Blue Skies

Yesterday morning, a group of counselors trudged up the hill at 8:00 in the morning and spotted a large group of people congregating near the entrance to the lodge. Who could they be? Certainly not campers, Community Week registration was not even open for another hour!  As the counselors walked closer, they spotted the mass of sleeping bags, duffel bags, bathing suits, and towels tossed over the shoulders of the people. The campers had undoubtedly arrived. This enthusiasm for camp truly sums up Community Week, our five-day camp program for local kids between the ages of twelve and seventeen.  From the moment the campers arrived hardly twenty-four hours ago, they have jumped into camp with both feet. Activities are in full swing and campers and counselors alike are loving every minute of it. The sun is shining and there are blue skies as far as we can see. With Capture the Flag planned as the evening activity, it will certainly be an exciting end to the first full day of camp.

 

Ready, Set, Campers!

Summer has arrived. For the past two weeks, the Chop Point staff has worked together to produce the seemingly magical transformation from “school” to “camp.” Desks have been replaced with bunk beds, chalkboards with camp activity schedules, and chairs with both windsurfs and wake-boards. If you are returning to Chop Point this summer, you will probably notice some improvements around camp. Every girl’s cabin has newly re-done bathrooms, many cabins are freshly painted, and the docks are fully repaired and ready for the non-stop traffic that camp will soon bring. The weather has been nearly perfect. The steady sunshine and wind gave the staff plenty of time to test out the swimming, sailing, boating, and windsurfing before Community Week kicks off the summer programs. As much as we have enjoyed unifying as a staff, enjoying the gorgeous weather, and making final preparations for camp, we still have been missing the key ingredient of our summer: campers. We are looking forward to beginning the summer programs and we hope to see you here!

 

Wash that Car to Campers Afar

Anyone who has spent a summer at Chop Point knows about our car washes.  Once a session, we choose some high traffic locals and wash the Maine grime off what a true Mainer would call a “cahhh”.  The purpose of these car washes is to raise money for social service projects that Chop Point has been involved with.

If you are from way back, we raised money for “Widows of Bangladesh” which helped women and children find their way in a society where they were cast-offs.  As time has progressed, we have opened “Campo Alegria” (Camp Happiness) in Nicaragua.  We offer a camping experience, similar to Chop Point, free to poor children.  Our car washes now help needy kids enjoy a break from their poverty and struggle-filled lives on the sunny shores of Lake Nicaragua.  While there, kids are able to enjoy life as a child should, eat gigantic portions of nutritious food, and take part in activities that expand their minds.  We play games, toss them screaming with laughter into the lake, and  teach them science and English classes.  We have daily chapel and their singing practically blows the roof off the buildings.  Every $60 raised can send a child to camp for a week.  We can send about 30 kids to camp with the money we raise with our car washes.

Chop Point School (with several camp alumni) just returned from Campo Alegria.  We spent nearly three weeks there and had two, three-day camps.  One group was from a school that we work with every year.  The second group was from the city of Granada.  These kids parents work in the city dump.  They pick through the refuse to find items that can be sold for recycling.  Many of the kids who came to our camp are destined to follow in their parents footsteps.  So if you were on a carwash in the summer of 2010, you were a part of the fun you see these kids having.  Thanks for your work, and we hope your prune fingers are back to normal.

Happy Groundhog Day!

Did Phil see his shadow? Who cares? All I know is that summer at Chop Point is coming.

Welcome to the new website, with updated photos and information. Looking at all these pictures makes me really long for Summer along the Kennebec. While I love the snow and the fun it brings during the year, there is nothing that compares to those few perfect months that we get between June and August in Maine. So enjoy your winter but start making your plans to join us this summer at Chop Point.

Here are a few summer-winter photos for you non-locals to see camp in the winter.