Spring has FINALLY made its grand entrance in the Northeast and with spring comes my excitement for the Summer, which is just around the corner. Besides Spring meaning Summer is almost here, I have to say my favorite thing about Spring is Spring cleaning. Now, I have to admit, cleaning is not my favorite year-round, but rather is a mundane task I feel obligated to do most days.  However, with the Spring season upon us, I suddenly feel a motivation to open the windows, get out all the dust from the Winter, purge my old clothes, and breath in the freshness of the air. It makes a usually boring task feel so much more exciting!  As I began to do my usual Spring cleaning this past week, I thought to myself, what is it about this time of year that motivates us to do so? I think my motivation comes from the feeling of “newness” that is all around me. As flowers begin to bloom and the grass begins to regain it’s green pigment, we are celebrating the beginning of life-cycles everywhere we look.

What a coincidence that when looking at the “life-cycle” of the camp season, we are also about to celebrate “newness.”  As we bring in a new Summer at Camp Echo Lake, our 73rd to be exact, we are getting ready to welcome new staff members and campers, create new connections, learn something new about ourselves, and of course gain new experiences.  One of my favorite things about camp is that every single Summer I have spent there, for the past eleven summers, has felt new and different.

How do we make every Summer feel new at Echo Lake?  We welcome new staff members and campers to our community and integrate them with our returning staff members and campers.  We put groups in different cabins each summer. We make sure every camper has an opportunity to go on new trips, experience new activities, and challenge themselves in new ways through our developmentally progressive program.  We welcome new ideas from everyone in our community. We celebrate change and actively plan all winter long to make this all happen!

So in the spirit of Spring and all that is new around us, I cannot wait to welcome our campers and staff for our first ever, brand new, 73rd Summer at Camp Echo Lake.  Whether it is your first time at camp this Summer, or your fifth, I can guarantee that it will feel new to you in many ways and no other Summer will be quite like this one!