Director Jud's Blog

SMA Session 3 Camp Update

Session 3 is well and truly underway and what a fantastic first week we have all had at SMA! Campers have arrived full of energy and enthusiasm which has made for a great week of exciting activities. Strong friendships have been formed and all staff can see that this session is showing how much of a family we all become at camp, relying on one another to make every day as awesome as the last!

We started this week with the belay and swim school checks for each camper as safety is a priority here just as much as having fun. We played lots of ‘Jud games’ throughout the days which helped us all to get to know one another and build some strong bonds – particularly in our crew and cabin groups.

Of course, here at SMA we spend most of our days out doing a range of exciting activities and boy have we had an action-packed week of fun. There have been lots of sports opportunities where the campers have played tennis, soccer, ultimate frisbee, disc golf, volleyball and kickball – most of which have been followed by a refreshing nearby swim to help with this gorgeous but hot weather we have been receiving.

Our master’s programs have been going amazingly with the wake masters getting lots of opportunities to get out on the boat each day and perfect their wakeboarding or water skiing. Bike masters have done some incredible trails including Allegrippis, Harvest Fields and of course our very own SMA bike trails. Finally, the rock-climbing masters have been blowing us away with their skills out on the rocks and even spent a full day at Climb Nittany, a local climbing gym.

We are very lucky to be based in Huntingdon which is home to some beautiful walks and trails both in and around the surrounding areas. There have been lots of hikes for the campers to do including Rocky Ridge, Peace Chapel (designed by architect Maya Lin who also created the design for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C.) and the infamous 1000 steps hike – what a sense of accomplishment everyone feels when they reach the top!

We have had five fantastic overnights go out including rock climbing, canoeing, mountain biking and two for wake. Overnights are incredibly special and are one of the things that sets SMA apart from other summer camps. The campers work as a team to set up tents, cook the amazing ‘mountain pies’, roast some smores and really connect with one another.

We have also had some amazing activities happening around camp including our art studio where campers get to express their artistic selves in several ways. This session we have made bird houses, friendship bracelets, airport welcome signs and had some fun with henna. We also have some exciting projects coming up for the remainder of the session including repainting wooden horses decorating the barn. Our brand-new sling shot range is now officially up and running and the first session was a huge success. Located right next to the archery range, both activities allow campers to have fun and work on their strength and aim as they try to hit targets.

Finally, we always try to give back to the community here at SMA and so of course we had our service project day this week which included a number of projects such as Alex’s Lemonade stand where we raise money for teenage cancer, we visited the Valley Visto Retirement home and spent some time with the elderly residents who appreciated seeing a friendly face and we also did some more work maintaining the Allegrippis trails.

The days here at SMA are long days full of fun from start to finish. Each evening after dinner we wind down with a different fun activity and so far, we have gone out for ice cream, done our incredible ‘invention convention’, been disco bowling which is always a crowd favorite, sat around the campfire and so much more. We are all looking forward to what is to come in week 2 of SMA session 3 as we have white water rafting day to enjoy, the themed dance night coming up and of course our INCREDIBLE talent show.

Stay tuned for more updates about the summer fun we are getting up to here at SMA!