Thursday, July 28, 2011

PCA Profiles Part 1: Sailing and Windsurfing!

Over the course of the next few weeks, we are going to try to profile some of our personal choice activities (PCAs). PCAs are the activities that the campers go to every morning where they learn specific skills in a more specialized way than they may with their cabins. Each PCA has a staff member or two as its dedicated head. 

The first PCA we would like to tell you about is sailing. Our sailing PCA staff Maddy Moritz and Gill Love are eager sailors and experienced teachers whose enthusiasm for sailing is contagious. Not that the campers need any encouraging - this is by far one of our most popular activities at camp. Last year, we were lucky enough to almost entirely re-outfit our sailing area.

The new dock and sailboats at the start of a day
 The maintenance staff built a beautiful new dock, and we received five brand new Hobie Cats. Having the Hobies makes it possible for campers who are Juniors and Intermediates to learn to sail, while the more experienced campers can improve their skills on boats like our Picos.
A Hobie has a catamaran-like base, with two hulls connected by a taut piece of mesh for the campers to sit on. Steering is simple, with a bar being moved back and forth that is connected to the rudder. The addition of the Hobies to the fleet has made our sailing PCA much more hands on and gives the campers more freedom in their learning than they may have had previously.

Learning to rig and de-rig a boat on shore

Campers spend time on land learning the basics of sailing theory and then are taught to rig and de-rig a boat on the dock. The sailing PCA lasts for the full two PCAs slots since it is a lengthy process to get the boats out on the water and get going for the day. I’m sure the campers are happy to have as much time as possible in the boats. Throughout the week that they are at sailing, campers work towards obtaining a Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 certificate of achievement. They receive this in their end of session envelopes just before they go home. It’s an exciting PCA, and there’s nothing quite like having the wind in your hair out on Koshlong on a sunny morning!

Two Hobie Cats out on Koshlong Lake
The second PCA we’d like to tell you about is windsurfing. Windsurfing is very similar to sailing in theory, but presents its own set of challenges - particularly in the fact that it is an individual sport. The windsurfing head Andrea Gallagher is excellent at teaching young and old campers alike to be successful windsurfers. Windsurfing is another activity that lasts a full two slots in the morning, as it is quite a complicated sport and takes time to master. This summer we added some additional smaller sails to make it easier for intermediate campers to manipulate the board and sail on the water. 

One of the greatest tools we use in the windsurfing PCA is the simulator. It is a board that is raised and on land, so that a sail can be attached for teaching purposes. 

Andrew Kacsor, one of our resource staff members, on the windsurfing simulator during a lesson

This gives campers a chance to go through all the motions of windsurfing without the instability of being on the water right away. Once they make the transition to the water, they will already have had the chance to perfect their skills on land on the simulator.

This is one of the most challenging PCAs to become proficient in, but one that provides an immense sense of accomplishment when you manage to stay up on the board for any length of time. Campers who return to this PCA year after year find that they improve in leaps in bounds with a little bit of time and practice.

Check back in a few days time for a profile of a couple more of our PCAs!

-- The Wanakita Staff Team



Saturday, July 23, 2011

Check Out Our New Photo Blog!

This summer, we have been working hard at taking lots of pictures of camp in action. We wanted to find a way to share these photos with you, so that you can enjoy them at your homes while your campers are here, or for your campers to look back on once they have returned home. There will still be photos accompanying our written posts, but we have also created a separate photo blog that you can see by clicking the link in the right hand sidebar entitled “YMCA Wanakita: Scenes of Summertime Photo Blog”. You can also visit the site right now by clicking on the link below:
We hope you enjoy these photos and that they provide another way of connecting with your camper’s experience and their time here!

-- The Wanakita Staff Team

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Extra! Extra!

A little taste of what's new in the J/I section.  
The Kita Gazette (Session B 2011)


Monday, July 18, 2011

Stormy Nights at Camp

      
         Last night we had quite a storm in Haliburton County.  I woke up to the crackle of thunder and lightning flashing through the window.  There are those who love a good storm, but for others, it can be a frightening affair.  With the new Session B campers adjusting to their first night at camp, I couldn’t help but feel concerned for them, especially for those who are away from home for the very first time.  

Lightning Over Koshlong Lake
 
         It didn’t take long for these worries to drift away once I started to think about this year’s counselling team.  I felt reassured knowing that they have weathered many a storm in their camp careers and have gained the experience to provide that much needed comfort in a time like this. One counsellor in particular came to mind who during our training week had confessed that she was still petrified by thunder and lightning.  She went on to say that the only time she ever felt okay during a storm was when she was comforting someone else.  With those thoughts running through my mind, I happily dozed back to sleep without being interrupted by a single knock on the door or call on the camp radio. 


         At flag raising this morning everyone looked well rested and eager to get going with the day’s activities.  The only thing that might have changed since last night, is that the campers will be a little braver - having a new experience under their belts. And for me, that is what camp is all about.



Opening Address Session B


Monday, July 11, 2011

Session A-Well Underway

Session A is well underway, and if you can believe it, it’s another sunny day here at Wanakita! Our summer has got off to a great start…amazing weather, enthusiastic campers and an excited staff team. Our one and two weeker cabins experienced a fun-filled week of programs, polar bear dip, campfires, and section wide games. Each cabin also embarked on an overnight trip on our very own Koshlong Lake. Cabin groups are each assigned to a campsite that they paddle out to, cook dinner at, learn about astronomy and various wilderness and environmental pursuits and then sleep in a tent for the night. Cabin groups returned the next morning with beaming smiles and were refreshed and ready to jump right into their PCA’s (personal choice activities).

All ready for a canoe trip!
Last Tuesday, three of our Senior Traditional cabins departed on their 5 day canoe trip. We sent two cabins to Magnetawan and one group to Bon Echo. On Saturday they returned on a bus singing their trip songs and proud to show off their dirty t-shirts. Upon their arrival, we sent out our next three cabins to experience the same adventure. We are excited to hear their stories when they return Wednesday afternoon!
Welcome home boys!
As I write this blog, I am only now realizing how busy Saturday was for Wanakita! On top of everything going on here at camp, we sent our Student Counsellors into Haliburton where they were an integral part of the annual Highland Games at Head Lake Park. Our SC’s and their counsellors worked hard to create games and activities for children who attended. It was a very hot day and a busy one at that but we are proud to say that they represented Wanakita well in the community!

On Saturday, we were sad to say goodbye to our one week campers. As we waved goodbye, the remainder of camp participated in our weekly theme day. This week’s theme was Harry Potter (in anticipation of the final movie coming out this Friday!). You could say it was “magical” to see our campers running around with wands, casting spells and participating in a Hogwarts variation of Capture the Flag.
Ah, Harry Potter vs. Voldemort on the dock!
One of our SC groups worked hard to put together a presentation for our bi-weekly Silver Chapel. This session is held at Corey’s Place and focuses on positive thoughts, aspirations, kindness, and inspiration. It is up to the SC’s to create a thorough presentation that relays a positive message and delivers strong morals to the rest of the camp. It is always nice to see how receptive the younger campers are to their older role models.

Random acts of kindness-this week's message
As I'm sure you can tell, we’ve had a very busy and fun-filled week. Our next group of one- week campers arrived yesterday and we are sure that this week is going to provide us with just as much excitement as the last!

Be sure to check in soon!
The Wanakita Staff Team



Monday, July 4, 2011

And So It Begins...


Summer 2011 has officially begun!
Precamp staff training finished out well this weekend, with one of the highlights being the Annual Staff Strong Kids Auction. Various businesses around the community donated items to be auctioned off. Along with that, staff offered up their time and talents as auction items. This year, the incredible staff raised a total of $7600 at the auction. That is enough to send more than 10 kids to camp for a week each!! We are so thankful for their generosity and their willingness to help make camp possible for more and more campers each year.
Sunday was the first official arrival day at camp, and it was full of excitement brought on by a year of anticipation.
 First day cabin assignments


Over 350 campers arrived for session A to a staff team ready and waiting for a fun filled session. Opening campfire was a hit, and the first day with a full dining hall of campers was loud, but energizing! 
 Opening Campfire
I think it is safe to say that we are all very excited for the coming weeks and what the summer has to offer us!
Have a great day,
The Wanakita Staff



Summer Is Here!


Hello friends and family of Wanakita!

We decided to start this blog in order to keep you even more connected with the Wanakita community throughout the coming months. We will be writing posts regularly to try and keep you informed as to some of the exciting things that are happening here at Wanakita on a day to day basis. We hope you enjoy it and we look forward to hearing your feedback.

The past year has been an eventful one as always for the Outdoor Centre. The fall, winter and spring seasons were highly successful, with many school groups leaving ready to come back next year. The Health Centre underwent a beautiful renovation, and it has been transformed into one of the most welcoming buildings on camp. It will provide the perfect atmosphere for bringing our campers back to health this summer, and has been an excellent home for school teachers who come with their groups throughout the year. 

 Entrance to the newly renovated Health Centre

We are currently in the midst of our precamp staff training week. This is an exciting week filled with energy and learning, so that the staff are prepared to give your campers the best experience possible while they are here. Last year, we were lucky enough to receive a whole new fleet of sailboats, along with a new sailing dock to go with them. This year, our big investment was in Novacraft canoes. Forty brand new canoes arrived just last week and will be used for programs throughout the summer. They are wonderful boats for teaching campers to paddle, and lightweight for those going on off-lake trips. 

 Part of our new fleet of canoes

On Sunday, we welcomed over 700 guests to our site for the annual Wanakita Strawberry Social. It was a huge success and saw many people, locals and out-of-towners alike, come to Wanakita to enjoy a meal and an afternoon full of activities. A huge thank you goes out to the staff who made it possible to host this event after having been here for only two days! It was our pleasure to show the camp to those in the community and we hope that this event continues to happen for many years to come.

The rest of the week holds a lot of excitement and promise, and provides an opportunity for the staff to get to know each other and learn to work together. We look forward to posting more stories about how this week unfolds, so feel free to check back here later this week for more news and photos!

Below are links to two videos that were made this year to give you an idea of what Wanakita Summer Residential Camp and Family Camp each look like. Enjoy!


Summer Residential Camp Video



Summer Family Camp Video


Have a great day,

The Wanakita Staff