Calling all GOLFERS!

On Monday, August 2, the Capital District YMCA will hold its 14th Annual Golf Classic at Wolferts Roost Country Club. As Camp helps plan for the event, we're hoping we can count on as many of you as possible to tee it up on our behalf. So, if you're interested in hitting the links for a good cause or for more information, contact Aimee Bouquet (abousquet@cdymca.org) to reserve your spot in a foursome!

Tune It Up at the 2010 Maintenance Conference

This week Camp hosts our second national conference of the month: The 2010 North American Camp Maintenance Conference. Over 80 professionals hailing from Iowa to Maryland to right here in the Adirondacks are gathering this Tuesday through Thursday to share ideas and learn from one another. These are the essential men and women camps rely on for new projects, facility repairs, and the countless day-to-day functions of running a camp. Below: High 5 inspector Todd fills participants in on ropes initatives standards.

Participants of the Conference attend presentations that range from tutorials on engine repair to discussions about new facility ideas and volunteer recruitment. Camp Consultant Gary Forster and engineer Rick Stryker are the keynote speakers, sharing their many years of experience and wisdom in the field. This conference is an opportunity for networking and a chance to see what's going on in camp maintenance across the country... and not to mention it's a great time!

Above, left to right: Chingachgook Maintenance Director Chris Thompson shows off parts (and materials) of the brand new barn over the climbing tower KYBO during a tour. Presenter and Ace Hardware expert Tom Ogle demonstrates the ins and outs of engine repair on an old mower.

Wait, is Camp really only...

104 Days Away!

Well, that's until Session One starts, staff training is even closer! In just 93 short days (well, not short, they're still 24 hours long) over 100 summer staff will start to show up at Camp to prepare Chingachgook for another epic summer on the lake! What are you looking forward to the most? Me? The lake of course! In addition to counting down the days until Camp starts, I am also counting down the days until I am able to jump off the rope swing for the first time! Maybe it's time to start a quick poll about the summer....yup, it is! Below you can find the entire Camp countdown for the summer!

Session One: 104 Days

Session Two: 118 Days

Session Three: 132 Days

Session Four: 146 Days

Session Five: 153 Days

Session Six: 160 Days

"Soup's On" at the 2010 Food Service Conference

This week Camp is in the middle of hosting the 2010 North American Camp Food Service Conference. Camp food service professionals from all over North America have gathered here on Lake George to talk about everyone's favorite part of Camp... food! The Conference features presentations on everything from vegan dishes to cheese steaks, not to mention the "food frenzy" creativity competition and mouthwatering vendor food show. Chingachgook is proud to host this forum for sharing ideas, recipes, and Camp stories from all over the country. Below Adventure Coordinator Madden Coghlan and Conference attendees enjoy the product of the Steak-Eze demonstration on Wednesday.

Inauguaral Adventure to the Pacific Northwest!!

Looming snow topped mountains, towering ancient pines, epic coastal cliff formations and one lucky group of Chingachgook campers! This summer, Chingachgook's Adventure Leadership Program will be heading to the great Pacific Northwest for two weeks of hiking, sea kayaking, wind surfing, playing and developing leadership skills in one of the most scenic regions of North America.

The inaugural Pacific Northwest Leadership Adventure will be a jam packed three weeks hitting some of the most unique places the Pacific Northwest has to offer. Here is a quick run down of the highlights of this exciting new program:

• 4 days of hiking and camping along the Pacific coast in Olympic National Park.



• 3 days with the awesome leaders from YMCA Camp Orkila sea kayaking around the serene San Juan Islands famous for thier concentration of Orca whales.




• All day trek to Camp Muir at on the face of Mt. Rainier at an elevation of 10,080 ft!





• 3 days of expert windsurfing instruction on the world famous waters of the Hood River Gorge!

For more information on this amazing trip, and all of our other exciting adventures contact Adventure Coordinator, Madden Coghlan at any time at 518-656-9462 x6646 or mcoghlan@cdymca.org

Walking in a Winter Chinga-land

Finally! After a long, dry month, Camp was covered with 16+ inches of white stuff between Tuesday and Wednesday this week. Many have never seen Chingachgook under the cover of this much snow! Take a look at how deep it got in the parking lot and the covering on the rocks and cabins in Junior Boys. We've waited a long time for snow, and now that it looks like a true Adirondack winter at Camp, it's hard to believe that the Summer is less than 4 short months away!

The dedicated program team braved the elements on Wednesday to groom the tubing hill in the Junior Boys Unit and make some trails in the deep snow around Camp. As it turns out, not only is this snow great for tubing, but it's also perfect for making snowballs, snowmen, and all sorts of winter fun. Hope all of you in the Northeast are getting out and enjoying the fluffy stuff while you can!

Above: Madden Coghlan and Ken Stannard, respective Adventure Coordinator and Summer Camp Coordinator test the snowball conditions on the gazebo bridge. Outdoor Education Coordinator Heather Siegel assesses the tubing hill.

International Staff 2010

We have hired a number of staff from around the world to work here this summer! Camp is very excited to have a very diverse group of counselors for the upcoming summer. Here is a list of our International Staff and where they are coming from! Enjoy.

Australia:
Ashleigh Smith
Thomas Schell
Hanne Pederson

Germany:
Antje Herse South Africa:
Michael Botha
Gareth Taylor United Kingdom:
Victoria Reid
Rebecca White
Dominic Mcleod Israel:
David Akilov

New Zealand:
James Harvey

Canada:
Kali Coll