Camp Wa Wa Segowea Session # 4- Complete!

We're already at the halfway point of the summer of 2011 and camp keeps getting better! More and more kids are staying over from session to session and getting another week of that Segowea magic! 4th session was full of activity with the stayovers joining the new campers beginning on Sunday. Activities included a hike to Umpachene Falls, Casino Night and a visit from some Camp Alumni from a long time ago! While the weather was hot, everyone took advantage and was able to swim every day! If you're still thinking about sending your child to camp, there's still just a few spots open for Session 6 & 7. Just contact Camp director Kat Fitzpatrick at 413-229-9110. Also, we've heard from parents that use GPS or Google to find our wonderful camp, are getting a bit lost. If you do use GPS or Google and it has a turn at Canaan Valley Road, that turn is actually taking you to another part of Foley Hill Road and is not the right part! We're at the other end of Foley Hill Road. Just make sure to look for the green camp sign at the end of the Foley Hill. That's the right end! To be safe, there are directions on the Camp Website- www.segowea.org.

Here's the wrapup of Session #4 in pictures-

Enjoying Open Boating.

Basketballs are always bouncing at Wa Wa!

Soccer Field and Archery Field all in one!

Opening Day Craziness!

Some free time.

Time for playing cards.

and time to study nature (but not too close!)

Swim class!

Derek had his best outdoor education class yet!

Campers learned how and then built a shelter in the woods.

It's now a shelter!

We played a little charades.

and played guess that shadow!

Terrance can't decide what to do!

There's always hanging on the front steps.

This week, we had a visit from some important Camp Alumni!

(From left to right)

Ellen Hart Mulvey - She was at camp in 1929 and her dad helped locate the land on which the camp resides and he also helped build the Main Lodge!

Bar and Ruth McComb- A past Chairman of the Board of the Poughkeepsie Y, Bar is a descendant of the Smith Brothers, named recently "President Emeritus" of Smith Park and what he's most proud of- A Cabin Leader at Camp! Ruth is his lovely wife and is always a Friend of Segowea!

They joined us for lunch.

Spoke to some campers.

and posed for some pictures!

Bar, Ruth, and Ellen at the site of the future Dining Hall and Welcome Center.

Norm goes over the model design.

What's there currently (as we're trying to raise money to pay for it!)

We had the trip to Umpachene Falls this week.

And finally, our international staff were invited to a dinner in Glenmont, NY at the home of Charlotte and Charlie Buchanan on the weekend for a YMCA Camp International Celebration!

Congrats to them!

It's coming together at Camp Wa Wa Segowea!

With 5 days left before the first session starts, it is truly all coming together now. The camp staff has arrived and is getting the place ready for kids. The Camp Director, Kat Fitzpatrick, is busy as the beavers on our pond, constantly in motion, moving from one task to another with a close eye on everything, making sure all is just right when the first session begins! But Kat is not alone. Frank Carivan, the Program Director (and camp alumni) is getting the camp prepared for all the activities to take place during the summer. With guitar in hand, he can't wait till the first Campfire of the season to play and sing all the great camp songs. Annie and Derek, the girls and boys unit directors, are coming to Camp Segowea for their first summer, and are bringing their great summer camp experiences with them to pass on to the new and returning campers of Wa Wa. They're already right in the mix of things pitching in with all those fun "beginning of camp" tasks. The summer staff is there as well, spending this week getting to know their co-workers, undergoing training and tidying the place up. They even manage to have a little fun too! One thing in common that they all have is they're anxiously waiting for the arrival of kids on Sunday! But until then, they'll be busy, just like this past weekend.

It was the last work weekend before the kids do arrive and we had a wonderful showing and participation of Camp alumni, current summer staff and Friends of Segowea alike. And we got quite a bit accomplished! The swim docks were put together and are in position. A new screen system was installed in the dining hall. Camper cabin roofs were worked on. The Nature Lodge/Arts & Crafts building was stained as well as having the windows repaired in it. The Camp kitchen was also worked on, making sure everything was clean and in proper order. And a fence was installed around the foundation structure at the top of the hill that will eventually be the new McComb Lodge/Dining Hall/Welcome Center (which we're still raising money for). The Saturday workday was a huge success and continued on to the Open House on Sunday. More families came on the Open House then were expected, and all were delighted in what they saw even though we were still cleaning up the place! From one parent, "This is just like the camp I went to when I was a kid and I'm really happy this type of camp is still around!"

A special thanks to all the alumni, staff and Friends of Segowea that participated on this past weekend. From helping to clean, to assisting with meals and bringing clothes for the underprivileged, books for the reading program, and seeds to plant, it is a total group effort to keeping that Segowea magic alive for future generations of Wa Wa's to come. We couldn't do it without you! From one of the current staff- "From my camp experience, I've never seen alumni come out and participate in the work and really dig in and get the job done, especially all the dirty work!"

Here's some pictures from the past weekend. Thanks to all that took them!

Norm taking a ride.

Improved drainage ditch.

Chris and Frank on screen duty.

John measuring carefully.

Jeff and Darlene making sure they're put together correctly.

Richard doing the Two-Step?

Cabin sitting!

On top of Mohican, all covered with nails, we find Derek & Sarah...

...and Lisa on her knees (removing the roofing nails).

Laura on staining duty.

Liz pausing to chat with Louise & Wren.

Guard dock in the water.

with Max doing the guard duty.

Tom on Dock Duty (again).

Future camper Wren supervising from the porch.

Moving the docks in.

and moving the mud pile.

It's a team effort!

And naturally Norm is on top of things...

Taking a break for lunch...

With some lakeside dining.

Amy helping out with breakfast on Sunday morning.

After the work is done, a little refreshment!

A couple of swimmers on the return trip from across the lake.