Girls Sleepaway Camp in the Adirondack Mountains in Brant Lake, New York
The New York Times talked to us this week about the more refined and healthy choices in today’s camp cuisine. We certainly want our campers to enjoy the same great healthy meals that we love and share with them every day. They learn to try lots of different foods and to match what they eat with the style of the rest of their life. We are foodies ourselves and so are so many of our campers.
Squeeze your eyes closed and dream of wonderful selections of pasta from Rome, Florence or Brant Lake. Point O’Pasta is a dinner and evening entertainment in our dining room against the background of popular Italian music while enjoying great pasta prepared at our pasta stations to the liking of our campers by the Point O’Pines culinary staff . Campers can be adventurous and try several selections or choose the one they love. Check the menu and watch for this special evening that the campers love so much.
Camper of the Week has been a long and important tradition at Point O’Pines. Each week a camper is chosen from each age group and announced in front of the entire camp at our Sunday morning camp fire. Every week there is a theme for the campers: “friendliness,” “cooperation,” “camp spirit,” “generosity,” “honesty & integrity,” “positive attitude,” and finally “citizenship.”
The area heads meet with the general counselors and specialty heads to discuss which campers best exemplify that week’s theme characteristic. They then vote for the campers who might be honored as campers of the week. The chosen campers receive a certificate, ice cream, and, of course, the accolades of the other girls. They also receive a special shirt which can be worn by them forever as uniform which signifies that that camper has been a “Camper of the Week.” Being honored as a camper of the week is a very big honor and we are so proud of those who achieve this recognition.
Last night was our western night. We shared a delicious western meal on the beach, and then everyone had a great time square dancing in the Rec Hall.
Aunt Emma’s Auction is one of the favorite evening activities. Each bunk, including their counselors, brings a bag of crazy items, and anything and everything that they can wear. Bunks sit together, and Sherie asks the campers if anyone has, for example, a yellow polka dot swim suit. Maybe someone in the bunk has something polka dot, something yellow and shorts and a shirt. They then need to convince their judge that it is close to the item requested. The judge has latitude in awarding points and the combinations are amusing and often hysterical. It is lots of fun and the campers and staff all love it.