What are you dressing up as for Halloween this weekend? If you’re not sure, don’t fret – if you pull out some of your camp gear, and add a bit of personality, we’ve got some great camp themed costumes for you!
Lifeguard - Grab your swim trunks, a camp T-shirt, a whistle and sandals & you’re ready to head to the waterfront! Add in some floaties and you’re all set! Athletics Specialist - Put on your sneakers, choose a sport and use your imagination! Make sure you do it with all your favorite camp gear! Outdoor Adventure- Khaki shorts, camp shirt, some rope & a helmet and you’re ready to tackle the climbing wall! Referee - Black shorts or pants with a black & white striped shirt and a whistle! Add a soccer ball, basketball or football. Counselor - Camp shirt with regular sports shorts, sunglasses and sneakers. Have a notebook handy so you can take notes on all your campers!
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We’d love to see all our campers in their costumes – email us your Halloween pictures to submissions@camptlc.com and don’t forget to save your costumes and bring them to camp next summer!
Okay kids! Just like every morning in camp where we post a new porch puzzle on the bulletin board at the Main House for campers & staffers to decipher, here’s a little something to keep you busy… Put on your thinking cap & start solving! Click on the image to make it bigger.
My keys hang on a lanyard of beads strung by a 9 year old. Around my wrist are a combination of string friendship bracelets and silly bands. On my car is a bumper sticker that reads “Roscoe Diner.” The desktop background of my computer is a picture of the most comforting lake in the world – Timber Lake West’s lake. My name is Jill, I’m 21 years old and a senior at the University of Maryland. But no matter how old I get, or where I go, the camp bubble is never far away. Not only is my life better for having gone to Timber Lake West, my life is where it is because of West!
I boarded my first bus to Roscoe, NY in 1999 as an 8 year old tom boy with buck teeth. And now, 13 years later, I’m about to graduate college with the hopes of becoming a teacher. I landed on this career path primarily because camp showed me that I have a true passion for children. Plus, education allows me the luxury of going back to my home-away-from-home every summer! The 10 months of the year I spend away from camp are undoubtedly shaped by my previous summer’s influence.
In 2005, when I was approaching my final year as a camper, I got a babysitting job in order to pay to stay for both four week sessions. My parents didn’t love the idea, so I took it upon myself to raise the money. To this day I’ve never felt more accomplished. Moreover, this gesture proved to me and everyone else in my life the extent to which I love Timber Lake West. Since then, caring for children has been a huge part of my life.
This past weekend we took our Collegiate and Teen campers back up to camp for one last visit in 2011. We had a great time reminiscing about this past summer and all the fun we had. We were grateful the weather predictions were wrong! Although a rainy weekend seemed inevitable based on the forecast, the sun was shining in Roscoe all weekend long!
The weekend began with our campers boarding the charter buses from Long Island and New Jersey; everyone was so excited to be with their best camp friends one last time before winter approaches. Indian Summer would not be complete without a bonfire and some sticky, messy, delicious s’mores! On Sunday we returned some, tired but very happy campers to their parents who were waiting to greet them.
Check out the photos below of our Indian Summer 2011 weekend!
It’s school time again! Like us, you’re probably feeling a little sad that camp is over and school has begun. Back to the books & homework, counting down the days until we can come back to our summer home and all our great friends – both new and old! So to help you daydream about camp, check out some of these great photo highlights and tune in to our YouTube video channel HERE to relive all your favorite camp memories!
Just like you wrote letters home during the summer, why not write letters to camp? We’d love to hear from you! Are you starring in your school’s theater production? Did you make the lacrosse team? Send us your updates to be included in a future blog post! Submissions can be sent to letters@camptlc.com.
Before you know it, camp will be right around the corner again! Hey, it’s only 278 days until first session and 305 days until second session 2012!
Our campers recently took part in helping to fund camper-ships to Morry’s Camp. Morry’s Camp is a unique four-week program which guarantees four summers of camp to under-privileged children who keep up with their school work and are positive role models in their community.
One of the ways in which we help is by having a camp-wide Swim-A-Thon. Our campers gave it their all by swimming or walking laps in our pool to raise money for inner city children who would otherwise not be able to attend summer camp. The funds raised have truly made a difference in the lives of hundreds of children, and this year was no exception. A HUGE thank you to our TLW campers! You have made such a difference in the lives of so many others!
It’s wonderful to see the proud faces of our campers who recognize their own selfless contributions. Through our STARFISH Values Program, we teach our campers that each individual can make a difference. Events like these show them that when each person does his or her part, together the impact is amazing!
Visiting Day for our 2nd Session campers was fantastic! Although we had a little bit of rain which found us after lunch time, it didn’t dampen our spirits one bit! It was clear to see that our campers were in their glory and just loved showing everyone around their summer home. The day was wonderful and we look forward to the excitement in the days to come before finishing out summer 2011 with our 2nd Session campers!!!
The beauty of a 4-week sleep away camp is that if going away to camp the second half of the summer better suits your needs, then there are no worries like some parents have if you were to start your summer mid-way through a traditional 8-week sleep away camper’s summer. At West, the first day of 2nd session is everyone’s first day, filled with all the same excitement as the first day of camp at the beginning of the summer!
Screams, hugs, tears of joy and mad dashes towards those friends and counselors who were missed so much from last year, were heard throughout the camp as everyone started to get settled in to their bunks. We had beautiful weather for our Opening Day BBQ and everyone was thrilled to be back together again. Welcome back home TLW 2nd Session campers!!! Welcome home!
Hugs were happening everywhere on the last day of camp for our 1st session campers. As your buses pulled out of camp and around the winding road, we stood in front of the gates and made our way back down to the porch of the Main House. We can’t stop thinking about how amazing 1st session was!
It’s hard to believe that it has been only 4 weeks since that same gate opened and we welcomed you to your summer home – back to this incredible world of love, laughter, family and friendship. This is the place where your friends always know how you’re feeling, who always know how to make you laugh and who are always there to give you a hug, a pat on the back or just a smile…
Just because 1st session has ended for this summer doesn’t mean you can’t be in touch with us or your camp friends throughout the year ~ It’s never too soon to call your camp friends and tell them that you miss them already! (They’re probably about to dial your number, too!) It’s never too early to start counting the days until next summer.
From White Rio to Red Hong Kong to Minute to Win It and ice cream social snack. Remember the dance parties, star jumps and the themed Barbecues – Country, Rock Star and Halloween – and don’t forget all of the FAKEOUTS and fortune cookies falling from the sky . . . Dance Dance Revolution and our very own TLW Aladdin. Remember Fourth of July fireworks, Ultimate Entertainment and Chocolate Pudding wrestling, Miss TLW and Girls’ Sing . . . the list just goes on and on.
To all our 1st session campers: We hope you all have an incredible rest of the sumer and school year, and we hope that you will stay in touch with us over the next eleven months. We are already counting the days until June 24, 2012. We miss you so much already!
1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – WE WANT COLOR WAR!!!!!! Color War for 1st session was filled with excitement and lots of energy from both the White Rio & Red Hong Kong teams. Break-out (The official commencement of Color War) is always in the back of our camper’s mind as days of “Fake-outs” (fake break-outs!) take place just to keep them on their toes!
The official break-out happened, and boy our campers were surprised! Team lists dropped from the sky and campers prepared to compete against one another. Stakes were high in events like Tug-o-War, blind-folded canoe race, egg toss and everyone’s favorite – an Apache Relay. Sing Night came to a conclusion as the teams sang their alma maters (videos below!) and when all the points were tallied, White came out on top with only an 8.7 point difference!
We had such a fantastic 1st session with our campers! We can’t believe how quickly time flew by! We look forward to seeing all of our 1st Session campers again next summer
As we like to say: Timber Lake West campers get the full camp experience in just half the time! Color War is certainly no exception. See for yourself in the below videos and pictures! (Wonder how 2nd Session Color War will turn out… Hummmm…..)
On Sunday we returned some, tired but very happy campers to their parents who were waiting to greet them.
