Director Jud's Blog

 

            Stone Mountain Adventures’ first session of 2015 has started the summer off with incredible energy! Even though we experienced the wettest move-in day in our memory, campers and counselors alike danced through the raindrops and made the best of every situation.

   

  

Campers have officially completed and aced both the swim check and belay school, meaning every activity is now fair game! So far, we’ve been hiking along the Little Juniata River and up by Hunter’s Rocks, played both the SMA and the Juniata College frisbee golf courses, been wakeboarding, waterskiing, and kneeboarding on Raystown Lake, held multiple volleyball, nukem, and soccer tournaments, and that’s only the beginning! Our first two overnights went out last night – the first ever Bikemasters Overnight and another first ever SUP and Sail Overnight – and had an incredible night on Raystown Lake. We’re also excited that it’s finally dry enough to offer activities like Rock Climbing and Tennis today! There’s nothing quite like a sunny day at Stone Mountain Adventures!

Here at Stone Mountain Adventures Teen Summer Camp, we feel that an important start of having the best summer ever is an awesome staff…and the 2015 team does not disappoint! ‘Funny-talkers’ galore have made this staff the most diverse in the new millennium and (possibly) the most diverse ever!

 

We started the summer off strong with Staff Training and let the crew grow together as a family before the campers even arrived; from rock climbing to days on the boat to the staff canoeing overnight, the fun never stopped! And now for some introductions…

 

Stone Mountain Adventures, an overnight teen summer camp will once again be hosting a the Teen and "Tween" ride at Dirtfest 2015!

DirtFest 2015 is almost here at the Allegrippis Trails at Raystown Lake

Fri. May 15, 2015 1:00 pm - Sun. May 17, 2015 4:00 pm

The following is a Blog Post from Brian Swarts, a camper AND counselor at SMA, who currently bikes his way most everywhere in life.  Brain visited SMA Teen Camp last summer and these are his reflections about returning to Stone Mountain Adventures as a real "adult."

My name is Brian Swarts and Stone Mountain Adventures Teen Summer Camp has been a part of my life for over 15 years. I was a camper from 1999 to 2002 and then a camp counselor in 2007 and 2008. Last year I had the opportunity to visit for a couple of days while I passed through the state, and it reminded me of how much this family and farm have shaped who I am today. (Brian, second from the left below, shares laughs with fellow counselors Hamish "Kiwi", Paul "Dunk", Matt "Foxxy" and Kelly "Spike".)

Over the years I’ve had the opportunity see the different sides of life at SMA Overnight Camp at Horsepower Farm, and at each point I’ve been amazed at the people I got to live with and the experiences I got to share. From the first day on the farm as a 13 year old kid, I found myself learning and growing as a person. Without knowing it, while attending SMA Overnight Summer Camp, I learned about personal responsibility and consideration of other people. I didn’t know it then, but SMA Teen Summer Camp would become a formative part of my life. I spent all school year looking forward to going back to SMA to see my friends again.

My name is James Flynn-Kocourek, I was a counselor at SMA Teen Summer Camp the summers of 2013 and 2014. I can’t believe that it’s almost time for camp this summer. It feels like yesterday that camp was in full force and I was in Pennsylvania. I’ve been missing those days, especially with this cold and snowy winter (and spring) on Long Island.  

In this Blog Post I reflect on the experiences I had over those 2 summers and explain how I pulled off the best prank of the SMA Summer of 2014!

SMA Teen Camp Co-Director Anne Millar recently traveled to Portugal with Habitat for Humanty.  In this blog post she reflects on how Building Community Matters in Portugal and at home at Stone Mountain Adventures Teen Summer Camp.

Stone Mountain Adventures Teen Summer Camp is a place where young teens can learn more about themselves while having fun with other kids their ages. It’s sometimes difficult to put into words what campers will gain from being at an overnight teen summer camp away from their parents and daily peers. Self-confidence, the ability to step outside one’s comfort zone, a new found physical skill, lifelong friendships and a newly restored sense of self are just a few of the traits that a camper might acquire after being away at a teen adventure camp. And these positives are found in the many activities campers can choose from at Stone Mountain Adventures overnight teen summer camp such as: rock climbing, mountain biking, canoeing, overnight camping trips, hiking, horseback riding, wake boarding or water skiing, music making, arts and crafts, and even community service. Campers at SMA sleepaway summer camper can choose from several service options – spending time with local folks in nursing homes, trail maintenance, raising money for local charities through lemonade stands, and others as determined by campers, counselors and staff.

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SMA Summer Camp 2015!

It's Sunday, March 29, which means there are 90 days until the Opening Day of Stone Mountain Adventures Overnight Summer Camp 2015!  The snow has finally melted. The days are getting longer and preparations for the summer have begun. Many returning campers are chirping about how excited they are for the summer to be here so they can return to their summer home at SMA Teen Summer Camp. We are also excited to meet and get to know all the new campers who have signed up for summer 2015!

One of our greatest strengths at our  teenage summer camp is the staff we hire to be summer camp counselors. Dynamic, responsible, skillful, fair and funny – our staff listens, cares and treats everyone with respect. They put the needs of the campers first. Campers who stay for either 2 weeks or 8 weeks often comment on the genuine friendships that are formed with our camp counselors, the magical memories that are shared, and the feeling of family that’s created. The average age of our camp counselors is 25. All staff must be at least 21 years of age and have a minimum certification in CPR and First Aid. Stone Mountain adventures is a co-ed, overnight teen summer camp for 12 to 16 yearolds and our camp counselors are an integral part of what makesSMA a terrific place for teens.

Stone Mountain Adventures Teenage Summer Camp Counselors…

• They’re fair, skillful, and funny.
• They listen, care, and love to play.
• They are there for you in their actions, thoughts, and words.
• This is what they love; playing is their passion.

Former Stone Mountain Adventures Teen Camp Counselor Gabe Millar has written an article titled "Conessions of a Camp Counselor"  Gabe Millar was a Camp Counselor at SMA in 2006 and 2007 and is currently gatting his MBA from the Uni

CLICK HERE TO READ "Confessions Of A Camp Counselor" versity of Montana in Missoula, MT.

Here is part of the blog post:

"As parents, you entrust counselors with your children, well, I guess you mostly entrust the directors or owners of the summer camp, but in reality, counselors are the ones who are with your children most of the time. According to the American Camp Association there are over 12,000 summer camps in the United States, and they employ over 1.5 million people each year, most of whom are counselors. Are these people trustworthy?

Popular culture would have you believe that camp counselors spend the vast majority of their time focused on partying with other counselors (think Meatballs part 1 through 4) and put very little energy into the job of protecting, nurturing, and teaching your kids. Well, I cannot speak for all of us, but this is the perspective of one former summer camp counselor.

Summer camp counselors are notoriously underpaid and overworked, at least that is what we will tell you if you ask, and there is some truth to it. It is true in the same way that parenting is often referred to as the hardest job in the world. I know this because it has been nearly twenty years since I last taught water-skiing, mountain biking, or canoeing as a camp counselor and I am now a parent.

Does the movie Meatballs accurately portray life as a summer camp counselor?"

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

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Once each session at SMA Teen Summer Camp we launch our whole camp onto the Class III rapids of the Lower Youghiogheny River (often referred to as “The Yock”) for a seven mile white water roller coaster ride.  Nothing really compares to the exhilaration of entering the “white water world” and powering through rapids.

As we prepared to go white water rafting during Session 2 of 2015 this year it started to rain during our safety talk guides.  As you can see from the photo below this wasn't just rain, we were experiencing an official Pennsylvania Downpour.  As you can imagine camp spirits were low for the moment as we all anticipated 5 hours of paddling in the rain and all the shivers and teeth chattering that comes along with it.  

Before long we all had paddles, helmets, raft captains and were in our boats receiving final safety instructions.  The first rapid of the day is long winding rapid appropriately called "Entrance Rapids".  As we all struggled and paddled it continued to rain like a monsoon.  

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE SMA WHITE WATER RAFTING VIDEO

Come see Director Jud and maybe even Wyatt and Molly at the Summer Youth Fair at Mount Nittany Middle School

Saturday, February 1

Where: Mount Nittany Middle School

2015 Summer Activities Fair

Stone Mountain Adventures will be attending the Summer Camp Discoveries Fair at John Hopkins University!

When: Tuesday, February 17, 2015, 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Where: John Hopkins University, Turner Concourse, East Baltimore campus

Meet with local and regional camp representatives to learn about:

• Camps for children ages 4-18
• Day and overnight camps
• Camps for individuals with special needs

Attendees will receive the 2015 Summer Camp Guide and can enter a raffle to win camp discounts and other great prizes!

 

 

 

My name is Melissa Mooradian, I spent my first summer at Stone Mountain Adventures Teen Summer Camp when I was 12 years old.  I was a camper at SMA Teen Camp for four summers, from 2005-2008, and the three and a half weeks I spent at SMA each summer changed me dramatically.  They helped me build confidence, learn to overcome fears, and embrace the challenge of new activities.  As a small timid 12 year old, I was terrified of most of the “adventure activities” offered at camp.  My first time white water rafting down the Youghiogheny River, I cried so hard before getting on the river that my counselors almost didn’t make me go.  I’ve rafted that river 8 times now, successfully leading my own boat of campers down the river this summer. Stone Mountain Adventures Teen Summer

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We Have a New SMA Video on our Homepage!

All of us here at Stone Mountain Adventures are excited to announce that we have a new promotional video on our web site!

The amazing thing about this video is that is was 100% made by SMA Campers and Alumni!

We would like to thank Matthew Fichandler and our crew of amazing Third Session Campers for their time and dedication in putting this incredible video together.  Matthew Fichandler was a camper at SMA for 5 Summers (2010-2014) and is now freshman at Wesleyan University studying film!

In addition the soundtrack of the new SMA Teen Camp Promotional Video is by a 4 Year SMA Camper (2005 to 2008) and current camp counselor Ali Sanzo. Her band is called Sweater Core.  To learn more about Sweater Core:

• Like Sweater Core on Facebook
• Listen to their music on Soundcloud
• Visit the Sweater Core YourTube Page

We think you will agree this is our best SMA Video yet!

My name is Alyna Malyniak, and and a few months again I returned to my home in Australia after working at Stone Mountain Adventures Summer Camp.  I am already gearing up for another summer there in 2015!  ‘Bunk Junk’ and ‘Invention Convention’ were only two terms  I had no idea about when I first arrived to work at my first ever SMA Teen Summer  Camp this year.

Having never attended a 2 week summer camp before, let alone worked at one, I had no idea what to expect when I was picked up at the train station in Huntingdon, PA after travelling for what felt like forever. That night, once I had met my fellow counsellors through a haze of jetlag, one thing was for certain: I’d met some of the best people I was sure I’d ever meet. The next 10 days of staff training were a challenging and confronting experience, I felt like I had so much to learn, and of course I was terrified of being a terrible counsellor – but I made it through and was ready for the next challenge, the arrival of the campers.

Last week I traveled to Manchester, England, for three days. It was a quick trip, but an incredible experience. The purpose of my trip was to attend a "staff fair" hosted by Camp America, a company that helps camps like SMA Teen Camp find international staff and then arranges their J1 work visas.  The staff fair was a smashing success with about 90 camps in attendance and more than 2100 potential camp counselors trying to find the perfect camp for them.   

The GHS PTA will host its annual SummerFare Camp Expo on Wednesday, January 28th, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm in the GHS Student Center.  This event is open to the public and is free of charge.

A Climbing Camp Camp Counselor Returns to SMA 20 years later!

A few weeks ago a former camp counselor came to visit Stone Mounatain Adventures Teen Summer Camp.  Neal McLennan traveled from Brisbane, Austrailia with his wife Natialie and their three children Grace (7), Anrdew (5) and Hannah (3) - very brave.  Neal was a camp counselor at SMA Teen Summer Camp in summers of 1993 and 1994.  For those of you who remember Neal, he actually hales from England and immigrated to sunny Brisban, Australia in 2004.  The following is an interview I conducted with Neal while he was here visiting camp after being gone for 20 years: