Girls' Session Ends and Alumni Reunion

The girls finished their last week of camp last Friday! Parents visited for the last day and were able to see what their daughters had accomplished. There were a lot of hugs, smiles, and tears, and the girls departed camp right after lunch.

Over 60 Camp Rising Sun alumni joined us on July 22-24. We were lucky to have campers for life expanding many generations, from 1960s to this very 2016 season. They came from different states and countries in the true spirit of Camp Rising Sun. Alumni agreed that in times of global political unrest, Camp Rising Sun is a refuge through which we contribute to making the world a more understanding, connected and better place. 

The weekend was full of activities. We mingled on Friday, played board games and watchedJeff Orlowski's Frame by Frame film about photographers in Afghanistan. 

We also had teamworks, and alumni reminisced and sang songs while clearing up tables and cleaning dishes! 

Saturday started with a delicious breakfast followed by the Board Meeting. As all Board Meetings, it was open to the public and we had a room full of alumni listening and asking questions. 

There was also time to enjoy the swimming pool! After lunch, alumni taught instructions which was followed by a visit to Red Hook guided by the Buildings and Grounds Comm. members. 

Saturday finished with Council, in which alumni and the current leadership of LAJF shared their love for Camp Rising Sun. The speakers shared their stories about staying connected to Camp Rising Sun and the importance a home like ours existing as an antidote to the negative events that are currently taking place worldwide.

On Sunday, recent campers, current staff and Committee members held a panel discussion about sustainability and our current Camp Rising Sun program. It was a very fruitful and interesting discussion. 

At lunch, we celebrated the volunteers that make our community thrive, honoring Tim Conners as Volunteer of the Year for all the work he does. The weekend finished with a trip to Holy Cow! 

Alumni from the 1940's also wanted to join in the celebration despite not being able to join us in person, Doug Blue and John Rosenberg met and this is the message they want to share with our community: 

 Greetings to the alumni and campers

 from John Rosenberg ( '45 - '46) and Doug Blue ( '43 -'46)

  God love you,

  Success to the 2nd Camp season

Don't miss future events! Stay tuned and join us for more opportunities to reconnect! 

Girls' Week 3: Art, Music, and Dance

The second group of hikes returned today! They just spent three days and two nights backpacking through the Catskill Mountains.

Instructions this week (given by campers and counselors) included French Language and Culture, Land Art with Natural Materials, The Wheel of Social Change, Stargazing, Hip Hop Dancing, and How to Win Games with Math.

Evening programs this week included a camper-created Capture the Flag game, a scavenger hunt, and a camper-run "Town-hall" meeting.

As the campers wrap up their final week of camp, they will continue to give instructions, create projects, and run each day with enthusiasm.

Don't forget - this summer's alumni reunion is RIGHT around the corner! Starting on Friday, July 22nd, and ending on Sunday, July 24th, the reunion will give alumni the opportunity to connect, reconnect, spend time with old friends, and make new ones. There is a 20% discount for all committee members and a 50% discount for all students (high school and college)! Please email alumnireunion@lajf.org for more information, and register here!

Girls' Week 2: Hikes, Leaders, and Bridges

The girls have come to the end of their second week of camp!

The hikes went out yesterday! Campers are going to build community in small groups by learning to rely on each other, support each other, and trust each other.

In addition, this week, campers have been working on some projects to improve camp! They've been working on repainting their bathroom and dining hall, fixing a bridge across a river, and clearing out trails in the surrounding forest.

Instructions this week included discussions on current events, bookmaking, Hungarian dance, forum theatre, songwriting, and price-tagging. Evening programs included a discussion and activity about educational systems and learning styles and a camper-produced variety show.

This was the first week that first-year campers had the opportunity to lead the community in an official capacity. They took on the challenge with gusto, and led CRS 2016 through a very successful week.

Don't forget - this summer's alumni reunion is RIGHT around the corner! Starting on Friday, July 22nd, and ending on Sunday, July 24th, the reunion will give alumni the opportunity to connect, reconnect, spend time with old friends, and make new ones. There is a 20% discount for all committee members and a 50% discount for all students (high school and college)! Please email alumnireunion@lajf.org for more information, and register here!

Girls' Week 1: Suitcases, Hellos, and First Impressions

Our campers arrived this week! They're ready to begin the experience of a lifetime. Over the past few days, they've started to get to know each other, their surroundings, and their counselors. After the first day and a half of activities, campers began to settle in and adapt to their surroundings, and soon it began to feel like they'd known each other for a lifetime.

Starting on Day 3 of camp, campers experienced normal program: projects, instructions, and thought-provoking evening programs. Instructions in the first week included The Nature of Ethics, Craftivism, Working with Multicultural Teams, Hip-Hop Dancing, and Chinese Food Culture & Prejudice. Campers quickly took a shine to instructions, and they've begun to submit their own instruction proposals for next week.

Acro-Yoga!

Building a "CRS Constitution"

Craftivism

Evening programs this week included an activity on choices developed by the second-year campers, an identity-and-community focused spectrum exercise, a staff variety show, and of course, Council. 

Starting tomorrow, first-year campers will be serving as leaders of the day, projects, and instructions.

Don't forget - this summer's alumni reunion is RIGHT around the corner! Starting on Friday, July 22nd, and ending on Sunday, July 24th, the reunion will give alumni the opportunity to connect, reconnect, spend time with old friends, and make new ones. There is a 20% discount for all committee members and a 50% discount for all students (high school and college)! Please email alumnireunion@lajf.org for more information, and register here!

Second Years!

Our girl second-year campers arrived today! They're a dynamic team of six girls who are excited and enthusiastic about making CRS 2016 an amazing experience for every first-year camper. Over the next few days, they'll be working with Michael Sheldon, this summer's Leadership Education Coordinator, to build their team, make decisions about the upcoming season, and plan the first week of camp.

Staff training is drawing to a close, and staff are preparing their program areas for campers now. Our staff has used the past week and a half to bond and grow together. They've put up tents, moved beds, held a council, attended workshops on adolescent development and critical pedagogy, completed first aid and CPR trainings, and prepared for every eventuality that could arise during the season.

Don't forget - this summer's reunion is RIGHT around the corner! Starting on Friday, July 22nd, and ending on Sunday, July 24th, the reunion will give alumni the opportunity to connect, reconnect, spend time with old friends, and make new ones. There is a 20% discount for all committee members and a 50% discount for all students (high school and college)! Please email alumnireunion@lajf.org for more information, and register here!

Photo credits to Tim Bozyczko, our Medical Director.

Join the CRS 2016 Staff Team!

I am so excited to announce that we are officially accepting staff applications for the 2016 season! Though it feels like summer is ages away, soon we will be welcoming our 2016 campers for seven weeks of triumphs and challenges. We need a strong, encouraging staff team to support our next group of 120 campers.

I had the privilege of working on summer staff twice: at Clinton in 2011 and in 2015, for both the boys' and girls' sessions. I was humbled by campers' courage and insight. Though my staff years were markedly different from my years as a camper, I still felt that same powerful community spirit.

I hope many members of our alumni community will apply to be a part of the 2016 staff team. It is a wonderful way to stay involved. You can read about our summer staff employment opportunities here.

Applications for Camp Directors and Assistant Camp Directors are due on January 15th, 2016. The form can be found here.

Applications for general staff will be accepted on a rolling basis. 

• If you worked at Camp in 2015, fill out the returning staff application. 
• If you worked during any other Rising Sun summer and/or are a new applicant, please complete the staff application.
• If you would like volunteer this summer, please complete the volunteer staff application.

Warm Regards,

Yena Purmasir

Program Coordinator