Dear Campers,

     1. I believe in you.
     2. I trust you.
     3. You are listened to.
     4. You are cared for.
     5. You are important.
     6. You will succeed.

Love,
     Katnip

I believe that every child needs to hear these 6 things.

They are all powerful statements that can aid

in a child's confidence and value of self-worth. <3

Welcome to Dudley Video

Frodo and Rainbow made this "Intro to Camp" video a few years ago.

It is a great overview of Dudley and all the fun activities it has to offer!!

YMCA's Four Core Values

Nowadays, children seem to be growing up faster than ever, and they need the Four Core values of Caring, Honesty, Respect, and Responsibility in their daily lives. Many children struggle through this vast, vague time of development, and the values practiced at Camp Dudley can give them the needed traction to head the right direction in life. At such a young age, children are incredibly impressionable. Especially for kids whose home lives lack strong values, Camp Dudley can plant those vital seeds of character, and camp counselors can nurture those seeds and help them blossom to their full potential. 

I am a firm believer in the power of summer camp and the ripple effects it can have in molding a child’s life. Camp Dudley has the perfect combination of fun activities, good friends, positive role models, a strong sense of belonging, budding confidence, strengthened group unity and leadership skills, which ultimately offers a true “experience of a lifetime".

 

 

 

     Children spend approximately 7.5 hours a day on electronic media, 4 minutes a day playing outside, and an average of only 3.5 minutes a week in meaningful conversation with their parents.
     This comes to show that kids won't remember their best day of television.
     Camp is a wonderful opportunity to break up the summer habits of staying inside in the cool living room with a functioning AC and cable TV and give your kids a once-in-a-lifetime experience in the mountains where they can try new, exciting things and be surrounded by positive role models who want to make a difference in their lives.


Camp offers:
   *Outdoor adventures
   *Caring adult role models
   *Beauty of nature and fresh mountain air
   *Time to think without distraction
   *Lifelong friendships
   *Positive peer pressure
   *A temporary community where safe risks can be taken
   *Help navigating the tough decisions of adolescence
   *The chance to be known and loved
   *Opportunity to discover your purpose and passion.

The Purple Panther Walk

     When Dudley got a rock wall in 2011, I was absolutely ecstatic! Being a hardcore rock climber, I couldn't wait to give this one a shot.
     I later found out that Sepor, the ropes directpr (Sepor is "ropes" backwards, get it?! Knee-slapper!), made one of the 5 routes especially difficult. He considered it a 5.10, and at the time, the most difficult route I had climbed was a 5.9.
     He decided that the first camper to climb it clean (no falling, using unmarked handholds, or resting on the rope) would get to name the route. Seeing that no one had been successful yet, I jumped on the opportunity immediately.
     I signed up for the rock climbing skill session and thought it would be a piece of cake... I was wrong. The first day I only made it half way. I made it a bit farther the next. The day after that I made it all the way to the top, but I didn't make the final free jump to the last handhold before ringing the bell (no possible way to reach it otherwise) and I fell.

     I worked hard and strategized. My cabin and skill session-mates were a huge support. I eventually made it! There was a point near the end when I didn't think I'd make it. Then I heard my friends cheering me on, and I pushed myself. It paid off. I felt so excited and accomplished when I finally rang the bell at the top of the "Purple Panther Walk," as I later named it!

Camp Family and Friendship Bracelets

      Friendship bracelets are a big deal at camp. They are the best form of "thank you" from campers, a cool secret buddy present from coworkers, and a symbol of camp family love. Friendship bracelets are built one knot at a time. Every once in a while the wrong string is tied or one of the 12 strands snaps, but in the end, they are (almost always) beautifully handcrafted masterpieces. I treasure each one of my friendship bracelets because someone I love put time and effort into making a bracelet, 1 knot at a time, for me.

     Camp family love is like friendship bracelets. Each relationship is built one experience at a time throughout the whole summer, and in order to make it whole, time and devotion is required. No camp friendship is perfect, but they are all special in their own ways and they last way longer than the bracelets on my wrist.

Skill Session Activity?

Isn't this a neat idea?! I think this would make a really fun

skill session activity with a small group.

Pacman tournament? Oh the possibilities!

 

Clouds

Traditionally, we have a candlelight ceremony on the last night of each week of camp, but wanting to save the tears until the last week of camp, Magic and Zaga decided to do something a little different for the first week of camp. We watched a video called "My Last Days" about Zach Sobiech's journey. He was a young singer, songwriter, and musician who was diagnosed with cancer at age 14. He underwent 10 surgeries and 20 rounds of chemotherapy in the four years to come. In December 2012, he released an original song called "Clouds" about his battle with cancer...it was his of saying goodbye to everyone he loved before passing away at age 18. Zach's spirit and hope lives on through his music. His positive outlook on life is an inspiration to many. By the end of the video, many of us were in tears and this song still brings our CIT group together.

YMCA CAMP DUDLEY

EVERYWHERE WE GO, PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW WHO WE ARE
AND WHERE WE COME FROM, SO WE TELL THEM:
WE ARE THE KIDS FROM CAMP DUDLEY,

MIGHTY MIGHTY DUDLEY

This is a picture of the YOLO INITIATIVE group after we successfully summited a mountain. I did not understand the definition of quality bonding time until we spent an afternoon helping each other up a steep mountain (with rockslides) & resting every couple seconds to talk, laugh & make inside jokes.

The Kids Who Need It Most

       As the months and years go by, I will (sadly) forget a lot of moments from camp. Ten years from now, I won't remember who won the dodgeball tournament during rest hour at XTreme week, or the lyrics to Dino's modified Bruno Mars song, and eventually, the names of my first cabinmates will slip my mind. But there is a moment from my first year as a C.I.T. that I will always remember: it was my second day at camp and I was barely used to my new camp name, "Katnip." I turned 14 a few months before and I had a lot to learn about being a camp counselor (I still do).      
       That morning, everyone gathered in the bottom of Shinn for chapel, and I went to introduce myself to my favorite counselor's cabin. I started chatting with a young girl named *Caitlin (name has been changed). I noticed this girl during flag the night before: her hair was dark brown with blonde highlights that had grown out a good 6 inches and I remembered her big toe peeping out her tennis shoe. We talked for a few minutes about little thing: middle school, her impressions about camp so far, favorite colors, etc., and she never stopped smiling. Caitlin's chocolate-brown eyes sparkled and she had the cutest dimples ever.

       Then, all of the sudden, she started crying. As we hugged, Caitlin told me that her dad had passed away in April after fighting cancer, and her mother abandoned the family when she was little, so her grandmother moved from Mexico to take care of her and her brothers. (She came to camp on a scholarship.) I don't remember exactly what I said to her, but I kept hugging her and I think I told her how I felt when I almost lost my mom a few years back, and after that she felt a lot better. Throughout the rest of the week, Caitlin and I bonded and when Friday night came, she was crying because she didn't want to leave. She thanked me for being her friend and helping her look on the bright side. She said that camp was life changing.

       I will never forget Caitlin or her beautiful smile. I will always admire her strength and courage. That day in the bottom of Shinn, I learned that camp is about so much more than archery and canoeing and cabin lip synchs. Camp is about newfound hope, love, and renewal. I learned that a lot of campers come from broken homes, and more often than not, they are the ones who need camp the most.

Camp is for Everyone

Such a wide variety of kids come to camp: introverts, children with special needs, kids who won't say a word the entire first day, natural-born leaders, children from the Outreach program, rockstars-in-the-making, Harry Potter fans, science nerds, and campers from really rough backgrounds, broken homes, and low-income families. Amongst this wide circle of personalities and home-life backgrounds, there is always one common denominator: camp touches their hearts. Camp helps every child in a different way: while it gives the shy girl a chance to express herself in a safe, friendly environment, it gives the bully a chance to clean his slate and discover his true potential beyond the labels people in the "real world" have given him. Camp means healing, renewing, discovering, expressing, leading, and loving. Camp means every child has a friend, even if they sat alone at lunch every day last year. Camp means no one cares what the Outreach kid's clothes look like, and everyone wants the special needs kid to make it to home plate in kickball. Camp means it's okay to be silly, loud, and 100% you. Camp is for everyone.

 

Bucket List--Memory Stones

Isn't this a neat idea? On break, find a nice rock and write down your favorite memory or quote from the day. Just one. Kids say and do the darndest things, and writing it down makes it stick forever! What a great way to remember an amazing summer! When you're done, decorate a garden with them or whatever else you can dream up.

Toss and Talk Ball

Toss and talk balls are a huge hit at camp. I made one last summer and my girls absolutely loved it! It is great as a get-to-know-you activity and a free-time game.

 

Here are the questions I came up with:

1. Who is your favorite Disney character?

2. What is your dream job?

3. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

4. What is your favorite book?

5. How many siblings do you have?

6. What is your favorite school subject?

7. What was the first thing you did  over summer break?

8. How long have you gone to camp?

9. What color is your toothbrush?

10. What is your favorite sport?

11. Describe your bedroom.

12. What was your favorite family vacation and why?

13. What is your favorite thing to do at camp?

14. What do you love about your best friend?

15. Do you prefer cats or dogs?

16. What is your favorite game?

17. What is your favorite TV show?

18. Do you like any weird food combinations?

19. Would you rather be 3 feet tall or 8 feet tall?

20. Would you rather be a deep sea diver or an astronaut?

21. Do you have any pets?

22. What is your favorite food?

23. Can you touch your nose with your tongue?

24. What is your favorite dessert?

25, Why do you love camp?

Camp Counselor Test

Camp changes lives. 

As a camper, many of my counselors (Zaga, Noodle, Cricket, Koda...just to name a few) taught me valuable life lessons that left vital impressions on my young, raw heart. They have helped me look on the bright side, accept myself, feel loved, and develop into the person I am today. Camp Dudley is where I developed valuable leadership skills and personal confidence as I blossomed into a positive role model, an outstanding problem solver, and a responsible, reliable individual.

Camp counseling is not a “cookie cutter job:” every child has individual strengths, talents, and needs that require attention and development. By helping campers feel valued, loved and appreciated--all of which are vital factors in a child’s personal development--camp counselors can have a great impact in every camper's life. It is possible that counselors’ examples and influences during a single week of camp can quite literally mean the difference between a child truly succeeding in life as a genuinely happy person with true integrity, or losing their footing down the road and falling through the cracks. Throughout a short week at camp so much can be accomplished in nurturing their character, boosting their self-esteem, and showing them how much fun wholesome activities can be. We can’t underestimate the potential kids hold when they walk with confidence and feel accepted for who they are. Everyone in this world needs a place to belong, and I know from personal experience that Camp Dudley can be that place with the help of dedicated, caring counselors who are driven by the desire to impact lives. For camp to be truly successful, each and every staff member has to be devoted to the heart of camp: the campers.

Kids need camp; I honestly believe that. Kids need (young) adults, other than their parents, that will love them as unique individuals and help them feel significant and special. One of the greatest treasures of a camp experience is the fun, nurturing bond formed between campers and their counselors. This summer I want to offer every child a true "experience of a lifetime."

"Camp friends are like stars; you don't always see them, but you know they are always there."

-Author Unknown

This Summer Evening Settles Down

This summer evening settles down.

Orange smoke from crackling campfire

Floats through Cascade air.

“Experience of a Lifetime” sign

Swings back and forth on it’s rusty hinges.

Ten o’clock.

 

The campers of Cabin 4 turn from the fire’s warmth

And step into the shadows, towards their temporary home.

Their faces beam with a pure, joyous light,

Like radiant, match-lit candles entering the starless night.

 

Ecstatic, they run about playing Pterodactyl and Kum-Cha

With best friends made in a day,

Creating memories that will survive eternity.

 

The children eventually settle down in creaky bunk beds

As Noodle lolls them to a solid slumber

With tales of Peter Pan and Cinderella.

 

At last, Camp Dudley comes to rest

In the deep-cast shadow of Kamiakin’s crest.

The familiar full moon stands guard,

Mirrored off Clear Lake.

 

 

With sweet dreams of today’s adventures:

Hiking Round Mountain and daring the Leap of Faith,

Campers sleep soundly ‘til morning

When the first bird sings.

      -Elizabeth Daley