Camp America - Experience of a lifetime

Have you ever fancied working abroad? Do you enjoy working with children? Have you though about working at a Summer Camp in the past, because just maybe this is the opportunity you've been missing out on.


In this post I'm going to tell you about my experiences working abroad and at a summer camp. A particular summer camp that holds a very special place in my heart. First of all, I came in late to the whole summer camp thing, and university to boot. When I left school at the age of 18 I had no idea what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. It is a big thing to ask a student when you're only 18 and with, lets be honest, no real experience of life without school, and the wider world around you. Already having a job, I took it on full-time and head on and worked for 5 and half years before deciding to go to university. I picked a course I thought I'd enjoy and something I wanted to know more about and applied.

During my first year at uni, one of my best friends encouraged me to apply for a role at a summer camp that he had attended for the last few summers and told me all about it. I looked into it and told him I'd apply next year, it was a big thing to commit to and I wanted to be sure. When my friend came back after that summer, he brought someone back with him. An American student he had met at camp and convinced to come study at our city's International School and then go on to study at university here. This student would later become another of my closest and best friends, and turned out he had attended this same camp as both a camper and a counselor.

After listening to both of their stories and shared experiences, I decided that this was something I really wanted to do and as an added bonus, I wouldn't be attending alone, I'd have my friends beside me. So instead of applying through a Camp America company such as Camp Leaders, Camp America, CCUSA and Bunac, I emailed the Camp Directors directly. After a few back and forth emails we had a video call interview over Skype where we talked about myself and the camp I might possibly be working at, what kind of roles I could expect and all that stuff and in the end I was offered a job. Success!!

Now came the mountains of paperwork, making sure I had an in date passport, getting a physical done for my Medical form, references, applying for a Visa and appointment in London, (in later years an ESTA) and contracts. I know it sounds like a lot and every year it always surprised me how much there was to sign and arrange but in all honesty it's not a lot. If you go through one of the above companies, they will arrange a lot of it for you, (but take a cut in the process). But once all that was over and done with and my passport was returned to me with that precious visa stuck inside I could book my flights and then it was just a waiting game with a countdown on my calendar.

So what camp did I end up at and where was it? Well.........

Welcome to Camp Hillcroft

Camp Hillcroft, a non sectarian camp, was founded and has been run by the Buttinger family since 1950. It is located in Dutchess County on Rte. 55, about 20 minutes east of Poughkeepsie in New York and unlike a lot of Camps across America it is a Summer Day Camp where children Pre-K (3yrs) through 9th grade (14yrs) learn to do things for themselves and others.

Camp Hillcroft is where children can learn new skills, make new friends, experiment with ideas and grow in self-esteem. Camp Hillcroft, under the guidance of mature and supportive staff, helps children achieve these goals. Camp Hillcroft prides itself on not only having a superior program but also in facilitating the growth of friendships, values and community awareness.

From 1950-1992 Camp Hillcroft was a resident camp for children, owned and operated by it’s original owners, Louis and Friedl Buttinger. In 1972, their son Dennis and his wife Judy took over the leadership role and a small day camp program was started in 1987.

For several years the resident and day program ran side by side but in 1993 Hillcroft emerged as solely a Day Camp. In 2007 Dennis and Judy’s son, Greg, a 3rd generation Buttinger and his wife Sally proudly took over the role of Owners and Directors.

People always ask... ”What do the Buttingers do the rest of the year?”... the answer is “THEY DO HILLCROFT!!” It is their full time occupation and they're are proud of their passion and dedication to what they believe a summer camp experience should be!

Members of staff are selected for their integrity, uniqueness and respect for each individual, for their educational backgrounds, and for the specific skills they offer. Many return year after year, insuring the continuity of Hillcroft's values and traditions.

Hillcroft's Head Counselors have professional backgrounds that equip them to handle any problem which may arise. A majority of group leaders and instructors are graduate students and teachers, and counselors have at least some college education. All are distinguished by their dedication to their important role. Staff participate in regularly scheduled meetings guided by the administrative staff, where they focus on the dynamics of each group, and staff effectiveness in meeting campers’ individual and social needs as requested by parents. Ongoing in-service training is related to issues of health, safety, and the planning of special events, and always strive to maintain an open channel of communication with all families.

So a little background there, but these few lines hardly do the place justice. Hillcroft like its namesake, is situated upon a hill, so exercise every day is a given! The place is beautiful, from its carefully organised paths and program areas to the fringe areas where nature has been allowed to mature naturally. Located within the Hudson Valley, the camp is about 2 hours away by train to New York City. The weather as I describe it is very much like here in the UK, but more extreme. There would be days of glorious sunshine and temperatures from the mid-20s (68-85 Fahrenheit) to the low 30s (low 90s Fahrenheit) for the majority of the day and nighttime temperatures are generally in the teens (low 50s Fahrenheit), so you don't need a lot of warm clothes, if at all. That being said, rain showers can last anywhere from 5 minutes to several hours, and the best bit is the appearance of thunderstorms that can literally come out of nowhere and disappear in a flash. Sorry not sorry for the pun there.

On the first day I arrived it was a little daunting, there were lots of people there I didn't know and my two friends started mingling with people they had already met years previously, but I soon got involved and it wasn't as daunting as I'd first thought. The first few days here were based around orientation and integration, including a tour of the camp along with team build activities, social activities, and getting to know and preparation of our program and counselor areas. 


For me during my first year, this meant getting to know the other two members of the Outdoor Activity program area, taking stock of our supplies, and safety checking the equipment we would be working with. We had a 30 foot climbing tower, two high rope courses, two zip lines, a low ropes course and an Assault Course all to play with and create interesting and challenging activities around. Lets just say we were never bored. We had scavenger hunts, overnight stays, climbing competitions, trust exercises using a maze and blindfolds and too many more to list.

Every morning we would have a meeting under these trees here discussing forecast weather, any planned trips, special activities and more, getting us prepared and psyched up, ready for the day ahead. It was also a good place to catch up with the American staff on what they had done the night before after camp had closed for the day. After the meeting, counselors went to collect their wards from drop off and the program staff went to their areas for last minute checks ahead of a full on new day.

Seven periods later, it was the end of the day. Program staff started to clean up and put away their equipment and counselors would take their kids to their group areas for snacks and to await pick up. Once all the cars and buses had left it was time for another meeting to discuss upcoming events, any evening activities and general information we would need. Then it was time for reports and then the evening meal. American staff would go home, and residential staff such as myself then had free time to do as we pleased. That's right, evenings and weekends were our own to do with as we pleased as long as we were back before curfew. 

Within a 2 minute walk of the camp was a small shopping plaza and gas station, containing a hair salon, a gym, a pharmacy and few restaurants where we could get Chinese takeout, pizza and a deli for great sandwiches. Of an evening small groups of us would go down to the plaza to socialise and kick off a little steam, watch films or TV in the camp's Rec Hall, and take trips to the local Mall with our new American friends for some retail therapy. But that wasn't all. We could raid the Team Sports shed and go play Football (Soccer), Ultimate Frisbee, Kickball, visit the animals at the Farm and Nature areas, or even just go for a walk or jog around camp.

On weekends if we were nice to the lifeguards and some of them were not going off site for the weekend we could use the pool, which was a great boon and thankful reward for the program staff as we didn't have the opportunity during the normal working week.

 My favourite place at camp is an area called Maggie's Place, a place with a small chalet filled with books for all ages, flowers, two small ponds and a waterfall. It is such a peaceful area of camp surrounded by the sounds of nature where you could sit and read or just relax and contemplate. The area was created for and is the namesake of a previous camper and counselor with a love of reading who sadly died before her time. Inside the chalet are newspaper articles showing how the whole community came together to create such a long lasting and heartfelt tribute to someone who had such an impact at camp. 

My next two times working at Hillcroft took place 5 and 6 years after my first trip and the amazing thing about the place was that nothing at changed. A lick of paint here and new piece of woodworking there, but it had the same wholesome and welcoming feeling as I remember from my first time. This time however I had a different role, this time as a Games Master. This is a picture of House 5 at camp otherwise known as The Den!

 

The Den is a rather unique place at Camp Hillcroft in that it doesn't fall into the traditional areas of sports, the arts, outdoor adventure, or farm and nature. Since its inclusion into the camp program it has gone by various names; Damon's Den, Kristen's Cave, Luch's Lair, Tom's World and is a place for stimulation of the mind over body. Filled with games inspired by Dungeons & Dragons, traditional boardgames, and card games, The Den promotes teamwork through play and also a little light competition between campers. Over the years each instructor has added their own twist into how the area has been run, whether focusing on specific types of games or creating more physical activities. 

Most recently the focus has been on choice and participation, with campers having a variety of activities to choose from upon arrival. A camper that feels that they can take part with the group even if they're not playing the same game, is a camper that feels included and one that will want to return time and again. The Den is also a place for campers that sometimes have difficulty with other areas of camp life such as large groups and physical activities. Due to its more relaxed atmosphere and options of activity, such campers can feel more involved without the often accompanying stress.

Previous instructors added the options of creative drawing, designing your own games, friendship bracelet making, and reading, but in the end you got out what you put in. So the main ethos was to be creative, be understanding, be involved and to have fun! Running The Den was and still is one of the best jobs on camp!

Other than the jobs I had done on camp over the years, there are also many other activities.

Waterfront

• Instructional Swim
• Free Swim
• The Lake

Art Workshops

• Ceramics
• Cooking
• Enameling
• Graphics
• Weaving
• Woodworking

Athletics

• Archery
• Fencing
• Gymnastics
• Soccer
• Tennis
• Team Sports

Outdoor Activities and Nature

• Climbing
• Farm
• High ropes and Zip line
• Nature House
• Project Adventure (Outdoor Activities and Outdoor Skills)

Performing Arts

• Dance
• Music
• Theatre
• Yoga

So as you can see there is plenty of activities available for campers and staff with free periods to help out and join in with the fun.

Camp Hillcroft has a mission, and that is...

A camp has no rival as a place where children can spend a Summer filled with new adventure, new experiences, new friends — where children can rise to meet the many challenges of our society successfully.

Kids are motivated, challenged & changed

When you entrust your child to us for the long, lovely days of summer, we feel proud. We seek to discharge our responsibility in a caring and creative way. And, to impart the traditions and values of a positive camp experience.

Since 1950, Hillcroft has been a caring and nurturing family-run camp where children “learn by doing”. The name Hillcroft comes from hill or high location and croft, the English word for working farm. In directing Hillcroft, we strive to continue the perfect balance of our goal: personal growth, fostering independence and self esteem, and unlocking your child’s potential for the love of learning.

A full range of enrichment activities

Camp Hillcroft offers it all. Children have the opportunity to experience a full range of enrichment activities: creative arts, swimming, outdoor adventure, theatre, dance, farming and a full sports program.

Hillcroft’s staff is mature, responsible, caring and includes counselors from around the world. Over the years more than forty countries have been represented at Hillcroft. In the nurturing and accepting environment of the Hillcroft community, your child will take home something that will last forever... the memory of a wonderful summer and close friendships.

No one is left idle, no one is left out

Although life at Camp Hillcroft is structured so that each child has a sense of achievement, a generous degree of choice is permitted and encouraged in selecting activities. Boys and girls learn how to weigh program options and make choices in planning their day.

Whatever activities the campers choose, they are busy and having fun. We find that when children are relaxed and doing things together, deep and satisfying bonds of friendships develop.
Sometimes, in crowded classes and busy families, children’s needs and their unique personalities are almost overlooked. At Camp Hillcroft, realising that each camper is a special person, our program is tailored to keep him or her happily involved throughout the day. No one is left idle, no one is left out. In this way, self-confidence is enhanced.

So you can see this place is an absolutely wonderful place for not only the kids, but for the staff too, as international and even the native staff get to experience different cultures and peoples from around the world all in one place.

Special Events

Over the course of the 8 weeks at camp there are a couple of special events that take place.

ICF - International Children's Festival
ICF is an important event at camp as it's purpose is to teach the kids to be forever grateful for all that they have and that some kids around the world and at home are not so lucky.

What is International Children’s Festival (ICF)? It is the Festival of the heart…the Festival of feeling and giving to others less fortunate than ourselves. We firmly believe that our campers are not too young to learn about issues which face others less fortunate – poverty, hunger, illness, homelessness. Why do we have ICF? 

More than 80 years ago, during a very harsh winter, a little boy and his family and their entire Austrian village were probably spared from starvation by the arrival of food, clothing and medical supplies. The little boy remembered that the relief boxes, decorated with a Red Cross, came from America. The boy never forgot what saved his life... and since that time has helped hundreds of young people to consider ways of reaching out to others in need. 

That little boy was Louis Buttinger, Greg’s Grandpa. Had the food and clothes packages not arrived….there would be no Hillcroft.





We spend 2 days where we aim to empower our campers with the thought process that even though they are young they can do something to help others who are in need. Our Festival culminates in a camper-run carnival. All money raised at the carnival is donated to the ICF charities which the children vote on. These are all charities which help children in need. ICF truly IS the festival of the heart!!!

During the day, campers take part in activities specially created with the message "Be the change you want to see in the world" and many of these activities involve campers working together to solve a problem. When it comes to lunch, lower camp forgoes their desserts and upper camp has a lunch of bread, rice and water while counselors explain how some children don't even get that to eat, and the money saved from these meal changes is donated to local charities chosen by the campers. The afternoon is given over to a camp wide Carnival where campers can dunk their counselor in water, get "married", throw cream pies, raffles, buy ice cream, cakes and more with all proceeds going to charity.

Friendship Games
Friendship Games is the culmination of the summer…it is Colour War….Olympics…and farewell to friends all rolled into one day of sports, swimming and fun! Friendship Games Day truly epitomises what Hillcroft is all about. Friendship, teamwork, cooperation and having fun with friends and counselors form the basis of what a summer camp is and should be. The campers have fun participating in all different team events and swimming races wearing specially designed T Shirts created in camps own Graphics Studio. Campers are involved in designing and helping to print these very special T-Shirts!

Ok so now comes the spoiler alert! There is a secret event that occurs every year and secrecy is paramount, so if you don't want to know, you should probably skip this next part.

 The "Soccer Tournament"

What is the "Soccer Tournament"? It is Hillcroft's Arts festival, the Festival of Imagination, the Festival of make believe!! For one day only Camp Hillcroft is transformed into a storybook tale…a movie…. a play where we take our campers on the adventure of a lifetime! Our physical environment is changed overnight to reflect the theme and ALL staff are in costume acting out the theme of that year! A truly wondrous experience for our campers who get taken away with the make believe and involve themselves fully in the story line!

We spend a couple of weeks planning, creating scenery and costumes, learning lines and then the night before decorating the entire camp for one day to amaze and entertain the campers with a day of fantasy!

(Click to see larger pictures)

 In 2010 we had Superheroes Vs Villains - DC Vs Marvel

 2015 we had a musical number, Beauty and the Beast.

 

In 2016 it was time for Shrek, one of the most ambitious undertakings! 

So as you can see, working at a summer camp is never a dull moment, from all the events and everyday activities there is always joy to be had even from the little things, a joke here or a funny face there. If I had the time and unlimited funds, I would do this every year if I could, and maybe sometime in the future I will make my return but until that point I will treasure each and every memory I have of this place.

SO...if you were ever to ask me,"Should I try Camp America?" my honest answer would be YES, YES, YES, Definitely! It'll be the best thing you ever do, you'll get to experience a different country in a different way over an extended period, meet loads of new interesting people and leave with the best memories and friendships you'll ever make. Let me put it another way, my flatmate is someone I met at camp and my best friend who told me about camp in the first place is getting married early next year to an amazing woman he met at Hillcroft. So when I say this experience will change your life... I wasn't kidding. Applying was the best thing I ever did.

Catch you later!

 http://www.camphillcroft.com/

Please leave a comment below of some of your memories or adventures you had taking part at Hillcroft or any other summer camp and share the wealth of joy and fun for future applicants!

An incredibly long post this time but sometimes what you want to say can take a while, if you made it this far, here's an American Potato as your reward!