March 23^rd, 2015 by YMCA Camp Pendalouan

Join us for one of our Summer Camp Preview Days and you could win $100 off our overnight or family camp programs!

Rain or shine, this is a great chance for kids and parents to sit on a bunk, hike the trails and canoe on Beautiful Big Blue Lake. We'll have activities (archery, canoeing & our climbing wall) open for campers and families to enjoy, as well as staff on hand to answer any questions you may have about Summer Camp at Pendalouan.

Staff will provide tours of the facility and assistance in registering. Just by attending, you’ll be entered into a drawing to win $100 off our Summer Programs!

Come see what Summer Camp YMCA Camp Pendalouan is all about! Join us and let us share the Pendalouan Spirit with YOU!

Sunday, April 26 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Sunday, May 10 (Mother's Day!) from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m

Questions? Give us a call at (231) 894-4538.

We hope to see you or your camper this summer on the shores of Big Blue Lake! Last year, we had a record number of waiting lists for our summer overnight and family camps. Sign up today to make your child doesn’t get stuck on one! If you have any questions about any of our programs, give us a call at (231) 894-4538 or email ycamp@pendalouan.org. We'll see you this summer!

***

Located on the shores of Big Blue Lake in Montague, MI, YMCA Camp Pendalouan is a fully licensed summer camp offering overnight & day camps. While at Pendalouan kids and families make friends, experience personal character development and learn new skills – all while creating lifelong memories and having fun in a safe environment with highly qualified and trained staff. You are a part of the Pendalouan family from the moment you step onto camp property. We invite you to learn more about Camp Pendalouan, by checking out our website, the Camp Blog and our Facebook page.

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March 19^th, 2015 by Phil Warners, Camp Roger Director of Outdoor Education

Exploring what is over the next hill…discovering a turtle sunning itself on a log…hitting the bulls eye at the archery range…laughing with friends while hiking down the trail. These simple pleasures might be memories of many, but are all worthwhile experiences to build into our children. Memories such as these evoke a quieter time, free from our technological devices, and call us toward an understanding of the beauty of the natural world. At Camp Roger, we strive to bring children closer to that deep sense of awe and wonder and we point toward the Creator of all things. Camp Roger is a Christian residential camp, hosting three-day, five-day, and eight-day stays. Each cabin group is hosted by college-aged Christian counselors who have dedicated themselves to leading their campers toward that appreciation and to point their campers toward Jesus Christ. A daily chapel time, cabin clean-up, selected morning activities, free swim in Little Bostwick Lake, cabin adventures, and entertaining campfire programs are all key components for our campers in a program that has existed since 1941. Former campers who are now parents and grandparents bring their children to camp, and enter back into the nostalgia of good memories of their days at Camp Roger as campers and the relationships they have built while spending time at Camp Roger.

While we see ourselves as a window to a more simple time, we also encourage our campers to climb the rock wall or take a ride on the zip line, to give the rope swing over the lake a try, to do those kinds of activities they may not have the opportunity to do at other times of their lives but that challenge each of us to new things. For our older campers, we offer week-long backpacking and canoeing trips to such destinations as South Manitou Island, North Manitou Island, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, or Porcupine Mountains State Park. As campers seek new adventure, they gain a greater sense of confidence esteem. All of this is offered within the framework of the value of each individual, the opportunity to try new adventure in a safe setting, and to grow in the knowledge and understanding that God is good, he has blessed us, and we can learn so much of him through his created world and the relationships we build with others.

We never know what is over the next hill, but life is about exploring and discovering. Camp Roger…come journey with us.

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February 24^th, 2015 by YMCA Camp Pendalouan

As we explained last year in our post on how to choose a summer camp, camps in West Michigan have different sizes, cultures, values, cost and offer different activities (click here for tips on how to choose the right camp for your child).

Campers are going to have a different experience depending on the camp they attend, but here is the schedule of a typical day at summer camp at YMCA Camp Pendalouan.

A camper's day at YMCA Camp Pendalouan overnight camp is full of fun, sun, skill building, all camp games, songs, adventure and a whole lot of laughter! Check out this video to get a glimpse in the life of a Pendalouan Summer Camper:

For more information on the daily schedule and the activities we offer here at YMCA Camp Pendalouan, check out our information page here. To see prices and available sessions, click here! For information on the daily schedule of other camps, contact their office or head to their websites.

We hope to see you or your camper this summer on the shores of Big Blue Lake! Last year, we had a record number of waiting lists for our summer overnight and family camps. Sign up today to make your child doesn’t get stuck on one! If you have any questions about any of our programs, give us a call at (231) 894-4538 or email ycamp@pendalouan.org. We'll see you this summer!

***

Located on the shores of Big Blue Lake in Montague, MI, YMCA Camp Pendalouan is a fully licensed summer camp offering overnight & day camps. While at Pendalouan kids and families make friends, experience personal character development and learn new skills – all while creating lifelong memories and having fun in a safe environment with highly qualified and trained staff. You are a part of the Pendalouan family from the moment you step onto camp property. We invite you to learn more about Camp Pendalouan, by checking out our website, the Camp Blog and our Facebook page.

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August 6^th, 2014 by Daniel VandeBunte, Camp Geneva

My adventures here at Camp Geneva begin as a little kid about to leave home for something unknown. For me, that consisted of hopping onto a huge double-decker bus for my first day of Day Camp. Once I tasted a week at camp, I was hooked. The amazing experiences continued on Shores with songs and skits, Bible studies, color wars, lanyard making, and my personal favorite- counselor hunt!

Although all of the activities were fun and memorable, the real reason I was drawn to camp was the people… the counselors. I had never seen a group act so crazy and energetic. I had never seen a group live with such love and joy. The people are what make camp such an incredible place.

Day Camp, Shores, and Pines were all a part of my childhood, but it wasn’t until my last summer on Pines when I felt my faith mature and become more personal. A strong moment that sticks with me from that week of camp was a game called “Romans and Christians”. It is a game that challenges students to verbalize what they believe and why they believe it. I had never been asked to articulate my faith like that before and I remember laying awake in bed that night (way past bed time) thinking about what my God and my life meant to me. It was strangely uncomfortable, but I loved it.

A few weeks ago, I was cleaning out shelves in my room and stumbled across an old math book from fourth grade. I threw it away, but my mom happened to find an essay about Camp Geneva inside (pictured below). The paper helped me refocus Camp Geneva through the eyes of my 10-year-old self. Now that I’m an actual counselor here, things have really come full circle. I realize that everything we do here is for the kids. It is about showing them the love of Christ and inspiring a spirit-filled life. I used to look up to my counselors as some type of superhuman college student, but I realize now that I am in that position, that I am nothing; God is everything. I wouldn’t have made it past day one on my own.

 

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May 8^th, 2014 by Erica Thomas, Camp Henry

In a society that prides itself on constant change, innovation, and development, it is easy to get lost in the pressure to be the best and have the best. This pressure to succeed can be overwhelming, stressful, and exhausting- and our children are feeling the brunt of it. Between grades, friends, peer pressures, body image, and so much more, our children need a little less stress and a little more simplicity, peace, and tradition in their lives. They need a little more summer camp. ​

Summer camp eases the burden of the measuring stick society we live in and especially this summer at Camp Henry where we will be teaching campers about their identity in God. Our hope is that all campers who attend will leave camp feeling loved, more confident about themselves and rejuvenated for the year ahead.

Watch this quick video to learn more about You Are More, Camp Henry's theme for 2014.

Throughout the Summer of 2014, Camp Henry's theme will be You Are More.

Together we will discover who God says we are and how to embrace our identity in Him.

You are more than what this world says about you.

You are more than how tall or short you are
You are more than how others see you
You are more than your clothing size
You are more than an honor's student
You are more than the words you speak
You are more than the meds that you take
You are more than the choices that you make
You are more than the mistakes that you make
You are more than the things that you have done right
You are more than a star athlete
You are more than the funny things that you do
You are more than a victim
You are more than your past
You are more than the numbers of friends that you have
You are more than your swimming ability

You are more because your heavenly Father loves you no matter what. Here's who God says you are.

You are free (Romans 8:2)
You are safe (Romans 8:35)
You are included (Ephesians 1:13)
You are holy (Colossians 3:12, Ephesians 1:4)
You are forgiven (Colossians 3:13)
You are chosen (1st Peter 2:9)
You are beloved (Romans 1:7)  
You are victorious (1st John 5:4)
You are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
You are strong(Philippians 4:13, Colossians 1:11)
You are a Friend of God (James 2:23)
You are blessed (Ephesians 1:3)
You are accepted (Romans 15:7)
You are loved (Colossians 3:12, 1st Thessalonians 1:4)
You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14)

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May 1^st, 2014 by Mark Olson, Camp Pendalouan

At YMCA Camp Pendalouan, we believe Summer Camp should be enjoyed by campers of all ages. That why, even though our traditional Sunday through Friday overnight camp is limited to boys and girls ages 7-15, we also have special age-specific programs for campers younger and older than that range!

First, we have our Bugs 'N Bunks Program. This program is for boys and girls ages 6-8 and lasts three days and two nights. Younger and/or first time campers will thoroughly enjoy this introductory overnight experience.

Our little "Bugs" move around as a cabin group and do a wide variety of activities including:

• Archery
• Canoeing
• Face painting
• Nature hikes
• Parachute games
• Swimming
• Visiting the horse barn
• Climbing wall
• Crafts
• Campfires and more!

The Bugs 'N Bunks program is run by specially trained staff who guide their cabin groups throughout all the activities. Many have been working with the Bugs 'N Bunks program for several summers!

On the other side of the age spectrum, we have two specialty camps that are tailored to older campers. 

Each July, we offer campers who are 15-years old a spot in our Leaders-in-Training program. This six-day experience allows these students to build a close and respectful community while enhancing their own positive attributes and leadership skills. LITs tackle a series of challenges and work on projects that help them grow as teen leaders. For 15 year olds who are not interested in leadership activities and just would like to participate in traditional summer camp, they are able to sign up for regular overnight camp.

Our Counselor-In-Training program is perfect for 16 year olds who are interested in becoming a summer camp counselor one day. This three week program blends a two week training program and a one week immersion training week. CITs bond with each other, while learning the important skills necessary to being a summer camp counselor.

But that’s not it! We also have programs for adults too! Parents and grandparents who want to enjoy the summer camp experience with their children will enjoy one of our Summer Weekend Family Camps. These camps don’t have an age limit and are another great way for younger campers to get accustomed to sleeping overnight away from home, while spending quality family bonding time on Beautiful Big Blue Lake. For more information on these family camps, click here.

SIGN UP TODAY to make sure your little or big one gets to experience the magic of Pendalouan Summer Camp too! If you have any questions about any of our programs, give us a call at (231) 894-4538 or email ycamp@pendalouan.org. We'll see you this summer!

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April 21^st, 2014 by Chief Spit Fire (Rochelle Visser), Camp Michawana

Luggage is flying, top bunks are being claimed, and parents are driving away…and there’s one of two feelings in the pit of every camper’s stomach.  It’s either excitement over meeting a new BFF because you both have a Spiderman pillowcase, or it’s a bad feeling as you wonder if it was a good idea to leave mom’s cooking and the safety of home for this unknown wild week to share a bunk with Miss Chatterbox who won’t stop talking because she wants to lose her voice before Friday. (That was me, and I still am hoarse. J)

Having a friend changes everything!

If your child has a good friend and they are able to go along to camp with them, WONDERFUL! Sign them up together and request to be in the same cabin.  Most camps honor one cabin-mate request (no one wants to be the only kid with the 7 person cheer team who wants to be together in the same room).

If they don’t have a friend or their friend can’t go, don’t sweat it.  Camp is about making new friends! Some good advice: Smile and tell the other kids your name.  It’s simple, and it works.  Whether they show it or not, everyone gets nervous around new people and wants to make a friend. Trust me (says Chatterbox), just go out on that limb, and ask someone their name – or favorite hobby – or favorite kind of ice cream – there’s bound to be SOMETHING you have in common!

Don’t be that cheer team.  It’s a life lesson, not just a camp lesson – be friendly and smile, it makes life better!  And if you did come with a friend or two, ask the other kids their names and get to know them.  

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April 15^th, 2014 by Marissa Vargo, Program Specialist at Camp Henry

This announcement (yes, I have another one, I have them all the time) is to tell you why my heart belongs to summer camp and how the traditions I have experienced have helped shape me into who I am today. But perhaps I should explain why I have announcements “all the time.” It is a tradition at Camp Henry that every time the word announcement is used, all campers and staff break out into a gloriously long song about announcements. In fact by now, I have said the word enough times already to fill out an entire meals worth of singing.

[Singing at meals]

Some people believe the stereotype that camp is solely a place you go to get dirty, sing silly songs, have a lot of fun, and run around playing weird games. In some aspects, that is a lot of what we do at camp, but it is also so much more. Traditions at summer camps are, well, a tradition. You’d be hard pressed to find a camp without them.

[Mud bath anyone?]

During my ten years at Camp Henry, I have experienced countless crazy camp traditions. I have learned that behind every ten minute announcement song, wacky campfire skit, and absurd dining hall chant lies years and years of memories, friendships, and gut-splitting laughter. I learned that camp is a place filled with tradition, a place for kids to relax, have fun, experience nature, and connect with other kids in a stress-free environment. 

[PJ Sing is a fun evening tradition at Camp Henry]

As I look back on my time at camp, I realize that these traditions, although seemingly pointless, have had a large impact on my life as well as countless other campers. Camp is entwined with traditions, each one an opportunity for campers to instantly slide into the camp community, even first time campers. The community of camp is so unique in that it can form in just a few short hours and continue to last for years. Every camper has the opportunity to be challenged and transformed by each crazy activity and tradition, no matter how small or big the tradition is. 

[One of many great lakings]

I will never forget witnessing staff members getting thrown in the lake for no real reason at all, nervously sweating while watching fire-tossing celebrations, crying from laughter at the Opening Campfire skits, or even crying from heart-wrenching emotion at a great Vespers (devotionals). I will always believe pizza and chocolate milk is the best meal on a Sunday at camp, beef stew (stirred with a stick) is a must on campouts, and the Sacred Ceremony and Night Chapel are by far the best ways to end a week at camp. 

It is through every wacky tradition that I have been able to feel truly a part of camp and form relationships that will last forever and a day. Each of these activities, messages and shared meals has brought me closer to my cabinmates, staff, and God. Most importantly, it is through amazing traditions that I have learned to live simply, be confident in who I am, stand up for what I believe in, and never forget to see the world the way God intended it to be. 

[A glimpse at the Sacred Ceremony]

Despite the name, most camp traditions change over time. They are wonderfully flexible while also being set in their ways as they connect the past with the present and create the camp community anew each week and each summer. I will always feel connected to camp because of the experiences they have provided me. While we may not always play the same exact games, sing the same songs, or share the same stories, I know that these camp traditions will continue to grow and develop as time goes on to make camp the best possible place it can be.

To learn more about Camp Henry’s summer camp experience and traditions, go to www.camphenry.org.

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March 28^th, 2014 by Meredith Fennema, West Michigan Summer Camps

Are you looking for the best summer yet? Wondering about summer camp? Want to know what it's like, and meet staff who work at area summer camps? Come to the Summer Camps Expo!

It will be held on Wednesday, April 23 from 5:30 to 7:00pm in the Boys & Girls Club Steil Center (235 Straight NW). There will even be free pizza, drinks and raffle prizes! Spanish translation will also be available.

18 camps will come prepared to share all kinds of information about the camp opportunities they have for kids this summer:

• Calvin College Sports Camps
• Camp Blodgett
• Camp Henry
• Camp Manitou-Lin
• Camp Michawana
• Camp Miniwanca
• Camp Newaygo
• Camp O'Malley
• Camp Pendalouan
• Camp Roger
• Camp Tall Turf
• Humane Society of Kent County
• Kendall College Summer Art Programs
• Public Museum of Grand Rapids 
• Remembrance Ranch
• West Michigan Flight Academy

If you have any questions, please contact Ruth Bishop, Education Program Officer at Grand Rapids Community Foundation, by calling 616.454.1751. 

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March 26^th, 2014 by Jalisa Johnson, Camp Newaygo

In our consumerist culture, we’re told that bigger IS better.We’re supersizing our meals, our houses, our flat-screens – even our pets! But in the world of “more, More, MORE”, are we getting overpowered by size?

Social media has allowed us to connect better than ever. Every two minutes, we take more pictures than humanity took in all of the 19th century. There are many benefits to our new technology and our online social networks. But, does collecting online “friends” make us feel more connected?

Robin Dunbar is a British anthropologist who studies social connectivity in primates. He discovered that primates live in groups of 20-50, and when a group gets too large, the primates will divide themselves into smaller groups. Humans have this same natural instinct, based on brain size. Our ideal social network size is right at 150. Any larger than that, and we simply cannot feel a level of connectivity within the group. Groups larger than 150 are unable to work as cohesive units. It’s simply not possible for a human to feel “connected” with more than 150 people.

As humans, we can trace our community histories back to early tribes, settlements, and towns. As urbanization of America explodes – we’ve lost the “small town” neighborhood experience in many cities. Fewer neighbors are borrowing sugar from one another. Children aren’t playing outside until the street lights come on. In a study by Vanderbilt University, researchers found that the strongest predictors of actual sense of community were expected length of community residency, satisfaction with the community, and the number of neighbors one could identify by first name. Could you name everyone in your neighborhood by name?

And it’s not just our cities that are losing connectivity: students are getting lost in giant school systems. Studies of school and class sizes find that small groups mean better student academic performance, a lower drop-out rate, and more student engagement.

So what does this tell us about summer camp?

Summer Camp size matters. The American Camp Association has regulations for resident and day camp ratios but there are no limits to the size of a summer camp. Overnight and Day Camp size can range from 5-5,000 campers a week. Even the largest camps will break up campers into smaller units (villages, tribes, colors). But even the largest camps will have “all camp” times. Some camps are so large - they have over 1,000 counselors. It’s humanly impossible for every counselor to get to know each other by the end of the summer season. And what effect do massive camps have on the camper? The bigger the camp, the less likely it is that the camper feels a sense of community, connection, and satisfaction.

It can be argued that bigger camps mean more choices for campers (bigger activities, Bigger waterfronts, BIGGER budgets). But is our focus to supersize the summer camp experience? As summer camp directors, we always hope to create a cohesive community. The American Camp Association did a study to see what caused first time campers to return to camp for a second year. They found that if a camper made a friend, they were 90% more likely to return to camp. So, if our desired outcome is friendship, what type of summer camp should we search for?

I would recommend one that is right around 150 campers a week. Coincidentally (or perhaps, by design) Camp Newaygo hosts 120-140 campers every week. You can find our perfectly sized program at www.campnewaygo.org.   

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