Welcome!

Surf and donate...

Thu, 4 Feb 2010 22:55:14 -0500

Hey folks...

You may or may not have read about this in our eNewsletter but incase you missed it here’s a NEWS FLASH...

“What if YMCA Camp Ockanickon, Inc. earned a donation every time you searched the Internet?

Or how about if a percentage of every purchase you made online went to support our cause? Well, now it can!

GoodSearch.com is a new Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo... and watch the donations add up!

GoodShop.com is a new online shopping mall which donates up to 30 percent of each purchase to your favorite cause! Hundreds of great stores including Amazon, Target, Gap, Best Buy, ebay, Macy's and Barnes & Noble have teamed up with GoodShop and every time you place an order, you'll be supporting your favorite cause.

And if you download the GoodSearch – YMCA Camp Ockanickon toolbar, our cause will earn money every time you shop and search online - even if you forget to go to GoodShop or GoodSearch first!

Add the YMCA Camp Ockanickon toolbar at http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/ymca-camp-ockanickon”

I set GoodSearch.com as my homepage so every time I open my web browser I’m automatically there and ready to add another donation!!

Make sure you add us as the charity of your choice!!

Be good... and Good Searching!!

Chef Jason

Our newest Camper...

Thu, 4 Feb 2010 18:24:10 -0500

Hello Friends...

I’m writing today to let you all know how the newest member of the YMCA Camp Ockanickon family is doing!

She’s just AMAZING!! Although... I might be a little biased, being her Dad and all. She’s doing all the things 2 month olds do... most recently she has discovered her feet and is really finding her voice through tiny little squealing outbursts. She’s even sleeping about 9 hours straight through the night!!

Our little wonder has really given me some perspective on life and a deeper appreciation and satisfaction for all the great things a place like Camp has to offer each and every one of us... and Camp touches each in our own unique ways... and Charlotte is just the newest chapter in my own “Camp Story”.

Already at 2 months old, I am eager to teach Charlotte all the things we impart to the youth and community we serve. Caring, Honesty, Respect and Responsibility. You really can’t go wrong there, can you?

As we train our Staff and Counselors to be Role Models and mentors to the children we serve, I find myself wanting now, more than ever, to live each and every moment of each and every day by the Four Core Values of the YMCA. It’s not as easy as it sounds but it can’t hurt to give it an honest effort.

Having served here in the Food Service Department for going on 14 years now I have seen a lot... I have grown and learned much myself... having great leaders and mentors, received volumes of advice and invaluable knowledge... seeing the results of the good work we do by having generations of Campers grow into the leadership roles of Summer Camp who are now, in turn, passing on the experience... seeing the familiar, friendly faces of the groups and schools who come to Camp during our Conference Season year after year after year... seeing Alumni young and old come back to explore and re-connect with Camp...

... I realize... or have been re-assured... that “paying it forward”, leading by example... being genuinely nice to one another as human beings... being caring, honest, respectful and responsible... can get you pretty far in life. It can grant you life-long friends and bonds that can not be broken. It can grant you happiness that money nor power can buy. It offers up a heck of a lot of fun and a place that all of us really can feel a part of. Whether you came here as a Camper in the ‘70’s... as a Counselor in during your summers while you were in college... with a school trip, a church retreat or youth group... you will always have a piece of YMCA Camp Ockanickon in your heart and a place you can call home.

These are just some of the things I can not wait to share with Charlotte as she grows... or better yet... as we guide her on her journey to be a future Role Model.

For now, Gab and I are enjoying every new experience... every new noise, gesture, funny face... simply everything.

My dear Camp Friends... loyal readers... I will now sign off as I always do with my own Zen mantra... and all I’d ask is for you to keep this mantra in mind the next time someone cuts you off on the road... the next time you are stuck in a long line at the supermarket... the next time you don’t quite agree with someone else’s idea or opinion... the next time... you get the idea...

Be good...

Chef Jason

Looking back...

Thu, 7 Jan 2010 23:47:56 -0500

Hello from the frozen Pine Barrens dear Friends!

I hope each and every one of you had a joyous Holiday Season!!

We here at Camp have had a very busy end to 2009. From Breakfast with Santa to our Annual Summer Camp Reunion (formerly “Winter Camp”)... from clearing paths through the snow to turning over a New Year and charging boldly in to 2010.

In order to reflect on what a great year we had here and an opportunity to thaw our frozen spirits with thoughts of the warm sunshine of summer we have posted some reflections of our 2009 Summer Camp season on our YouTube page.

Take a moment to check out the very cool slideshows and start thinking about Summer 2010!!

Here’s the link... http://www.youtube.com/user/ockanickon

Be good...

Chef Jason

Big Snow Day...

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 18:09:09 -0500

Hey folks...

WOW!! What a snow storm we had this weekend!!

By my measurements in front of our house at Matolly we got 22 inches!! I’m sure that varies from area to area around Camp but needless to say, there’s a ton of fluffy white snow everywhere!

Our Maintenance crew was hard at work from Saturday morning until late Sunday (and even on Monday) clearing the roads and making walkways to and from and around our buildings here on the property. They even had to free cars that became stuck in the slippery frozen mess.

Big thanks to Mike, Jamie, Chris, Jim and all the staff who helped dig us out!

I don’t want to say too much more... instead, I want to share a gallery of pictures with you and let the images do the talking!!

CLICK HERE to see the gallery...

Please bear in mind I couldn’t really travel to far to grab these photos as my car was snowed under for most of Sunday. All the photos are from the Matolly side of Camp... all from places I could “easily” get to on foot... although it was actually quite an effort to get anywhere in knee deep snow!!

Enjoy the photos!!!

Be good...

Chef Jason

P.S... Don’t forget our “12th Annual Summer Camp Reunion” (formerly known as “Winter Camp” is coming up right after Christmas!!
Click here for the flyer/enrollment form...

On your marks...

Tue, 1 Dec 2009 20:11:28 -0500

Hey folks...

Thanksgiving is full of tradition. Each year, we gather with family and friends for fellowship, turkey, pumpkin pie, parades, Black Friday shopping and other special treats. Here at Camp, the Gobbler 5k and Family Fun Walk has quickly become yet another post-turkey event that we look forward to each year.

This year, we had 154 runners and 83 walkers who came out for a fun morning that supports a great cause. The event is growing quickly – it’s almost doubled in size since 2008!

As the event expands, so does its impact. Participation at this event helped to support our Strong Kids Campaign, which helps hundreds of kids to experience camp each year. Attendance at this and other fundraising events allows us to provide quality outdoor programs to over 13,000 men, women and children each year.

We look forward to the Gobbler event’s continued growth and we hope that you’ll consider adding the Gobbler Event to your list of Thanksgiving traditions in 2010!

Want to check out the results of the race? The results of the race can be viewed at... http://ycamp.org/documents/2009GobblerParticipantTimes.pdf (available through December 18).

And here’s a link to a short but sweet gallery of photos... Click here!!

This event would not have been possible without the support of our sponsors... Click here to see the support!!

Best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday season from all of us here at YMCA Camp Ockanickon, Inc.

Thanks for reading...

Chef Jason & Jen Segelken

Much to be thankful for...

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 22:40:59 -0500

Greetings to you all on this Thanksgiving Day...

This holiday season the one thing we here at Camp are Thankful for this year and every year is you. The campers, the volunteers, the groups, the donors, the supporters, the vendors, the sponsors, the “cheerleaders” who spread the message of the good works we do here at Camp through word of mouth.

To each and every person who’s lives have been touched by Camp and to each and every person has touched Camp in one way or another... we are Thankful for you.

I, personally, have had an extra special Thanksgiving.

In the early morning hours of Friday, November 20th... my wife Gabrielle, our very own Camp Matollionequay Girls Camp Director, gave birth to our first child.

Charlotte Monique Ostroski... 7 pounds 15 ounces, 20 1/2 inches of sheer joy.

Born exactly 22 minutes in to her calculated due date Charlotte has brought myself, Gabrielle and all our friends and family here at Camp much to be Thankful for this year.

On the verge of entering my 14th year here at YMCA Camp Ockanickon, Inc. I am eager to pass along all the wonderful values we impart to people of all ages to my very own little Camper... Caring, Honesty, Respect and Responsibility.

Well folks... let me pose a question... What are YOU Thankful for this year?

Be good...

Chef Jason

Watching the night sky...

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:51:36 -0500

Hello Friends!

I'm here today to bring all of our star gazers out there some really cool news!!

YMCA Camp Ockanickon, Inc. has just joined the "Night Sky Network"!!

As stated on their website... "The Night Sky Network is a nationwide coalition of amateur astronomy clubs bringing the science, technology, and inspiration of NASA's missions to the general public".
Camp has one heck of an observatory located on a peninsula on the lake at the Boy's Camp. With a clear view of the sky and very little light pollution out here on our beautiful 565 acres of pine forest we have a prime location for an amazing astronomy experience.
To find out more about "The Night Sky Network", visit their website at http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm

Our Night Sky Network evenings will be hosted by Bernie Hosko. Bernie is a member of the Willingboro Astronomical Society and has volunteered countless hours to improve and upgrade our star gazing capabilities in the Tatem Observatory and our astronomy program as a whole.

Our first official event will be held on Friday December 11, 2009 and is open to the public. We will be meeting at the Ockanickon Dining Hall at 7:00 p.m. and heading over to the Tatem Observatory shortly thereafter. Please be prompt so we don't lose you in the dark!!

The evening will be free to YMCA Camp Ockanickon, Inc. Members and all other guests will be charged $10 per person. December 12 will be our rain/cloud date.

To find out about future astronomy events at Camp please visit our main website (www.ycamp.org), keep an eye out for our email Newsletter or check back here on the blog, as I will surely let you all know when it's time to gaze up at the heavens again.

Be good...

Chef Jason