I so deeply appreciate my son having had the opportunity to come to such a wonderful camp with your very generous scholarship for the past four summers. I was drawn to the Camp O-AT-KA Web Site when I first began researching camps in the late winter of 2005 because your Mission Statement really resonated with me. The accompanying photos of happy boys, rustic and charming lake front buildings, including St. Andrew's Chapel, greatly impressed me. At that time I was thinking about sending my son away from home for the first time. Positive male mentoring was at the forefront of my mind since I am a single parent. Later that spring I was so excited and happy for my son when I learned he would be able to go to this special place for a whole month in the summer of 2005.
Four years later I am still in awe of Camp O-AT-KA, but from the perspective of a grateful parent whose son has had the benefit of your moral grounding of campers, which I hope will serve him well throughout life. This ethical environment Camp O-AT-KA provides as part of your overall program - with moral teaching built seamlessly into daily activities - has been invaluable for building my son's character.
The memories that our son has of camp, plus the skills he has learned, will be with him for life, and the independence that he gains every summer by taking care of himself for a few weeks helps him all year as he manages his school and extracurricular activities.
The changing times we live in make the Camp's sense of tradition and commitment to values even more important than ever. The daily emphasis on values through the Galahad program is really unique, especially in a world where we rarely pause long enough to focus on enduring principles. In my mind, O-AT-KA stands out as an oasis in a rapidly evolving world.
George had a fabulous summer at OATKA, he has not stopped talking about OTAKA since we left, and has already lined up his activity choices for next summer. Mark and I are so pleased with the positive impact his experience has had on him in every way. We thank you and the staff at OATKA for helping make his first time away from home so wonderful, successful and memorable. We hope to be able to provide him with many more summers of the whole camp experience. Thank you.
I just wanted both to commend you for the job you've done and continue to do at Camp O-AT-KA. As I've listened to Sam talk about his experience and reflect on what we saw during our brief time there, the one word that seems to best sum up the camp is "balance". You offer sports but not cut throat competition. You provide structure, but also flexibility (I'm thinking of 6th period activities). You offer trips that are age appropriate. You instill values through chapel, password and Sir Galahad, but not dogma. You provide traditional camp activities as well as things like fly tying and stained glass that aren't found in most camps. Sam will definitely be returning next summer.
Eric has had such a great experience at O-AT-KA over the last few years and especially this year as a CIT. Every year I feel like he comes home a little more mature and confident in who he is and what his values are. I want to thank you for all the work that you do to make the camp experience what it is there. A truly unique growing opportunity for boys and young men. Please thank everyone involved in keeping the place running and express my appreciation for having Eric actively engaged in challenging, constructive and fun activities all summer long!
Still have questions? Request an Information Kit!
