Tuesday, November 17, 2015

I am not surprised that a gaming system was used in the recent attacks in Paris. This is how the new generation communicates. Everyone who knows me knows for years that I dislike the over use and abuse of technology. Though it is a wonderful thing to be connected to the world, I am a believer that it brings depression, poor communication skills as well a false reality of what life is all about. That is why I love camp where the air is clean, the people are real, and the ...friendships are true friendships, not face book friends. Yes, I am venting as parents need to pull those cell phones from the dinner table, shut down the games after school, and talk to your children. Look at their eyes, ask the right questions, and listen. We parents, are the teachers, not their friends, we are their lifeline to the future. We will continue to take those cell phones at camp, pull off the earphones, and put away gaming systems as our mission is to help everyone who joins us look around and see how beautiful the world can be with real friends who you can call anytime anywhere and who care! Camp is no longer a luxury I truly believe it is a necessity in todays world!

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Dog Days of Fall into Winter

I was talking to Uncle Fred and he was saying how hot it is in Florida today.  Here is Baltimore it is raining and in the 60's.  Thanksgiving is coming soon and I was thinking about all I am grateful for.  First of course my husband of 35 years, college love and my great kids and grand kids.  It was hard work but I am really proud of all of them.  My boys are gorgeous and I get a warm feeling all over when they call and I hear , "Nana".  Even the two year who does not say much but "Nana" he does say with love.  Zack works very hard in the midwest and though I miss him terribly I am proud of him for the life he has carved out for himself.  Jobi is special, beautiful, bright and really my closest girlfriend and the best.  If I ever need anything she is there.  Second is still having my father in my life.  He is an amazing man and I talk to him many times a day.  Still sharp, playing tennis and golf, and the King of his domain.    Always has my back!  Third to be able to create magic each summer in an amazing place like camp.  Sometimes we forget with the rat race of life how amazing it is to be able to escape for several months and play with adults and children in a safe, fun, place where no one grows old.  It is like Never Never Land.  I awake to Roosters screaming, children playing, laughter and music everyday.  I know how amazing it is as when I talk to alumni about  their best memories and best friends  from camp.  Some have not been to camp in over 50 years and yet they talk about it like it was yesterday.  Facebook is full of cabin pictures and people I have not seen in many many years.  Yet, I remember them like it was yesterday.  It is pure, wholesome, and amazing and I am thankful to be able to be part of this dream.  Next are my dogs.  Now many people don't love animals.  However,  I have the 3 most amazing dogs.  They are quiet, loving, and beautiful.  There is Vinney who is 13 years old, OCD, quirky and has his own corner of the house. Why OCD?  Well, he drinks in 3's, follows the same path in and out of the house all of the time, will not go any other way!  Sleeps and eats in the same corner.  Definitely fits into our family.  Then there is Millie.  She had a brain tumor at the age of 8 months and it was removed.  She is the miracle dog.   University of Pennsylvania said she was going to die but they were wrong and my wonderful vet found a surgeon who removed it and it was benign, that was two years ago.  Then there is the puppy Daisy all of  6 pounds but rules the house, and Millie.  Finally,  I get to work with amazing people.  Everyday I love being with them.  We spend an incredible amount of time together and our love is like family.  They are there for me no matter what.  Who can say that about people they work with!  They  help create the magic and love doing it.  So no matter what happens in life I have been blessed and if I don't say it enough, I am thankful!!!  What are you thankful for?  Look around, life may be difficult at times but there is always something that is amazing that makes the hard work and hard times just a bump in the road!

Thursday, October 8, 2015

Back To Baltimore Up and Running!

    When I tell my friends and family I work for a summer camp they always say to me, "Wow that sounds great!  What do you do the rest of the year?"  I stand there like a deer in headlights with no idea what to say, those who have never done it, never lived, just wouldn't understand anyways... So I just give the generic answer, "Well, we start planning for next summer, you know... Staffing, recruiting, business operations." I then hear them mumble under there breath, "Yeah... Ok, nothing... sounds like a dream"  If only they knew how HARD we really work.  Jill, Fred, Allison and of course myself put in a lot of hours and a lot of work to put together the production of Your summer experience.  Trust me is not nothing, but it is a dream, a dream world we strive to create for children and teens.  A world where you can be free to express your self, you can succeed in everything, a dream world where you meet the best friends and build the strongest relationships you will ever make.  Already Jill has visited 3 new prospective family's, we have started to put out strong feelers for staff,  begun putting together a shell calendar of programming, and started the last steps of finishing the journals, look for those soon!  WOW, we have only been back to work for 3 days! So many things are in the works for 2016, such a great core group of returning staff, and the best early bird enrollment in my 9 years of working at Timber Ridge.  The buzz in the office is electric for this time of year as leads roll in.  Allison is working with Google to complete the virtual tour, Jill is contacting family's and potential hires for key staff, and I am busting out Journals and keeping the business aspects of camp rolling.  Jill and I drove up to camp yesterday to check out the closing process, camp is all buttoned down, locked up and put away.  Bill and Bill are just working on the last few steps to make sure nothing gets damaged in the West Virginia winter.  We enjoyed walking around reminiscing so much that we didn't get back to Baltimore until 7pm.
    We always look forward to hearing what your are doing, where you are, how your sports teams are performing, any awards you have received, plays you have acted in, or really anything else you want to tell us! We will publish them in our blog and newsletters for all of your Timber Ridge Family to see.
   We also love to talk to your friends about camp, so if you have any friends or family who would like to talk camp please send them our way or give them our email or phone number.

Keep in Touch and keeping checking our blog, your mailbox and our website for updates, information and news!

Later,
Alex

Friday, June 26, 2015

Camp - My Story



                Camp is the only place to get away. Adults acting like children. Children trying to act like adults, but still holding on that youth that most of have lost along the way. Camp is the one and the only place that I know of where people come together and change. The memories stay for a life time just like the lessons we all learn.

                We might get caught up in the activities, the camp gossip, the evening activities, but you will never forget the feelings that we have. I ask myself at the beginning of another summer, why did I come back this summer? I remind myself of the color wars, the tears shed when we leave, the laughter (coming from the most unemotional Scuba out there), and the memories that stay with me forever.

                I remember starting camp at the same time as Logan and Paige Adams. How over six summers we come to claim that we I am part of the Adams family. How I remember sitting on my porch playing Pokémon with Merek. How I can tell you all of my camper’s names by heart, but I can barely remember half of my co-counselor’s names. These are the memories I have. I remember the tears I shed when Teddy New left camp my first summer, because he looked at me and we both started to cry.

                Summers are the memories and feelings that we have. Camp is the place that we can have those feelings and memories. And I am glad that I have been fortunate enough to spend six summers with the blessed individuals that come in and out of Timber Ridge. I wouldn’t change a moment of it.

                I <3 Camp,
Scuba Steve

Thursday, March 26, 2015

So many new amazing people are coming to camp this summer.  I would like to introduce Maria Garcia. She will be heading our dance program this summer at camp.  Maria holds degrees in Modern Dance, and her style is very unique.  Her international credits include both a dancer and choreographer in Spain, Germany, Argentina and the Dominican Republic.  For the last 25 years she has lived and worked in South Florida.   Currently,  Maria is a dance teacher at Okeeeheelee Middle school in West Palm Beach.  Heading our Art Department is Sarah Granger.  Sarah is a mother of 4 ( who will all be attending camp) and lives in Charlottesville, Va.  She comes from an art background and is familiar with education as her husband is a teacher advocate in the Charlottesville community.  Mary Helen Crowder is our third full time registered nurse who will be working with Kathy and Kieran.  She has two sons who will be coming to camp this summer with her.  Welcome back Allison Busky.  We are so excited to have her join the Timber Ridge team.  She and her son Aiden will be working with Scuba in the office.  Allison is an amazing person who is not only smart  but knows and loves Timber Ridge.  We are fortunate to have her!   While we are welcoming back people of the past, welcome back Matt Demko.  He will be running the canteen, working with Murray and JM this summer.  Also, welcome back Mauricio as senior boys division leader.  He is an amazing young man who knows camp, the camper, and Timber Ridge.  
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In one month Alex , JM , Jordan Cooper and myself are moving to camp!  Can you believe it?   It is true we have to get the place ready for a group Memorial day weekend.  Also, I need to check on my chickens and peacocks that are now grazing at Timber Ridge.  Millie, Vinnie,Oreo, and Nick are ready to run before the children get there and now that the winter is over. Logan Adams and  Ellen contacted us yesterday, They want to come early too, so it will be really be a wonderful precamp.

The roof on the dining hall is being replaced this week, and next week the tennis courts are getting painted.  So we are busy on our way towards summer 2015.  Stay tuned for more information coming to you!

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

91 Days

91 Day---- Just rang through  my brain--- Still over 90---- But so few with so much to do!  People always ask what we do in the off season.... Its very hard to explain--- because you do so much and so many totally different unrelated things--- Like writing a blog---Order buses---- Book Flights--- Visiting new families---Meeting and interviewing 100's of people for jobs, advertising for open positions, business administration, taxes and that's just before noon.  When People say Camp is close its almost a nervous feeling, an excited nervous feeling.  Yes Camp is close and thats amazing.. Buttttttt.... What have we forgot, what do we still need to do?  Is the water working in Cabin 8?   Is the window fixed in Cabin 28?  Did we replace the screens on cabin 3?   Did we order the bus to pick the children up in Rockville?  But we always get everything done and we are prepared and ready for you to arrive.

Murray has already put the initial calender together---We haven't filled it yet but we have a great start.

Bill and Bill have cleaned up the leaves so they can see the many projects that need completed.

Jill finally had the chickens and peacocks moved out of Baltimore and back to West Virginia where they belong!

The New ATV's Jill and I bought are up and running and will be taken to camp very soon.

We hear from our returning staff all the time with thoughts and ideas, and we are always on the lookout for new and exciting staff---We just hired an amazing Dance instructor-- I am sure she will help you spruce up MTV night, and teach all of us some moves!  Might even have to get Murray to do some Zumba!  Wouldn't that be a sight!

Scuba has put all the communications packets together so they will be mailed out next week to everyone---Keep a watch for them!

We are always here in the office if you have things you want on the calendar just let us know!

Take Care and See you soon!

Alex


Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Always Good To Hear from our Alumni!

Fred –

Happy Birthday.

I cannot believe you are “just” 85.  I attended Tall Timbers, White Mountain, and Green Briar (counselor at all three – maybe the only one) from ’62 to ’67 (camper, CIT, Jr. Counselor and Counselor).  I taught riflery and, at Tall Timbers, skeet shooting.

You imparted such wisdom and counsel then, to think that you were only 35 then is amazing.  I learned a lot from you.

If you remember, my wife Jeannie and I with our young son Matthew visited Timber Ridge for a day back in the ‘90’s.  You gave us the tour, and I saw my old cabin plaque (Rolling Stones) on the Green Briar rafters (see GreenBriar picture attached).

One other story – one day in 1965 when I was a White Mountain counselor, you and Herb came strolling along in the cabin area across from the pool carrying a sledge hammer.  There had always been this cement block in the field, and it turns out this was a time capsule from 1955, the first year.  You and Herb broke it open and included in the stuff was a list of first year attendees, which included my cousin Douglas Pollack.  That was pretty cool.

I also started playing Frisbee summer of 1965, so this June marks 50 years of Frisbee playing.  I have been playing and competing since 1965, and perhaps that never would have happened without that summer experience.


Regards,

Phil Pollack

Monday, January 12, 2015

Friendship

Shabbat, Shalom, HEY!
Shabbat, Shalom, HEY!
Shabbat,Shabbat, Shabbat, Shabbat, Shalom, HEY!....

It isn't Saturday and we aren't at services, DARN! I guess I am ahead of myself. I want to listen to the CITs as they talk about the theme, lead us in songs, activities head to award the amazing campers of the week, Uncle Fred leading us in Five Constipated Men, and who could forget about finishing it of with Friends!

Camp builds friendships between campers, campers and counselors, campers and adults, counselors and adult staff, counselor and parents, and adult staff and parents. There is so much friendship going on that it hard to keep track of the new sparks of friendship that start almost every other minute at camp or the fire of friendship keeps on burning summer after summer.

We love hearing from old campers, old counselors, or old staff. We love catching up or if your a camper we love hearing just how your day went. I have seen countless emails of questions from current campers about the upcoming year. It shows that they want the best summer as possible!

The thing is, why not bring a friend from home with you? Keep that friendship burning throughout the summer and they get to meet even more amazing people and spark friendships that they wouldn't be able to do so if they didn't come to camp.

Camp is one of the safest, if not the safest way to meet kids from France, Spain, England, Italy, Switzerland, and so many other countries that you won't be able to experience if you didn't come to camp.

So bring a friend. If they are important to you then why not expose them to the amazing magic that can only be found at Timber Ridge.

I'll be here singing my heart out till that first Saturday Service.

"Friendship we make here will last through the years,
TIMBER RIDGE
We will adore you
Our camp will sing for you
TIMBER RIDGE"

Still to early, but,
"1 2 3 4
WE WANT COLOR WAR
5 6 7 8
WE DON'T WANT TO WAIT!!!"