as a younger camper. whether it's playing tips

as the lake view pool or pushing each other off

the rocket on the lake.

 your kitchen will become your best friends

before you know it.

 as friday rolls around the tears begin to fall.

you wake up knowing this is your last year ever

being a camp ernst camper. the day goes by

quickly and soon enough your walking into the

dining hall to serve your last meal.

 you take a seat at the table just to hear your favorite

camp song come on. you find yourself crying

while staring at your shirt that is now covered

in wet tear marks. you look over to see one of

your new best friends crying as well. as

campers come to eat you continue to cry and

soon enough the whole crew is letting their

emotions loose.

 you have counselors and e-teamers giving you

hugs and telling you they

appreciate all that you have done for them all

week. your eyes now burn as you walk back up

camelback for the last night after a meal.

 You are now standing at closing campfire singing

"I will remember camp ernst for a long long time" you look

around to see the wonderful people you have

met. it's now time for the last crew devotion.

you sit crisscross applesauce as your body is

exhausted from a week’s worth of hard work

and a day full of tears.

 the counselors start

singing "today," "leaving on a jet plane" and

"never grow up." you sit there remembering the

week you just had and the memories that will

never fade.

 as you get into your bunk for the

last time you think to yourself "this is

goodnight and not goodbye" and you ponder

over the fact that you came to make friends and left with a family

                 -kenzie

Do you have a go-to comfort food from this past year of pandemic?

For me, it’s grilled swiss and homemade tomato soup.

Grilled cheese is, of course, the classic camp girl meal…and the swiss cheese just dresses it up a bit. Sometimes I use a huge loaf of bakery bread for maximum doughy, cheesy goodness.

But this summer, SWISS CHEESE at camp is not the edible kind.

SWISS CHEESE is our illustration for the various layers of “Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions” (NPIs) we will institute to reduce the spread of COVID at camp.

The epidemiologists who have been advising the camp community in the past year have been talking about these swiss cheese layers over and over again. The layers metaphor helps to emphasize the need for multiple NPIs, as no one strategy alone has been proven to be effective against the spread. Rather, we need multiple NPIs, layered on top of one another, to keep our camp community safe this summer.

You know how swiss cheese has holes in it? Well, if you layer the slices of swiss carefully, you can cover the holes of one slice with another slice. That’s how the NPIs are designed to work.

The most popular and effective NPIs according to the research are:

1)MASKING

2)DISTANCING

3)OUTDOOR AIR

4)HAND HYGEINE

And we are ready to embrace all of them! (in addition to a few others, including adapted programming, smaller group sizes to assist with contact tracing, symptom screening, and sanitizing)

The biggest question on the minds of some folks seems to be, “Will this still be camp if we are wearing masks and doing activities in smaller groups?”

We are finally able to say…YES!

The counselors are ready to get back to facilitating friendships and fun. Our admin team is all scheduled up with logistics and procedures ready to go. Our camp nurses are gathering on Zoom several times before summer to ensure the health centers are ready for action. The property staff has been cutting a LOT of grass. Volunteers have been out here cleaning cabins. The pools are scheduled to be filled, the new ropes course equipment is ordered, we have some new cabins, a new archery range, art deck-o, corcl cove, and beach sand on-order.

Before we know it, campers will be here. We will need day campers and overnight campers to be vigilant about their health prior to camp and prepared to comply with the swiss cheese model of NPIs, none of which negates the fun of camp.

After 20+months without being together around the campfire, being just six feet apart will feel like nothing!

And the confidence, courage, sense of belonging, achievement, and friendships built at camp this summer are sure to last a lifetime.

What day is grilled cheese day?

See you soon! Ernstlove,

The following is excerpted from Camp Counselor Barath Vrishabhendra’s recent paper for English class. Barath is a sophomore at the University of Kentucky.

“You should definitely sign up, it’ll be worth it”, my friends told me. 

Before then, I had done only day camps, or at most a single night stay. My older brother had never even done overnight camp. For these reasons and many more, I was extremely hesitant. But it seemed like such a good opportunity, and I suffered from F.O.M.O., or the “fear of missing out”, too much not to go.

I distinctly remember the thirty-minute drive feeling like hours. I started getting extremely nervous and told my parents I did not want to go anymore. We got to Cabin I, my cabin, a cool half-wooden, half-metal place where the older campers got to stay for the week. I unloaded my tub full of clothes and essentials, made my little twin bed, and got ready to endure the week’s festivities.

The next week, my mom and dad drove up at around 10am, looking for me in the mess of 14-year-olds running around everywhere. I ran up to them, looking tired, but high on the adrenaline from the past week. The entire car ride home I told my parents about all the new things I got to do: go ziplining, ride horses, go down a 100-foot water slide, along with an endless amount of other things. I made a hundred new friends, all from different backgrounds, from all different sides of the country. I remember the weather being perfect the entire week, which added to the euphoria.

Fast forward... (now as a counselor) I have had over 200 campers, ages ranging 6 to 14, from all different corners of the tri-state. I have worked side-by-side with amazing people from whom I have learned valuable life-long teachings, and people who have left a lasting impression on me. This is what made leaving this summer incredibly bittersweet. On one hand, it was very difficult to let go of the childhood memories I had created at this place. It had opened me up to new opportunities, growth, and friendship. On the other hand, I was eager to take the treasures I had gained and move forward in life reminiscing on a place I once called home.

I wanted to use my narrative and my years of experience at a summer camp to stress the benefits for children at these particular camps. The ACA, or American Camp Association, highlighted four “C’s” as areas of growth when in a camp community, these being compassion, contribution, commitment, and character.

 Kids learn compassion for other people, animals, and wildlife, being in a mostly outdoor space for over a week with their peers. This compassion is a cornerstone in their growth as individuals and will define their character for many years to come.

Regarding contribution, teamwork is a key aspect of childhood summer camp, and working as a cabin allows for collaboration from every team member. There is a sense of belonging on these teams and will show that every person has a contribution to a cause. 

Commitment is the third “C” and refers to the dedication a child has to a place and an activity. This helps children discover their love for the camp experience and drives them to become counselors and staff members. They become people who want to pass their positive childhood experiences onto children and want them to continue the cycle. 

And finally, character. Character is who we are to others. As children, we are not aware that the character we have represents us as a whole and can be perceived negatively and positively. At camp, we learn to interact with others, develop our character, and treat everyone with the kindness and worth they deserve. Character combines compassion, contribution, and commitment, as well as many other factors that give a summary of ourselves.

Every person who comes through a summer camp has something new to offer, and children are the greatest benefactors. Being in their formative years, summer camps allow for new and exciting experiences to help shape a child’s future and allows them to consider others in addition to themselves.

Parents sometimes do not have a full understanding of the benefits that a summer camp gives to a child. The old joke is that they are sending their kid away for a week so they can avoid responsibilities and relax. However, the advantages are vast. 

The Journal of Youth Development, or JYD, conducted a study titled “Understanding the Role of Summer Camps in the Learning Landscape”…to find attribution between experience at summer camp to development as an adult. Individuals who were in one of these (camp) programs at an earlier age reported a higher level of independence, responsibility, appreciation for difference, and teamwork. “This study reaffirms that camp is an important learning setting and that many of the outcomes associated with camp participation last into adulthood”. So, even according to scientific research and data collection from hundreds of unrelated people, the answer is always the same.

If I could sum up this essay with a letter inspiring parents to send their children to a summer camp for at least one week a summer, I think it would read something like this:

Parents, as a previous camper and staff member at a summer camp, I know first-hand that your child is the most important thing to you. It can be difficult to let strangers take care of your child for a week in the middle of the woods with 300 children they have never met before.

Additionally, it is hard to realize the true benefit of a summer camp before sending your child. I am here to tell you: it is the greatest thing that ever happened to me. 

Going to a summer camp gave me a sense of belonging and acceptance. It was able to broaden my horizons and allow me to try things I would never have dared to do. It allowed me to open myself up to new people, and realize they are not as scary as they seem. It gave me the greatest job I have ever had. 

Your child will be able to do all this, then continue to share it with future campers. They will carry the learning objectives of teamwork and contribution with them fully throughout their lives. They will develop an appreciation for nature, history, and sociology. 

Lastly, and most importantly, it will make them a better person, and teach them that one’s character is their greatest asset. 

With thanks to GoCampPro.com and Blacklivesmatteratcamp.com for organizing this event throughout the US and Canada and providing language, reach, and resources

Today, Camp Ernst stands with camps all over the country in affirming that Black lives matter. We are committed to the on-going work of eliminating structural racism and white supremacy within camping and Camp Ernst. We commit to advancing on this journey through action. We welcome and need the help of our community in our journey. See Eli’s reflection from June on the work ahead of us. Below are few steps that we are currently taking to do better as we prepare for Summer 2021.

 -      Collecting demographics and segmenting survey data to better understand how groups of individuals with different identities and races experience camp.

-      Continuous review of traditions and rituals at camp, adjusting programs and operations to better reflect the range of cultures present in our community.

-      Launching a Staff and alumni/volunteer collaboration to develop and implement strategies that more strongly support Camp Ernst campers, families, and staff of color for Summer 2021 and beyond. (This will include engaging community stakeholders with a broad range of skills, perspectives, and connections-- critical to strengthening camp’s impact, including our work to address structural racism.

Don’t All Lives Matter?

Yep. When we say proudly that “Black Lives Matter,” we are not diminishing the value of all lives. For all lives to truly matter, Black lives must matter. Long-term, meaningful, positive change requires actions and changes from as many people and institutions as possible.

Why this public announcement today?

Many of our camping colleagues around the continent are coming together on social media today to highlight our commitment to affirm Black lives. We know a social media post doesn’t equal action. We will continue to collaborate across camps, in the recreation industry, and in youth development to make a difference in the lives of our campers, staff, and families.

Why are people getting political at camp?

Not political— HUMAN.

Camps have the power to improve the lives of our communities. The Y has a long history of local, state, and national legislative advocacy. This work and affirming that Black lives matter is not a partisan message or in service to a particular political party. Working together towards justice and caring for others is something that all people- camp people especially- can and should engage in.

Ernstlove,

I sat down to write a blog entry about teenagers. I have started this paragraph eight times. I am struggling to find the words to express the awe and fascination I have with these young people who keep me going.

I even googled: “amazing quotes about teenagers.” Unsurprisingly, it yielded nothing useful.

Here’s the thing: I am simultaneously intimidated by, fascinated by, inspired by, motivated by, scared of, and proud of teenagers.

And this complicated feeling has been the driving passion behind the eighteen years I have spent as a camp director.

When I first came back to work at camp I had been a stay-at-home mom for almost three years to my twin toddler sons and my sister-in-law, a teenager. Despite having a teenager in my house, the thing I worried most about in coming back to camp was all the teenagers. I said to one friend, “What if they don’t think I’m cool?” She shut that right down: “Teenagers don’t think anyone is cool, Elizabeth. You’ll be fine.”

OH.

That didn’t keep me from purchasing a subscription to “TEEN PEOPLE MAGAZINE” from the fundraising sale of the (teenage) girl who lived next door.

Fast forward eighteen years to today, and I have not stopped being blown away by the genius, depth, creativity, passion, and heart-centeredness of the thousands of teenagers I have encountered at camp.

Sure, there is self-centeredness. There is rule-breaking and bad decision-making. There is heartache, pettiness, and even dishonesty.

But the positives FAR OUTWEIGH the negatives.

There is a clear desire to be recognized as having a meaningful contribution to the universe. And where better to receive that recognition than at camp?

I will never forget one conversation I had with a teenage staff member: “Eli, everywhere else in the world we don’t matter. At camp, we have a purpose.”

There’s beautiful magic when a formerly wily teenger, given a few “second” chances, turns into a highly-regarded twenty-something unit leader. Or when I watch a camp counselor lead a song to 500 campers and remember her from her crew year, timid and unsure whether she wanted to stay at camp.

And this past nine months of pandemic life have showed me some amazing resilience of the teenagers in my camp orbit.

This past summer we ran a small day camp to fill the child care void for the local community. Over the course of the summer, about 20 teenagers volunteered their time to help support the tired, overstretched camp counselor staff. These teens sanitized, wore masks, and helped the activities run. They saved our summer.

In August an especially impressive group of teenagers (about 50 of them!) formed the 2020-2021 Camp Ernst Junior Board. I have had the privilege of watching them create projects, committees, run meetings, communicate plans, and drum up volunteers for all kinds of random things I have needed help with these last few months. Each month I get on a zoom call with them and just watch them go! They are fun, funny, efficient, organized—just amazing!

So far this year they’ve written Thank you cards to the 500+ families who donated their camp fees in 2020, starred in a camp segment for a virtual YMCA Healthy Kids Day event, volunteered to clean the mountain bikes, volunteered at camp family days, raised more than $2000 in the fall merch sale, and much more. All their meetings have been online and they communicate using GroupMe. They work hard to distribute the work and make sure everyone is included.

These teenagers are going to change the world. Actually, they already are.

Join them on Saturday Nov 21 for their first LIVESTREAM “FALLING INTO FUN” on @campernst Instagram at 1pm.

And while you’re holiday shopping, be sure to check out the Camp Ernst Holiday Merch Sale, featuring the winner of the Junior Board’s Tshirt design contest and the holiday gift box full of their ideas.

Stay tuned for a video playlist they’re working on to highlight aspects of the camp experience and express their love for Camp Ernst.

Ernstlove,

eli

Follow the Junior Board on Instagram and twitter! @cejuniorboard

It is sad to have had to cancel our traditional overnight Labor Day family camp. Some of our families have been coming since the 1950s and so this will be the first year they will not be at camp. I will miss the hilarious skits, jokes before meals, stories of horse trail rides, catching up on all the family gossip, going from table to table in the dining hall to check in on the day, seeing which young adult family members brought a new boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse this year, sitting together at the Temple of the Trees, watching the babies get a year older, and of course, taking pictures of all the toddlers with a fist full of cotton candy while dancing to T’s Square Dance music. And so much more. 

I have worked here full time for more than 18 summers, and if you count my counselor years, almost 30! So, dear family campers, I can say with love that you HAVE become my family and I will miss you this year!

The Mace Family (Katie, Paul, Margot, and Luke), HUGE #campernst fans who attend not only Labor Day camp every year, but Memorial Day too, had their own family camp experience with their neighborhood earlier this summer! Here are a few things they shared with us: 

In Margot’s own words:

I know family camp at home isn’t the same, but it is still really fun! We gave all of our neighbors a flier saying what time and date and the activities we would be doing. The first thing we did was go no a hike/creek walk. That was definitely a fun adventure. After, we had a water balloon toss (intense) and then we made teams and had a water fight! We also roasted s’mores and I even cooked a hot dog! We even got sparklers out when it started getting dark. The rain shortened our time, but we were going to play flashlight tag. Flashlight tag is instead of touching people in tag, if the flashlight shines on you, you are out. Don’t worry, we played the game two days later when it wasn’t raining. Anyway, I hope this inspires you to have fun with family camp even if we aren’t where we were expecting to be!

Maybe you don’t have a cool creek in your neighborhood or space for a firepit for s’mores... Well--you’re in luck! 

For the next two weekends we’ll host FAMILY EXPLORE DAYS here at camp. For $25 per person ($100 min per family) you can bring the whole crew to enjoy our 365 acres and maintain distance from other families. We’ll have the 100 foot waterslide, banana boat, canoes/kayaks/corcls open, as well as time at the archery and bb range, and horse back trail rides. On your own you can go fishing, creeking, hiking, or just play around on the sport court and enjoy nature! 

Register online on www.myYcamp.org for one of these unique camp experience days--Sept 5,6,7, or 12.

Hope to see you soon! Ernstlove,

On July 29 we celebrated the generosity of the McCracken family and their part in our latest capital improvements: MAC HALL!

“The Rec Hall” was how I knew it as a camper in the 80s--where we had the Thursday night camp dance, the canteen where we bought popcorn and soda, the craft shop where we made lanyards, ashtrays (!) and leather bookmarks. 

In the 90s through the early 00s, each section was gradually turned into a “cabin” to host our growing camper population. We first named the cabins X, Y, Z, and 1, eventually adjusting to 97,98,99, and 1.

As camp director I knew we needed to replace those temporary cabins with new ones and “reclaim” the much-needed indoor program space I enjoyed as a child. Every camp director needs amazing dedicated donors like the families who made this plan a reality over the past three years. I feel so lucky!!

Dave and Mike McCracken wanted to honor the memory of their dad--their dad who led by example in YMCA board service and was dedicated to making sure kids got to enjoy camp like he did. Dave said his dad would tell stories of swimming in the creek (in the 1940s, before the camp pool was built). Dave knows now that his dad’s goal in making sure his own kids (and many others!) got to experience camp wasn’t just so they could have fun. He appreciated and advocated for the character-building experiences that happen at camp, many of which are “disguised” as fun! 

So it is fitting that we dedicated the Rec Hall, as “MAC HALL”--with the hope that camp generations of the future will get to grow in spirit, mind, body, and friendship in this historic space.

Our Camp Ernst Junior Board chair, Abby, shared her thoughts at the ribbon cutting:

 ***As a member of the junior board for the past two years, I have been able to see first hand how our fundraisers have not only had a positive impact on the campers receiving scholarships, but also the camp community as a whole. And as a counselor, I know how impactful how even a single week at camp can be for most kids. This rec hall will provide yet another opportunity for campers to form forever friendships with their cabinmates, and also teach them skills they can apply for the rest of their lives, such as learning how to share at the legos table or how to be a good sport when playing foursquare. The addition of the new rec hall to Camp Ernst will give campers a chance to still have a ton of fun with their friends and counselors, even if it is raining or just too hot to play out in the sun. Because of the thoughtful generosity of the McCracken family and so many others, campers at Camp Ernst will wake up each morning excited to head to the rec hall to learn a new game and meet new friends, adding to the countless list of memories made at YMCA Camp Ernst each summer.***

With Grateful Ernstlove,

eli