Pots and Thoughts 1: Reflections and Recipes from Your Camp Kitchen!

Every once in awhile we hope to publish a post or two from those fantastic staffers who make the world's greatest camp cuisine. If you have any recipes you would love to try with your family, email info@yssc.com and we'll do our best to get it up! For now, please enjoy some Thanksgiving reflections from our dear friend and Food Service Manager, "Rizzo".

Now that it is well after Thanksgiving, I thought it would be more than appropriate to reflect on what I’m thankful for. And, if you know anything about me, you know I love my lists. Perhaps not as much as "Nols" does, but I still do love them. If I’m honest, writing a comprehensive list would take, perhaps, forever.  So here is a random, abbreviated list of things I’m thankful for this Thanksgiving …. Christmas … season:

• College Football
• "The Immortals" (my first Trek Team as a WFR)
• Homemade Pumpkin Pie
• The San Jose Sharks
• Foodgawker.com
• ‘Smokin in Havana’ OPI nail polish
• Living in the 93604
• Cows, especially baby cows
• Baby Llamas- if you haven’t seen one, your missing out
• Peppermint White Mochas
• The countdown to camp on www.yssc.com
• Memories from ‘the skinny’: 8 minutes, the party room, baked oatmeal balls in the fridge, Crazy
• Mocha Cookies from Joyce “Sal”
• Beards
• Summer Snapshots
• My adorable second cousin Mason Danger (Yes, that’s really his middle name!)
• Trying never before baked treats
• All things pumpkin- PSL, scones, cookies, jack-o-lanterns
• The refreshing water from Fern Springs in Yosemite Valley
• The Goodnight Song (I listen to a recorded track every night before bed)
• Reminiscing about laughing non-stop with “Pixie” for, say, 30 minutes during staff training
• Pen Pals
• Go Fish via Skype
• People to serve
• Rain boots
• Monster Cookies

If you made it all the way through this list, wow, you’re a trooper!

But keep in mind, I could’ve kept typing.

Oh, I clearly forgot perhaps one of the most significant things: Grace. (And no, not what you say before dinner.) There have been hundreds of days where I have screwed up and fallen short. But, God’s grace has always been there, always been enough, and will always be enough. There’s been grace in friendships gone awry but because of grace, are more solid than ever; it’s been there when I thought a meal was 30 minutes later than expected, and there’s been grace (and guidance) when I had NO idea where I was going after graduation. All my things on the above list are WONDERFUL, but none of them save me, only the grace of God does.

YSSC is Like the Super Soldier Serum

Introducing: Danny "Sputnik" Runkel

Resident brilliance expert, marksmanship guru, boys' day extraordinaire, and famed camp seminar speaker. We think he is pretty fantastic, and were glad to have him on board not only while celebrating things like "National Chocolate Chip Day" in 2010, but most especially to help us launch the YSSC Space Station in 2011!

Stats
 

Attending: Westmont College

Major: Engineering Physics

Jobs at YSSC: Marksmanship, Archery, Rotating/Program

Favorite Activity at Camp: Outpost or the King Swing

Favorite Meal at Camp: Grilled Cheese (complete with Hot Sauce)

What he thinks about camp: "YSSC is like the super soldier serum. It brings one to their maximum potential. They become the best of who they are, at what they are best at, while significantly improving at everything else. Spiritual maturity is injected, stimulating growth fed by an excess of nutrients. Simply put, at YSSC, good becomes great."

j

Many thanks to you, Sputnik!

.... What do YOU think about YSSC? ....

Bringing Camp Home

One of our favorite things about hosting events and getting together with the camp family throughout the year is to hear how they are taking camp home with them, and continuing to use the skills learned, friendships made, and muscles built to make their day to day at home even better! 

We've heard from campers about making new friends once they come home, finding ways to keep hiking and learning about nature, and even getting involved in their communities to find ways to give back and help those in need. 

From parents we hear all the time about campers who come home and love to share stories around the dinner table, or even knowing how to set a great looking table, or have a brand new bed-time routine to make evenings easier. 

We love to hear everything from campers teaching friends how to make epic friendship bracelets, to whole families making time to play and laught together.

Turns out, we aren't the only ones with campers anxious to take traditions from camp home with them! In an article by veteran YMCA Camp Counselor, Carrie Meng, you can read about even more ways to "bring camp home" and keep the [camp]fire burning all year long!

Click Here to read "Bringing It Home: Using Camp-Learned Skills After Camp"

What are some ways that you or your family have been able to share the gift of camp with one another?

An Out of this World Reunion!

Reunion is coming up this Sunday.

We can't wait!

YSSC Reunions remind us all why we love camp so much, and give us one more glimpse of the fantastic fun to be had when we all gather together. Whether it's singing songs and having the freedom to dance around once again, or eating delicious food while talking about those perfect camp meals, or catching up with a friend while making a craft, there is always one more memory to share, one more joke to tell, or one more "thank you" to offer. We had an amazing summer launching into Outer Space, and we are looking forward to one more adventure together this weekend.

For those who can't make the trek to Southern California to join us, you will be in our thoughts throughout the day! We hope you'll take a moment to sing a silly song, look up a space factoid, don a well-worn costume, or send am email/text/letter to a friend, telling them once more how thankful you are for their presence in your life. There's nothing better!

So a happy reunion weekend to all - whether close by or merely close in spirit - we are so grateful for your help in making this a great "Out of This World" year at YSSC!

A Reunion Retrospective

With our annual reunion drawing ever closer, we thought it would be fun to take a trip down memory lane and see some of the highlights from recent years. As with most things at camp, each year is different and has its own flair, but there are always a few "staples" that keep popping up. For reunion, the traditional "Skeeter's Famous 'Dogs" are a delicious afternoon treat, we always end with The Goodnight Song, you can count on there being excellent prizes, and we always leave feeling like time together just didn't last long enough.

Share Camp!

 

Each year we get together with a number of families who host "Home Shows" to share camp with their friends. These events are a great opportunity to share all those stories you've had bursting at the seams, to show off pictures, and get others excited about the camp you already know and love! Home Shows are casual, fun, and informative for families. Whether your friends and neighbors are just starting to consider a camp, or have already been thinking about YSSC for next summer - we hope you will think about hosting your own Home Show! Simply call our office at 949.361.2267 for more details!

It's Out of This World!

WHEW....!! 

Campers are safely home, staff have made the trek to their various dwellings, the activities are packed away, the supplies are counted and organized, the costumes are clean and folded, and the weather is getting colder by the day around Bass Lake. It's official: The summer season at YSSC is over.

As sad as it is, we couldn't be more pleased with how things turned out.

A few photo highlights:

 Where else but Camp can you practice superb archery skills while dressed as a Gorilla Clown?

 Friendship at its finest

 Our new rock wall being put to great use! Thanks to the year-round team who worked so hard to get this new activity ready for summer.

 Just another perfect day on Bass Lake. 10 /10 campers agree that Banana Boating rocks!

 Gearing up to take on the backcountry of the Ansel Adams Wilderness. 

Happy Hiking to our BMWs!

The longest post would not be able to capture all the wonderful memories made this summer, but we are hopeful that word will continue to spread as you share your own pictures, stories, songs and more to those you love most. Thanks to all our staff, families, and of course "World's Greatest Campers" who truly made this summer "Out of This World".