So bye bye Miss American Pie

Mitch shares his reflections on the last day of camp and the summer that was, in his emotional last blog of the summer.

And in the end, the love you take is equal to……

One hot day; packing; emotional; items without names; nailing the bunk plaque onto the wall forever; one last american pie; one last flag lowering; final banquet; emotional words; reflections; moments; long lasting thunderstorm; a super Friday Nite Flix inside the field house; rolling thunder; tear jerking songs (Long & Winding Road, You’ve Got a Friend, Time of Your Life, Friends theme, Elton John’s Friends, Our House, Imagine, Leaving on a Jet Plane, Lean on Me, Homeward Bound, In My Life, Circle Game, So Far Away and Landslide—to name a few); burning of the numbers in a surreal setting as the Dorm & Club led camp in a final “Friends, Alma Mater and Taps” as everyone stood arms around shoulders looking through the open amphitheater doors as 2012 burned on the hillside while the rain poured down; followed by one last milk & cookies—and then boys camp bunk time before bedtime while the girls sang some more songs- all to make for a bittersweet end to an incredible summer for our children.

Reveille sounded at 6:15am today.  We all have smiles and tears for all so many reasons we accomplished as one big family.

I will share with you some of what I said at last night’s evening line-up:

“I’ve always said that the trouble with camp is that it ends. It ends for the summer and then for some, it ends forever. Although perhaps it means saying goodbye to friends you won’t see for 10 months, if ever again …that might mean that decades later, the memories,  the smell, the sounds of camp remain the BEST of what you have known.

From singing American Pie, to last night’s show, to all the activities, fun and friends…….

So, as we prepare to leave our summer home, summer family, Stephanie and I wish you all only the best of health, happiness, prosperity and goodness…..

It has been a great summer…..it has been a pleasure watching each and everyone of you personally, grow, learn and discover things about yourself you did not realize you could do, become an important person in our camp family….

And as we all go our separate ways, don’t forget that everyone here at lineup right now takes a bit of Towanda with them, even if you will never be back here…..   thank you, we appreciate all that we have done together this summer of 2012; we will miss you all… call me, maybe!!”

And then during the banquet, towards the end of the evening, I added something like this:

“I consider myself one lucky guy to be in the position that I am in as your Camp Director, I never take it for granted; I try my best and always want everyone to do the same.

I hope that you find something you love and then with some luck, be able to make it your career and then you’ll never feel as if you are working;

Camp Towanda is my home, my life, my family, my business, my passion while at the same time is all of our summer home.

I could not do it without the support of Stephanie and all that she contributes, especially behind the scenes. Keeping me and the senior staff balanced, healthy and clear.

I could not run camp without her  and without my 2 winter sons, Brandon and Jared, who realize and also contribute to all that goes into planning and running camp before and after everyone gets here.

To our amazing senior staff, counselors, KMP, office, laundry, drivers…and everyone…we are ALL Towanda!

Thanks again.”

To our camper’s parents, I say thank you for entrusting your chidren to us; we will miss them tremendously; enjoy them for 10 months; after a brief rest, we’ll be ready to get geared up in just 315 days when “I BET camp will be great in LUCKY 2013”!!

Signing off,

Mitch & Stephanie

PS: Did anybody my blog posts this summer?

P.P.S. Towanda Times is hot off the press…get our final summer issue here: https://camptowanda.com/times/Vol90No8.pdf

Letters from Parents

Throughout the 2012 summer, we have received hundreds of wonderful emails from parents, capturing the Camp Towanda experience through their eyes (and their children’s).  We wanted to share a few of these letters with you:

LETTER # 1

Dear Mitch & Stephanie,
How do you do it?  Are you sure there is nothing in the water or bug juice up there?  As a first year parent at Towanda, we received a letter from our child today proclaiming, “Camp is now my 2nd home.”  While I can’t wait to have my baby back on Friday, I am now certain that whatever has been going on at camp this summer has had a remarkable and lasting impact .

Thank you!

Letter # 2:

Hi Mitch and Stephanie,

I have wanted to write this since the first week of camp, but every time I went to start, something new happened at camp, or I got an even better letter from my daughter than the week before, so I thought, I should just wait to write this until she gets home, because every week seems to bring her  camp experience, and ours as parents, to an even higher level.  But now with only days left until when I planned to send this, I can’t hold it in anymore…  THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE CAMP TOWANDA.  OK, that said…

I will tell you that from the first day we signed her up for camp, you have made our family feel like family.  She has always been very attached to us, doesn’t really love to have sleepovers out of our house, prefers playdates at our house, and in the past has had some transition issues with new things.  You made the transition to camp absolutely seamless.  Of course she was nervous when she got on the bus, but she was so prepared with all of the information and hand holding that you provided, she got on the bus with a big hug, wave and a smile.

Of course we were nervous those first few days.  And then we got the first letter…  “I am having SUCH a good time.  My bed is so pretty!  I’m friends with everyone in my bunk.  ”  Next (our favorite) was a fill in the blank…  Biggest surprise so far – “I don’t miss anyone and I do not want to go home”.  What I like most about camp – “Everything”.  What I like least about camp – “Nothing”!!!

They only got better and better from there.  And then we saw her on Visiting Day, and she exuded confidence and happiness that I had never seen in her before, as well as a new level of independence that she could not have achieved at home.  Plus, the campers and counselors in her bunk were all AMAZING.  What an incredible group of down-to-earth girls and counselors and CITs who were absolutely wonderful with them.

What is so amazing about Towanda, is that it truly balances it all.  The need for kids to develop friendships on their own, develop independence, learn new skills in sports, arts, and more, to feel comfortable enough to just be kids and be themselves, and just have FUN – and that balance is SO hard to find.  There is a depth and richness in your program that I don’t think exists anywhere else.  Because it works for the athlete, the non-athlete, the outgoing child, the more reserved child, it is a remarkable formula.

When I look at her smile beaming in all the pictures, it’s more than just happiness, she looks so RELAXED.  So comfortable, and with the pressures of school, and activities, and social things, and all the other “stuff” kids have to deal with throughout the year, I can see on her face that she truly got a needed break from it all.  I can see on her face that Towanda will be for her what it was for me – a special home away from home that she will always treasure.

I spent 9 wonderful summers at Towanda and all I can say is that you have honored the traditions and history of Camp Towanda and then made it even better.  I am so happy for my daughter (and soon my son in 2014) that they will have this experience.

And I am so happy for us, as parents, that we can give our children the gift of Camp Towanda.  Twenty three years since my CIT summer, my favorite childhood memories are from Camp Towanda and my camp friends are still my closest of friends.  We really do share something that no one else can understand.  And nothing makes me happier than knowing that my children will have their friends and these amazing memories that will last a lifetime.

So this is as long of a “thank-you” as I’m sure you wanted, but to say that the summer exceeded our expectations would be an understatement.  We are overwhelmed.

Thank you, thank you, and thank you,

LETTER # 3:

Dear Mitch & Stephanie,

Please share this with parents considering camp for next year.

If you have a parent who is questioning whether or not Camp Towanda is for their child, send them my way because I would NEVER have thought my daughters  would be able to separate and love camp the way they do!   I mean never!  They are different here at Towanda!  Confident, willing and happy to try new activities and new friends; separate from home!

Truly amazing….words cannot express our gratitude.

Warmly,
2 Very Happy Parents (write that instead of our names)!!