The View From the Summer Office

Every summer morning, I watch camp wake up from my window in the Summer Office. Buses get ready to roll out, staff check in, and our amazing maintenance team gets the grounds ready for another big day. But the best part of my day is getting out of that office. From the pools to the Field of Dreams, the Theatre to the Dining Hall, and the bus line every afternoon, I get to see something special happen across our 20+ acres for eight weeks in June, July, and August.

One of my favorite moments this summer happened up in the trees. During the last few weeks of camp, a younger camper asked to climb the new second level of our Senior Adventure Park. He was younger than the age group we typically schedule up there, but it was safe, so we climbed it together.

When we got to the platform, it was time to jump. He was safely attached to the auto belay, but that first step off the edge is still a big one. I talked him through it nice and slow, and then he jumped! When he got back to the ground, he was absolutely thrilled. And so was I!

Here are a few of the things I watch our campers and staff accomplish every summer. And since I know I’m a little biased, I’ll let our parents and staff back me up!

What I see in our campers:

• At the pool: A camper who wouldn’t let go of the wall in week one, swimming to the instructor by August. “My daughter started the summer nervous in the water, but thanks to the patient and encouraging instructors, she gained confidence and by the endwas swimming on her own.” (Shibley Parent)
• In the Theatre and on Clubhouse Field: Kids trying things they swore they’d never try, then asking to do them again. “I’ve watched my children transform into confident swimmers, athletes, and little artists, coming home singing camp songs and fighting over lanyard.” (Shibley Parent)
• In the Dining Hall: A picky eater taking a bite of something new because a friend did. “He’s even trying foods he never would have tried before!” (Shibley Alumna & Parent)
• In Arts & Crafts and Science & Nature: Kids from Long Island, Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan who didn’t know each other in June, saving seats for each other at the table by August. “We love that they bring kids together from different areas all over LI, the boroughs and the city.” (Shibley Parent)
• At 4:15: Tired, happy faces in the bus windows. “He came home tired, happy, and gloriously dirty, the trifecta of a childhood summer done right.” (Shibley Parent)

What I see in our staff:

This is the part people don’t always think about. Our Associate Director, Randi, interviews and hires our counselors, and then I get a front-row seat to watch them grow all summer long.

• Our group leaders and head specialists: Many are parents and teachers who bring their own kids to camp and end up loving it as much as their children do. “I thought I was signing up for a summer job, not realizing I was signing up for a lifetime of memories for myself and my child.” (Shibley Staff)
• Our first-year counselors: Nervous at orientation, but by week three, leading their group, settling disagreements, and planning a rainy-day game on the fly. “Every messy craft, every silly song, every new activity attempted: these are the moments that make camp unforgettable.” (Shibley Staff)
• Our swim staff: Cheering louder than the camper when a little one swims on their own for the first time. “I love teaching the little campers who can’t swim yet how to swim.” (Shibley Staff)
• Our returning staff: Staying in touch all year and counting down the days until they come back. “Shibley quickly became a second home to me. I met amazing people that I talk to all year long.” (Shibley Staff)

Some of my favorite staff stories start in our CIT (Counselor-in-Training) program. I think of one young man who grew up as a Shibley camper, then came back as a CIT, spending his summer helping out with groups and rotating around camp to learn what it takes to care for kids. A few summers later, I looked over at the pool and there he was, sitting in the lifeguard chair, keeping our campers safe. Watching a teenager grow into someone parents trust with their children is one of the best parts of my job.

Come see it with me

If you’d like to experience this for yourself, give us a call at (516) 621-8777 to set up a tour. I’d love to show you around and share a few more of these stories in person.

Shibley Shibley!

Heath