2012 Green & Gray Ball
On Saturday, January 14, 2012 at 7:30 pm at the Sheraton Boston Hotel in Boston, MA, Camp O-AT-KA will be holding the 2012 Annual Green & Gray Ball, featuring music and dancing, Silent Auction, cash bar and hors d’oeuvres, coffee and desserts. All proceeds will benefit the Camp O-AT-KA campership fund. Click Here for more information and to RSVP.
What made the 2011 O-AT-KA season so special? We could probably ask this question to every camper, and get hundreds of different answers! For some it might have been the bigger things — the beautiful weather, the outstandingly dedicated and veteran staff, the wide assortment of quality events and programs, the friendships formed. For others, it might have been the smaller ones –building a gigantic sand castle, being elected to the honor court, face-painting at the carnival, enjoying an ice-cream Sundae after winning inspection, anchoring the winning cabin relay team on O-AT-KA Day, enjoying a surprise CIT trip to the Harry Potter premiere, or maybe just having some time away from the busyness of the outside world.
Some boys would point to the courts, fields, and ranges. O-AT-KA’s intercamp teams achieved much success in 2011. The 15-and-under riflery team swept both matches against our sister camp Fleur-de-Lis for the first time in over 30 years, and reclaimed the coveted Wilkinson Trophy. O-AT-KA’s archers performed well in the Robin Hood Invitational (New England’s largest intercamp tournament), finishing first in the 12-and-under, second in the 15-and-under, and second overall. On Lake Sebago, O-AT-KA’s sailors captured first place in the O-AT-KA regatta for the first time since 1996, and earned honors at several others. In all, campers participated in 38 intercamp contests in 12 different sports.
Others might reference conquering a mountain, or enjoying the natural beauty of a waterfall. A robust Outdoor Skills program saw 21 different wilderness trips depart to locations all over Maine and New Hampshire. After a month of preparation, Josh McGovern successfully completed testing camp and became O-AT-KA’s newest Junior Maine Guide.
Still others would cite the spirited competition on Kings’ Day, which saw Green edge Grey by the narrowest of margins in the final event of the day. After King Brendan McCormick presided over a tasty medieval banquet on the shores of Lake Sebago, a highly popular jousting contest ended the festivities.
Some would undoubtedly mention the programs that made their debut in 2011. George Rothweiler and his team at Maine Divers offered Discover SCUBA to campers who wanted to see Lake Sebago from a slightly different perspective. In the Goff Center, Brian Rounds designed and offered two new crafts (Printing and Graphic Arts, and Studio Art Drawing), while Lynn Fox offered a two-period stained glass clinic to boys that wanted to focus on more advanced projects. Brian Petersen and his staff started up a two-period riflery clinic, which offered boys a chance to hone their skills more thoroughly. The chevron program was upgraded by an anonymous gift, which allowed us to replace the old two-color felt chevrons with more recognizable patches. In 2011, boys earned 575 chevrons in 34 different crafts.
Indeed, there were many things that made 2011 outstanding! And although winter is only beginning, we are already hard at work, planning to make the 2012 season even better! Already, over 70% of last year’s staff has signed up to return, including all of last year’s Senior Staff.
In addition to all of the great activities, trips, and crafts from 2011, 2012 will feature a return of the Kennebec Whitewater Rafting trip for Early Bird campers, as well as an expansion of SCUBA to include full certification in addition to the introductory Discover program. Many more great plans are in the works, so we look forward to seeing you again this summer! What will make the 2012 O-AT-KA season so special? You can only find out by joining us!
As my car approaches camp every summer, my first sight is the Goff Center. I spend most of my camp hours in the Goff Center where I teach Arts & Crafts, Pottery, Drawing, and Graphic Arts. I also oversee all of the studios within the complex. As I walk through the studios during Staff Week I get a chance to catch up with the staff who lead the fantastic array of offerings within the Goff Center for the Arts.
My first stop is usually Rocketry where I met with Dale Roussel. Though this was his first year heading up the Rocketry Program, he was ready and excited for the summer with great plans for the kids who took Rocketry. His passion for working with kids was evident right away when he wanted to streamline the process of selecting, working on and launching a rocket.
From Rocketry, I made my way into the Fly Tying Studio to chat with Roy Heller, Chaplain. Even though Camp doesn’t classify Fly Tying as part of the Art “department”, I love watching Roy plan and teach. He is so focused on the campers who have the chance to create something beautiful yet practical. Watching a fly tying lesson is truly a treat any time of the summer.
I next make my way into the Woodshop. Tom Salamone takes a moment to greet me and show me his plans for projects from Downeaster Boxes to Hand-Turned Pens. His studio is meticulously cleaned prior to camper arrival, and his prep work is evident in his smoothly run periods, watching kids construct a cutting board from start to finish is a highlight of my walk-throughs during the summer.
Moving along the decking, I make my way into the Stained Glass Studio. Lynn Fox and her staff take great care in preparing a lesson which includes safety and practicality. Watching Lynn work with each camper is like watching a master working with an apprentice. The projects start with simple glass cutting, foiling and soldering techniques. As the session rolls on, beautiful, faceted pieces of work begin to hang brilliantly in the studio windows. Lynn even teaches a Stained Glass Clinic which allows campers whom have taken the stained glass period before, a chance to create more complicated, intricate works
of art.
My last stop in my walk through is the Photography Studio. I check in with Nancy Martin and Mike Amato who work as a team to teach the many periods of Photography which are offered at Camp O-AT-KA. I usually walk in as they are mixing chemicals for use in the true art of photo developing. During the camp season, I try to sneak into the darkroom to watch Mike or Nancy in action where I get to watch true magic happen. Watching a camper’s face light up when their photo starts to appear on the paper is a memory I carry with me all year long.
One would figure that with all this talk about walking through these beautiful studios, I would be finished with my walk through; I am not. I then take a walk to Cabin Winchester where I would meet up with Peter Van Siclen or Carter Milliken. I would check in with them regarding their plans for Music and Steel Drums. During the summer sessions, I love walking by Cabin Winchester listening to some really great jam sessions with drums, guitar, saxophone, flute and violin. If that isn’t enough, if I wasn’t sure with the fantastic vistas that O-AT-KA provides that was in Maine, walking by during steel drums brings
me right to the Islands in the Caribbean.
Once finished at Cabin Winchester I make my way to the Great Hall to chat with Chase Armstrong. He has great plans for drama and plans on working on an original work that the kids create with his help. He uses his knowledge of drama skills and his ability to make a great production come out of the minds of children to provide camp with a fantastic drama program.
I can’t leave behind the four activities that I instruct within the Goff Center. I usually start my planning in early spring so that I can take more time during staff week to work with the staff of the Goff Center for Arts.
In Arts and Crafts, I enjoy doing projects that will show kids that they can transform any object into art. For example, a cereal box can be a piñata or a simple drinking glass can become a candle. With papier mache and decoupage we make our own festive piñatas and candles followed by bracelet making and puzzle making.
New this past summer was Studio Art and Drawing which focused more on older campers who wanted to learn the basic skills of sketching and drawing. The campers in this craft started by learning perspective and shading by drawing a simple set up of boxes followed by doing a street scene which virtually disappeared right in front of your very eyes. A highlight of this particular craft was taking time to free draw out and about in camp. Campers would return with phenomenal drawings of chimneys, buildings and benches.
Also new this past summer was Printing and Graphic Arts which provided campers with a chance to learn more about value and saturation. Campers used three different methods of printing: torn-paper collage, linoleum block printing, and, their favorite, screen printing. First campers created a logo which would be used for all three projects. They then recreated the logo using each method, finishing with a screen printed t-shirt.
Across the decking, I teach Pottery. This past summer was first for O-AT-KA. I invited a local potter, Celia, to come and do a demonstration for a period of pottery. She answered questions and even showed some of her trade secrets. During the summer, I spend time in the pottery studio teaching campers how to make pinch pots, coil pots, slab pots, wheel thrown bowls and vases. The campers really look forward to using the 5 electric wheels that our studio boasts, they look forward even more to showing of their work during the Goff Open House at the end of each session.
As I sit watching the last of the leaves fall from the trees here in Maine, I look forward to getting back to O-AT-KA and working in the studios with the fantastic staff and campers of Camp. See you in 2012!
Welcome to the new Camp O-AT-KA website and blog!
Camp O-AT-KA provides boys from all over Maine, New England and even the world for a summer of fun and a lifetime of memories including a wide selection of activities and programs for all interests and skills levels.
Programs like swimming, sailing, outdoor sports and training clinics, wilderness trips, arts and music activities and much more!
See why over 100 hundred years of tradition and excellence have made Camp O-AT-KA the perfect place for any boy to spend his summer by reading more about our history.