Black Pond Post
YMCA Camp Woodstock
November 2015
Caring. Honesty. Respect. Responsibility. 

Giving Thanks
As Thanksgiving approaches, I reflect on the many gifts that make Camp Woodstock possible. I am the father of three children, who are growing up way too quickly, so I well understand and appreciate the competing demands for time and money that families must balance.  For many, Camp Woodstock can be a substantial investment.  I am grateful to you for being part of Camp Woodstock, and entrusting us with the care of your children. 
 
Camp Woodstock is a community that prides itself on being Caring, Honest, Respectful and Responsible - what we call CHoRR (pronounced "core") values.  We live the CHoRR values in everything we are and do at Camp.  They're how we connect with campers, and they're how campers connect with themselves and other campers.  In this season of quiet reflection, giving thanks, and serving others, I want to share with you a few ways in which we instill these skills through the Camp Woodstock experience.
 
Traditionally, the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving holiday is a communal meal, with family and friends. I am sure you all have your own traditions associated with the meal - certain recipes, or perhaps the "special" plates and bowls. Before the meal, you may also as a group bow your heads to say grace or pronounce a blessing.
 
Saying grace is an important part of daily life at Camp Woodstock too. A Woodstock camper's day is marked by the ringing of the bell in the Bell Tower fourteen times, from morning to night.  The second, sixth, and tenth bells - at 7:45 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 5:45 p.m. - mark breakfast, lunch, and dinner, respectively.  All campers eat together in the Lakeside Dining Lodge.  Before each meal begins, campers stand quietly and, all together, say or, more often, sing grace.  An old Camp favorite is the "Johnny Appleseed" grace:
 
The Lord is good to me,
And so I thank the Lord,
For giving me the things I need --
The sun and the rain and the apple seed --
The Lord is good to me!
 
I wake up in the morning,
As happy as can be --
Because I know
The Lord will care --
My apple seeds will still be there.
The Lord is good to me!
Hallelujah! Amen.
 
Lines from a poem by Joy Harjo, Perhaps the World Ends Here, might best capture why the Camp Woodstock tradition of saying grace together matters: 
 
"The world begins at a kitchen table. No matter what we must eat to live.
 
"The gifts of the earth are brought and prepared, set on the table. So it has been since creation, and it will go on.
 
"It is here that children are given instruction on what it means to be human."
 
Indeed, being at Camp Woodstock is something worth giving thanks for. Our Camp tradition of grace before meals is a reminder, several times each day, of how fortunate we are to be there, in the presence of nature and the company of great friends and caring counselors.
 
But there are other opportunities for campers to look inward as well. The 14th bell at 9:30 p.m. marks lights out, and time for Reflections.  Counselors raise topics for reflection that are appropriate to the age and mood of the cabin group, and that are designed to help campers share thoughts and feelings that strengthen bonds and help foster the lifelong friendships that have been formed here at The Friendship Camp since its founding in 1922.

Also, on Sunday mornings, campers gather for Chapel services in the quiet and peaceful woods near Black Pond to reflect on the CHoRR values, to sing (think of the sounds of "Amazing Grace" being sung in this setting), and to hear from counselors who have participated in the World Service trip to the Dominican Republic, or from the international counselors about their global experiences. 

From our Thanksgiving table to yours, we send our best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving!

Anthony Gronski                                                          
Executive Director
New Faces on Old Friends
This past summer, the new covered, wrap-around porch on Pop's Lodge was put to much good use!  Pop's Lodge - which is located at the intersection of Boys' Side, Girls' Side and the Black Pond Waterfront - is the heart of Camp Woodstock.  It's home to the Trading Post, which sells snacks and camp merchandise, home to Support and Program staff offices, and to air hockey and foosball tables that campers use during their free time. The new roof and entryways that we've continued working on are scheduled for completion before the dawn of the New Year.  All of these improvements provide much needed space for camp activities on both rainy and hot, sunny days. 
 


Nearby, The Friendship Triangle, which includes the Bell Tower, will get a facelift.  Campers love to hang out at The Friendship Triangle during their free time and in between activities, and many "meet at the bell" to walk together to activities and meals.
 
We are grateful for the financial support of YMCA of the USA for a Capital Camp Improvement grant that helps to make these improvements possible.  We especially want to acknowledge the guidance that John Duntley, Camp Consultant at YMCA of the USA, Grants & Stewardship, gave as we navigated our way through the application process.
 
We are also grateful for the work of the students and teachers of H. H. Ellis Technical High School in Danielson, CT and E. C. Goodwin Technical High School in New Britain, CT.  Last year, these great friends built the beautiful stone wall terraces that grace Clover Hill and the new decks on the cabins.  This year, they are partnering with us on many other projects that are helping to make our dreams a reality.  Thanks to the generosity of their time and talents, Camp Woodstock saved more than $35,000 in masonry labor costs.
 
Click here to see a map of Camp Woodstock. 
Woodstock by the Numbers

148 - the number of pounds of mashed potatoes that were served at Camp Woodstock this past summer
224 - the number of towels that found their way to the Lost and Found by the end of this past summer
11,040 - the number of photos that were taken this past summer
184 - the number of miles that Terrance Smith, Camp Woodstock Media Director, walked this past summer capturing all the photo opportunities



16 - the number of states this past summer's campers call home (CT, CA, CO, DE, FL, GA, IL, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VA        and WA)
8 - the number of countries that this past summer's campers call home (China, Dominican Republic, England, France, Italy, Russia, Spain and US)
12 - the number of international counselors this past summer
7 - the number of countries this past summer's international counselors call home (Mexico, Spain, Hungary, Slovakia, China, England and Peru)
4 - the number of foreign languages this past summer's international counselors speak at home (Spanish, Hungarian, Slovakian and Chinese)
-- Infinity - the number that best captures our thanks to you for being part of Camp Woodstock!
As We Hit "Send"...
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