Liberty Lake’s New Year Resolutions

Happy New Year Liberty Bloggers!

At Liberty Lake, we continually strive to improve ourselves. Whether it’s coming up with new ideas or putting creative twists on old standards, much of the off-season in the camp office is spent making plans to make us better. As we say goodbye to 2011 and hello to 2012, we have put together a list of LLDC New Year’s Resolutions - Things that we, as an organization, are dedicated to doing in 2012.

Camp Mission & Philosophy:

• Continue to refine & enhance our core mission, philosophy and values - and infuse these in everything we do. We intend to build upon the commitment we made in 2011, to dedicate ourselves to teaching our Campers and Staff the 21st Century Skills to become successful, contributing adults in modern society.

• Become more and more intentional in all of our thinking & doing. Last year we intentionally programmed our activities integrating the 21st Century Skills framework into the camp curriculum. In 2012, we intend to take this a step further, integrating these skills into our informal times, such as group times, lunch, special events, etc.

Outstanding Service To Camp Families:

• Keep Camp affordable - both for current and new families, for as long as we can - we'll continue to keep our Camper Tuition rates frozen until we see the economy take a turn for the better!
• Provide Liberty Lake families with added value and benefits through our newly established Family Benefits Program. The intent of this program is to provide Liberty Lake Families with exclusive discounts, services and offers from local businesses. We have several participating partners already, and will work hard to keep the list growing. 
• Parenting Program/Workshop- We will be holding a Parent Workshop on the evening of March 1st to show the critically acclaimed movie Consuming Kids, and hold a discussion panel afterwards, moderated by Dr. Rafe Vecere.

Protect Our Environment:

• From the negative effects of the New Jersey Turnpike's expansion and proposed Warehouse Distribution Facility. We will continue to "shake the trees" for environmental justice more than ever in 2012! Our goal is to double the number of members in the We Love Liberty Lake Coalition, and continue to promote awareness of environmental issues in our local communities. 
• Continue Going Green- besides recycling more, we intend to start composting from our landscaping and lunch debris!

Community Impact:

• Increase the scope of our Liberty Lake Foundation by fostering more relationships with schools and youth development organizations. 
• Continue to give the gift of camp to underprivileged children through Foundation “camperships.” 
• Promote physical and mental wellness at our Second Annual Community Health Day.

Social Media & Website:

• Continue improving our website - which has taken a giant leap forward into the 21st century this past year. In 2012, we plan to add more content & resources to the site, while also improving it's organization & layout - increasing it’s value for campers, parents and team members alike. 
• Strengthen our connectivity & sharing with the Liberty Lake Family through our social media outlets. 

Staff Team:

• Retain our best team members from 2011 and find the best and brightest to add to our 2012 Team. 
• More training and professional development for our summer and year-round teams.

Camp Programming:

• Amaze and wow with new special events, and new electives

And of course.....

Make 2012 our best summer yet!

LLDC Salutes Jason Samuel- An Exceptional Individual!

At Liberty Lake, we take pride in having the greatest team of staff members we can possibly assemble, and we get better and stronger each year. More and more experienced staff return, and more and more Campers evolve into outstanding staff- seeking to "pay it forward" from their amazing Camp experiences. I'm proud of our outstanding team members at Liberty Lake- both year-round and seasonal. We are fortunate to have some very dynamic performers, eccentric characters, and dedicated, hard working wonderful people- And one of our best ever is riding off into the sunset at the end of this month.

Long-time Assistant Director Jason Samuel is moving on in the Camping world, having recently accepted a job as a Camp Director at a Resident (Sleepaway) Camp beginning in January. We will miss Jason greatly- but it is a great opportunity, and we wish him the best.

Jason Samuel, LLDC Assistant Director 2004-2011

Jason leaves us after 7 wonderful years with a unique opportunity to help lead a onetime great Camp back into prominence. Replacing Jason will be challenging, as his talents were so varied and so many- From hiring, to the pool, the lake, outside program facilities, the high and low ropes course which he helped build, dealing with contractors, American Camp Association standards accreditation, being a true extension of "Me" outside during the Camp day- I could go on.

But what I want to put forth with this blog is something about Jason that I feel is EXTRA special. Something that you only see in the top tier of employees in any organization. Jason worked at Liberty Lake the past seven years as if he were an owner. What does that mean? It doesn't mean that he used his company card on lavish vacations- on the contrary, he'd probably ask permission to buy a pack of gum. What I'm talking about is job commitment, work ethic, and selfless way of seeing the big picture. No matter how difficult the situation, Jason did what it took to get the job done.

The newest generations that have entered the workforce- Gen Y and the new "Digital Generation" have a reputation for NOT being like their parent's generation. Our parents toiled away at thankless jobs, dedicating their lives to their families, becoming the first in their family to attend college, living with the core necessities of life, looking forward to the annual week down at the shore, and the occasional trip to Disney. My Generation (X), in an effort to give our kids more than what we have, generally spoiled our children, and created a generation of well-meaning, but entitled young people. This is a generation that despite the poor economy, only works at jobs that they enjoy, lives at home well into their twenties, lives for today- doesn't plan for the future, and aren't so good at dealing with disappointment (because their parents protected them from it for so many years). Jason was a throwback to the old days.

From the first day he worked at LLDC, until this last week- Jason was in early, stayed late, worked until his assignments were done, didn't look at the clock, didn't take days off, worked at home when he was sick, always went the extra mile, got his hands dirty (you don't even want to know the details), and kept a positive disposition through it all- and it was real. That was Jason.

Overseeing so many areas at Camp, Jason understood the delicate balance of what was best for Camp and the Campers- with what was best for the budget. He saw the monstrous pool pumps in regards to their relevance and efficiency- as well as their replacement cost and electrical usage ($$). He knew when it was important to spend money, and when it was fiscally prudent to find a cheaper way- and it wasn't his money! He was getting paid the same regardless. He often made fiscal choices that made his job more difficult, but that was Jason- he felt an ownership at his job, as if he were an owner. He worked his job as if it were his money. For Jill and me, the ones who pay the mortgage each month, we were very fortunate to have Jason as an assistant director for so many years.

Jason can't and won't be replaced by one person. Like a good sports team, we will band together, dividing and conquering from now through the summer and beyond, and Liberty Lake will continue to flourish. But Jason's spirit, just like his many contributions- will remain with us for years to come.
Onward and upward- Good luck Jason, we will miss you!

If you’d like to say goodbye to Jason, you can still Email him at libertylakejs@gmail.com.

2011 Parent Feedback Survey – Summary of Responses

Thank you to the 100 + parents that completed our end of the summer survey! Your feedback is incredibly valuable to us. We love hearing about what you love about Liberty Lake, and your suggestions on how we can improve are a big help in our off-season planning.

Below is a quick snapshot of the responses -

Q: What makes Liberty Lake Day Camp such a special place for you and your family?

“My son has Special Needs. This was his first camp experience he has had without an aid. He did GREAT! He was so happy at Liberty Lake. His independence and comfort level were amazing. He said how nice everyone was to him and he can't wait to go back! THANK YOU!”

“We love that it is all about making friends, learning to work with people and playing outside and getting dirty. One of the best things is that there are no electronics ~ this is great! I love that my kids come home dirty and tired after a long day of playing and just being kids. It's nice to be around people with similar views and it's nice to know that our children are being well cared-for.”

“Tons of activities they have never been exposed to surrounded by a caring staff. An opportunity to learn and grow both academically and socially. I wish we signed her up years ago! She loved it!!”

“The chance to be good as in the 'good old days' before sitting on butts playing video games all day.. And of course, the staff, electives etc. There's nothing in NJ like LLDC”

Q: Please RATE your feelings from 1 (poor) to 5 (AMAZING) with this summer's service or program:

More than 95% of parents rated us with a 4 or a 5!!

Q: How can we make the Camp experience better for next summer?

“Food needs fewer carbs and sugar, more veggie options than just salad and more lean protein.”

“You should sell LLDC tees and other items at Family Night ~ I think it would do well and we would definitely make purchases.”

“We would love a bus pickup/dropoff site in Collingswood!”

“I'd appreciate more frequent communication/updates from the counselors. Sort of a group version of the weekly-ish notes we got at the younger levels. Sometimes the incite helps us prime the kids to tell us more about their days...”

"Discuss with the older kids preparing to become CIT/LITs what the program is and that it is important to LLDC if they want to become counselors in the future.”

“Enhance pre and post weeks.”

“Keep the pricing reasonable.”

“It would be fun to see some sort of closer to real time info feed. Hourly twitter updates, or mobile web cam that might follow the action and broadcast the gaga tournament or tug-o-war, live-ish photo stream...I don't know. The kids are obviously excited to be there, but the parents are excited about it too. Just catching the kids crossing the driveway on the webcam is great fun.”

“LOL make it all year long.”

Well unfortunately we can’t make camp year long : ( 

Although it sure would be nice! 

However, the people that are at Liberty Lake all-year (Andy, Jill, Jason, Joe, Brandi, Ellyn & Justin) will work hard to put many of your suggestions into action for 2012! While the Liberty Lake experience is excellent, we also know that it can always be better. Thanks again for helping us with this, and you can send us additional comments & suggestions at any time – fun@libertylakedaycamp.com.

Teen Leadership Program Update

Last Friday we hosted our first annual HalloTeen Party -- and it was awesome! Thank you to the 70+ Teen Leaders that attended, it was great to see all of you. Check out our HalloTeen Photo Album on Facebook!

Here's a look at some of the changes that we have in store for 2012 -

Program Name Change: Entering 9th graders are now CITs – Campers in Transition & entering 10th graders are now LITs – Leaders in Training.

New Daily Schedule for 10th Graders: Entering 10th grade LITs are not going to be assigned to camper groups, but will still spend a lot of their time with younger campers and assisting camp staff. The new daily schedule will allow us to maximize leadership time – as 10th graders are going to spend more time doing more community service and camp-wide projects than ever before.

10th Grade Challenge Training: Exclusively for members of the 10th grade LIT Program. The challenge training will take our young leaders out of their comfort zone, while focusing on goal setting, teamwork, and going beyond their perceived limits. Whether high in the trees on Liberty Lake’s awesome High Ropes Course or in the trenches with their fellow LITs, this training promises to be engaging and exciting!

Leadership Events: As a reward for all of the hard work and effort of our program participants, we are going to host Teen Leaders Only Events during the off-season and in the summer!

Teen Leadership LIT Shirts: Just as members of the Liberty Lake Staff Team have their own shirts, Teen Leaders will too! These shirts will distinguish program participants as the young leaders of our camp community.

Keep in mind that these are the changes that we have planned for next summer as of now, and camp is still more than 6 months away. We want to know what you think - your input is incredibly valuable to us, after all, these programs, are for YOU. 

At any time you can e-mail suggestions or feedback to leaders@libertylakedaycamp.com.

Upcoming Events & Important Dates

As you know by now, the fun never stops at Liberty Lake! This week we have two important events –

■ Spirit Committee Meeting #1 – Join BC and the gang this Thursday, October 20th, at 5:30 pm in the ACR Room to help brainstorm new and exciting ways to improve Liberty Lake’s Spirit Program!
 

■ HalloTeen Party – All CITs & LITs from 2011 and those entering the programs in 2012 are invited to our first annual HalloTeen Party- this Friday, October 21st, from 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm at the Rutgers Eco-Plex. Don’t miss fun Halloween games, reuniting with Camp friends and watching the movie voted by you - BEETLEJUICE! Check out the event on Facebook!

Here’s a look at some of the key dates for 2012. For the complete list, be sure to check out the Important Dates  page of our website. 

Tuesday, Nov. 15th – Pay in Full Discount Ends

Friday, Dec. 2nd – 2012 DVD Premiere at Rutger’s EcoComplex (6:30 to 8:30) 

Friday, Jan. 13th - Team Reunion & Movie Night (6:30 pm to 9:30 pm) 

Friday, Jan. 20th – Senior Camp/Teen Leadership Focus Group at Rutger’s Eco-Complex  (6:30 to 9:30) 

Sunday, Feb. 12th- First Tour Day/Open House (11 am to 3 pm) 

March 13 – 16 – ACA Tri-State Conference in Atlantic City 

Sunday, Apr. 22nd – Teen LEAD Conference in New York City (TBA) 

Saturday, May 12th – Community Health Day + Tour Day/Open House (11 am to 6 pm) 

Thursday, May 31st – All-Team Orientation (4:30 pm to 8:30 pm) 

Friday, June 1st – New Jersey Renaissance Faire School Day 

June 2nd, 3rd, 9th and 10th – New Jersey Renaissance Faire 

Tuesday, June 12th – Parent Meet and Greet (6:30 pm to 8:00 pm) 

Monday, June 18th – Pre-Week begins 

Monday, June 25th- The Regular Camp Season begins 

Thursday, Aug. 2nd – Family Night (6:30 pm to 8:00 pm) 

The countdown to the summer of 2012 is on!