2014-Annual Report

Camp Onas
Annual Report
October, 2013 to
September, 2014
Friends Camp Association of PA, Inc.
Holly Mueller Hecht
Executive Director/ Camp Director
Matthew Hecht
Camp Director
Contributors:
Joshua Laker, Assistant Director;
Sue Neiger Gould, Former Director;
Leah Bakely & Caleb Savage,
Directors’ Assistants;
Sabrina Brier, Senior Counselor
Inside this report
Our Wonderful
1-2
Summer
From The Directors 1
The Neiger Gould
Camper Fund
2
Operations &
Improvements
Outside My Comfort
Zone
Off-Season Group
Use
A Note from Sue
Camper Enrollment
Statistics
3
3,5
3
Our Wonderful Summer
Outstanding weather, an experienced
staff, and thoughtful and fun-loving
campers set the stage for one of the most
pleasant, creative, and energetic summers
we can remember.
Highlights of our summer included:
The Arts and Crafts program was popular
in the cleaned up A&C area (cleaned and
painted by a group of counselors in
March). Campers enjoyed new activities
like temporary murals and blindfolded
portraits, while keeping classics like
basket weaving, recycled sculptures, tie
dye, crochet, and more.
Performances! Lots of performances —
the Onas Band (with a new drum set!),
tent lip sync, dance shows, Onas Night
4
4
Quaker Camper Sta- 5
tistics
Fundraising &
Camperships
6
Finances
6
Live, Shakespeare interpretations … and
more — Campers performed, and were
entertained by one another several times
each session. These shows are always fun
and help reinforce the community feeling at
Onas.
In our Adventure Program, the new high
ropes element, the Horizontal Ladder was a
hit — but the one we installed last summer,
the Vertical Playpen, remains the crowd
favorite. We had a High Ropes Day one
session this summer, when every camper
had the chance to do the high and low ropes
elements. We hope to have more High
Ropes Days in the future, in other sessions.
Our Woodworking Director focused on
projects kids would be able to complete
(Story continues on page 2)
From the Directors
Thank you for being a part of our wonderful year!
A recurring theme in our conversations with staff this year was how a session at Onas
can provide kids with the opportunity for not only a boatload of fun, but also the
chance to push past their comfort zone, and learn that they are more capable and resilient than they might think.
One of the best parts of being Directors at Camp Onas is having the privilege of seeing
something few adults witness: Campers feeling at ease, being themselves, and testing
their personal limits in a place they know exists just for them.
From embracing the physical challenge of the 4-day Pioneer or the High Ropes Course … to risking it all on the Onas
stage … to making a decision without a parent by their side … trying a new food in the dining hall …. or finding a
way to sing and laugh through a storm … we see Onas campers embrace discomfort and adversity, push through it,
and come out smiling each and every day of the summer.
It’s an incredible, almost magical, thing to see in action. We are thrilled to be a part of creating this experience for
Camp Onas campers, and we hope you take pride in your role supporting this work, too. Thank you!
Page 2
successfully and creatively by focusing on activities
designed for specific age groups. From graduates
making wood signs labeling the buildings and paths
around camp, to campers of all ages sanding,
decorating, and carving their own walking sticks, to
younger campers making wands for Harry Potter
Theme Weekend, we saw more campers working with
wood this year than in past summers.
Our Nature Director brought a lot of energy and love to
our Nature
Program,
pushing the
program
beyond caring
for our three
donkeys, and
incorporating
hikes, critter
catching,
habitat
building, and just finding opportunities for kids to get
out and enjoy our natural world.
The Pioneers completed their trip every session, in
spite of rain, storms, and even cold temperatures. We
were proud of them, and impressed by their stamina
Camp Onas Annual Report, 2014
and perseverance — they were proud of themselves
too.
Plenty of fun Camp Onas Classics graced the daily
schedule as well … activities like Leprechaun Houses,
Prisoners Base, Sock Wrestling, Mud Sliding, and our
much-loved Theme Weekends were all part of our
wonderful summer.
In the Onas Kitchen, two senior counselors at a time
rotated working as cooks, assisting our experienced
cooking staff. They were tasked with incorporating
more home-made items into our menu: making items
in-house that otherwise would have been purchased
ready-to-eat, and finding creative ways to prepare
the produce from our garden. We enjoyed more
innovative and tasty vegetarian options, home-made
hummus, and baked goods. Campers and staff alike
enjoyed their efforts.
Our Maintenance staff completed a lot of projects
this summer — they built an electric fence around
the compost pile, painted trim and replaced the
screens in the Dining Hall, among other projects. We
streamlined the number of cleaning products used
for routine maintenance. (We are down to four
products). Thanks to all this work, camp looked
better at the end of the summer than at the start!
A Special Campaign for the Neiger Gould Camper Fund
The name of the Russ and Jane Neiger Camper Fund has been changed to the Neiger Gould Camper Fund in
honor of Sue Neiger Gould, who lead Camp Onas from 1993-2012.
We launched a special campaign to raise $5,000 in honor of Sue by the end of May, 2015. In the months
ahead, we will be asking friends of Camp Onas to make a special contribution in Sue’s honor to help us reach
our goal. We will mark the successful close of the campaign with a special celebration in Fall 2015.
The Neiger Gould Camper Fund was originally started in honor of Russ and Jane Neiger, who directed Camp
Onas from 1969-2000. It is a fund that provides long-term support to Camp Onas and its campers. Donations
to the Neiger Gould Camper Fund are kept in a designated account that behaves similar to an endowment. Our
goal is to leave the principal untouched from year to year, using investment and interest income to help provide
ongoing tuition assistance and fund special projects that directly benefit Camp Onas campers.
To date, the fund has provided thousands of dollars in financial aid, and has helped Camp Onas complete
special projects for campers to enjoy, including constructing the stage and expanding the high ropes course.
Camp Onas Annual Report, 2014
Operations & Improvements
Enrollment was once again full in 2014, all of our
school groups and most rental groups returned.
We hired very experienced and mature summer staff,
meaning that many smaller tasks were completed
efficiently and effectively, allowing us to turn our
attention toward two major projects.
Last April, we installed our second utility-pole based
high ropes element, the Horizontal Ladder, which
towers about 30 feet in the air, presenting a mental
and physical challenge unrivaled in our other
elements.
And, this fall we undertook major renovations to the
Camp Onas pool. While the shape of the pool and the
diving boards remain the same, just about every
other part of the pool has been updated.
Page 3
Off-Season Group Use
2014
Group Type & # of groups
people
served
Schools-9
Friends Schools-3
567
137
Recreation and Retreats-5
189
Faith Based Groups-3
Young Friends Week-long gathering
160
35
Onas Sponsored
Family Camp Weekend
Onas Reunion Weekend
196
130
66
Total groups served-21
1,296
Outside My Comfort Zone
Written by Sabrina Brier, 2014 Senior Counselor
The renovated pool, nearly completed.
The work included water-blasting the pool down to
the original concrete, plastering the pool, replacing
the coping and tile, replacing the deck, redoing the
filter and pump system, and replacing the pipes
running from the pump-house to the pool.
Most of the expense for the renovation was financed
through a 5-year loan, with help from the Neiger
Gould Camper Fund and the Annual Fund.
We cannot wait to see campers enjoying the restored
pool this summer!
I was not what you might call an “outdoorsy” child. My
favorite activities included scripts, costumes, and video
cameras, rather than soccer cleats and fresh air. These
activities cultivated a foundation of creativity that
remains intrinsic to my character today. But my lack of
interest in sports, physical exercise, and most outdoor
endeavors deprived me of other important skills. I was at
home within my imagination, but afraid to push myself
beyond my comfort zone and into a place of physical
challenge and endurance. My greatest fears? Sweat…
and bugs. And then I went to summer camp.
In 6th grade, I made the uninformed decision to attend
Camp Onas. My imagination ran wild with images of
Lindsay Lohan in The Parent Trap: friends, crafts,
comradery, and cheery song-singing. These aspects that I
had pictured were certainly present (and even more
exciting than I could have possibly expected.) But camp
offered other realities as well: nature’s small, crawling
(Story continues on page 5)
Page 4
A Note from Sue Neiger Gould
Camp Onas is for Kids!
For years, that
statement appeared on
the summer brochure
that excited campers
waited for so they
could sign up for
another summer
session of Onas. Camp
Onas is first and
foremost a place that
Above: David Gould, Jane Neiger, Sue
kids can be kids in a
Neiger Gould, Russ Neiger
safe, nurturing, and,
most importantly, fun
Onas campers have
environment. When the
learned to swim and spent
Russ and Jane Neiger
hot afternoons cooling off
Camper Fund was created and jumping off the diving
to honor their many years boards. Russ, Jane, David
as Directors, it was to be
and I are thrilled that Onas
used for camperships and is honoring us by this
projects that directly
campaign to raise an
benefited the camper
additional $5,000 for the
experience. Over the years Neiger Gould Camper
it has been used to help
Fund. We thank those who
many campers attend
have given and encourage
Onas and it helped build
others to join us in
the wonderful outdoor
supporting this campaign
stage and adventurous
that will help the fund
vertical playpen. Now, as grow so it can continue
the Neiger Gould Camper into the future to give kids
Fund, it will continue to be the opportunity to be a
used for camperships and Camp Onas camper and
this year it will help fund
enjoy all the special magic
the restoration of Camp’s of Onas.
pool – where so many
The Cuttalosa Lemonade Stand—Cost: One Piece
of Trash.
Camp Onas Annual Report, 2014
Camper Enrollment Statistics
2014
2013
2012
606
101%
294
312
597
99.5%
291
306
589
98%
284
305
489
475
483
243
246
246
229
240
243
42*
15
27
28
14
14
38
14
24
One session campers
Boys
Girls
334
180
154
325
187
138
340
182
158
Two session campers
Boys
Girls
113
48
65
122
45
77
105
44
61
Returning campers from ‘13
% of eligible campers
Boys
Girls
% of eligible Friends
319
85%
81%
90%
91%
334
84%
82%
86%
87%
308
79%
78%
80%
81%
New campers
New Boys
New Girls
170
86
84*
141
88
53
175
Number of Friends
% Friends
94
19%
85
18%
92
19%
Graduating Campers
# of Friends Graduating
88
13
90
16
98
20
Total enrollment
% full
Boys
Girls
Based off of 600 spots
(In 2014, 564 2-week, and 36 1-week)
Number of campers
Boys
Girls
One week campers
Boys
Girls
*In 2014, there were two additional oneweek sessions for girls.
Camp Onas Annual Report, 2014
Page 5
Outside My Comfort Zone
Written by Sabrina Brier, 2014 Senior Counselor
Continued from page 3
creatures, physically demanding games of
Prisoners’ Base, a hot ever-present sun, and a very
apparent lack of walls. It became very clear – as
well as startling – that I was being pushed far, far
beyond my scope of familiarity. As a former
performing arts day-camper and an uncommon
Connecticut native, I was convinced that I didn’t
belong.
Yet, the inclusive spirit of Onas was undeniably
captivating. Nine years later and I am still not
particularly skilled in running or kicking. But I feel
confident and capable as a student, a worker, and
a person in ways that I never would have if I hadn’t
experienced the encouraging, positive, and
judgment-free environment of Camp Onas. I
entered camp with the anxiety of an outcast. Now,
I am entering my sixth year of being a staff
member. I direct “The Dance Show,” in which I
work with sporty, nature-inclined, outdoorsy
campers, many of whom have never performed on
a stage or in front of an audience. I familiarize with
the nervous looks on their faces, as well as the
excitement and independence that they feel as
they try something new without the help of their
parents.
At Onas, we pave the way for our campers to
learn, participate, and to challenge themselves,
Above: Sabrina Brier and Leah Bakely in costume
for Incredibles Theme Weekend
because this is the nature of the Onas experience.
We are all grateful to have grown up in a
community that provided us with the confidence
to reach beyond our comfort zones at such a
formative time in our lives. The foundation that
remains intrinsic to my character today is
supported not only by my living room
performance debuts, but also by the high ropes
courses, night-hikes, and Theme Weekend games
of my camper years.
And now, every summer that I return to Camp
Onas, I am always most particularly eager to fall
asleep to the sounds of nature’s small, crawling
creatures in my wall-less home.
Quaker Campers
Bucks Quarterly Meeting (BQM)
Number of Meetings
Represented - 14
Bristol-1
Newtown-9
Buckingham-4
Plumstead-5
Doylestown-4
Quakertown NJ-2
Fallsington-0
Solebury-9
Lehigh Valley-5
Southampton-0
Makefield-0
Wrightstown-2
Middletown-5
Yardley-4
Total number of campers from BQM:
2014-50
2013-40 2012-48 2011-45
Friends Meetings outside of BQM
Number of Campers from outside of BQM– 44
Abington-2
Birmingham-1
Brooklyn-1
Centre NC-1
Chestnut Hill-3
Downingtown– 4
Frankford-1
Greene Street-1
Gwynedd-1
Haverford-3
Horsham-2
Kennett Sq.-1
London Grove-2
Media-1
Mid-Tennesseee-1
Moorestown-2
Pittsburgh-2
Plainfield-2
Plymouth Mtg.-2
Princeton-2
Sandy Spring MD-1
Unami-1
West Chester-1
West Grove-2
Westtown-1
Willistown-2
Wilmington-1
Total number of Friends Meetings represented, including
Bucks Quarter Meetings:
2014-38
2013-35 2012-32 2011-39
Page 6
Camp Onas Annual Report, 2014
Donations & Camperships
2014 Contributions
Thank you! Our donors helped us offer Camper Aid to a
record number of campers, devote resources toward some
much-needed improvements, and pursue our fundraising
goal for the Neiger Gould Camper Fund. Thank you to all
who contributed — your support helps Camp Onas provide a fun, safe, and inclusive program for kids.
Camperships
We were again able to help every family who requested
financial assistance this year. Continuing the trend we’ve
seen in recent years, more aid was requested, and more
aid was awarded this year than last.
53 Campers attended Camp Onas with the help of the
Camper Aid Fund.
Contributions to Camp Onas in 2014:
Alumni, Board Members, & Friends:
Camper Families:
Camp Store Purchases:
Friends Meetings:
SCOPE Grant:
TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS:
$15,538
$8,346
$3,176
$1,235
$1,300
$29,595
The Neiger Gould Camper Fund was not used this year.
The fund is presently valued at nearly $83,000. We will
use a portion of the interest and dividends to help pay for
the 2014-2015 pool renovations.
Range of aid - $100—$1,200
22 campers received $500 or more
31 campers received less than $500
Aid Awarded in 2014
From Camper Aid Fund
$16,454
From SCOPE
$1,300
From Annual Fund & Other Revenue $8,169
Total Aid Awarded 2013
$25,923
Total Aid Given in 2013—$23,980
Total Aid Given in 2012—$20,500
Total Aid Given in 2011—$19,915
Finances at a Glance
We are committed to careful stewardship of our resources. Our goal is to balance the requirements of operating and
maintaining our camp with the needs of our program so the greater part of expenditures goes to providing a quality
program at a price families can afford.
Camp Onas is proud to be an accredited member of the American Camp Association.