July 14th and 15th!

Well the end of camp is here.14 days and only one of them was rainy! We were so fortunate for these beautiful sunny and hot days! Campers had a great day yesterday and enjoyed the annual Banquet celebration. At Banquet we eat a Thanksgiving dinner (turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, cranberry sauce and ice cream for dessert!). What makes Banquet really special however, is the presentation of year awards and the candlelight service. Each child who comes to camp receives a year award to recognize their bravery, hard work, and dedication to Camp Asto Wamah.  It is not easy to leave home for 2 weeks but this is a great bunch of campers who were helpful, considerate, and enthusiastic about every aspect of camp!  The candlelight service occurs at the end of the meal after the songs and year awards.  One camper from every cabin is chosen to read a line from the New Testament and each line is related to light. Every camper is then given a candle and we all stand in a circle around the flagpole with our candles lit. Once the last line is read, we all blow out the candles together. It is so beautiful to see the large circle of light! Today was the last day of classes or more importantly, for most campers, the last chance to show their teachers that they know all their strokes! It was also a special day because campers got their favorite dessert after dinner, chocolate pudding pie! Campers found out today if they passed their swimming and boating classes and, if they passed, they will receive an award at campfire! Tonight we are having a short evening program to get out all the extra energy (nonstop cricket) and then campfire! Campfire is an event always held on the last night of camp where campers sing songs, receive swimming and boating awards, receive the cleanest cabin awards, and get s’mores! The campers are a little sad to be going home but they have made so many happy memories from 2 weeks packed full of fun!  Tomorrow campers get up early for breakfast and then they pack their things. Parents should pick up campers between 9-10:30!

We’ll see you tomorrow!

- The Birch Blogger

July 13th

Today was a very memorable day for campers. Many level 6 and above swimmers went on a long swim across the lake to Frog Island. Frog Island really isn’t an island but a very shallow part in the lake but it’s still pretty exciting to make it all the way there. This swim is highly anticipated by all campers because it is an annual camp tradition. If you participate you get to sign the Frog Island log book that has generations of swimmers names within it and you get to take a rock from the island back as a memento. Later on today we had a Yo-Yo performer put on a really cool show. He had so many tricks to show us!  Tonight is the kitchen staff’s night off so we are having Eat Out ( sandwiches, chips, and cookies). No word yet on what we’re playing tonight for evening program. Many campers are guessing that it will be Mission to Mars.  I’ll let you know tomorrow!  Tomorrow is Banquet! We’re all excited to get our year awards and have the Banquet feast :D - The Birch Blogger

July 12th

Campers awoke to clear blue skies this morning and got straight to work on finishing baskets and art projects. There are some beautiful baskets in the making! The campers enjoyed one of my favorite meals, Shepherds Pie (mashed potatoes, corn, and meat baked together)for dinner. In the afternoon there was a gigantic pirate battle out on the lake between the sunfish sailboats who were the pirates and the Hunter sailboat who were heroes. Campers had a ton of fun throwing cannon balls to fight off the pirates. Tonight we had tacos for supper and peach crisp for dessert!  For evening program the Leaders in Training, or LT’s, are putting on a treasure hunt! Campers will get clues on where to find the treasure and move from station to station. One is a Lord of The Rings Archery station and another is a ropes course station that is Indiana Jones themed! It should be so much fun! Night! - The Birch Blogger

July 11th

Today was another beautiful day on Columbia Lake! Campers had bagels and cereal for breakfast, ziti and salad for dinner, Hamburgers for supper, and cheesecake for dessert! Classes were tough today for a few level six swimmers who had to swim 20 laps but they all completed it and did a great job.  Sailors out on the lake played a cannon game. Two balls were given to each sailboat and the sailors had to try to hit the main sail on each other’s boats. Once hit, that sailboat has to give up all their balls to the sailboat that hit them. The goal is to end up with as many cannon balls as possible. This was really to get them practicing their control within the boats. The sailors had to work on jibing, coming about, tacking, and maneuvering based on wind speed and direction to pick up the cannon balls in the water. The game the camp is playing this evening is King Dodge. It is a dodge ball game where once you get hit you go to jail on the enemy’s side on the A- field. Once there you’re not out for long because once a dodge ball rolls into jail all you have to do is hit a member of the opposing team whose backs are turned. Campers go back and forth from jail to their team sides on the field and the team with the most people not in jail wins!  Today was also the final day to submit articles for Asto Wamah’s annual newspaper, “The Birch Barker”. Campers have submitted stories and pictures for it and yesterday's track meet results will also be published inside it. The Birch Barker will be distributed at Thursday’s Banquet. I can hardly believe that it is Monday! The consensus around camp is that time is flying! That’s all for now!  

- The Birch Blogger

July 8th-10th

Hello! Sorry it has been a while!  ** Parents if you told your child to write to you and they haven't yet don't fret! We're SOSOSOSOOSOSOSO busy!!!! Look how long it has taken me to find time to blog about all our activities. **  

Friday the 8th was very rainy (about 2 inches) and most of the day was spent indoors playing fun games in the lodge. For evening program that night we had a reverse scavenger hunt. Each cabin brought 10 items to help them act out scenarios. My favorite was an amusement park scenario done by cabin one; it was pretty funny!  Saturday, the 9th was beautiful so normal classes resumed. Now that the session is half over, the campers are working harder than ever and acting more determined in classes. Everyone wants to pass their swimming and boating levels :)

Last night for evening program we played another Wamah favorite, " Pirates".  The campers were split into two teams, Green and White. Each member on both teams was given a Wamah ‘Gun’ (a small rag filled with flour) and told to wear dark clothes. The object of the game is to try to capture as many guns as possible (by having pirate battles) and finding the other teams treasure. The campers travel through the woods in camp, within groups, looking for the treasure and looking out for the pirates on the other team. If they find a member on the other team they can run away or have a battle (they throw the flour gun at each other – this leaves a round flour mark on their dark clothes). The green team won last night by capturing the most guns and finding the white teams treasure.

Today was Track Meet! The two teams, green and white from last nights game, compete in standing long jump, running long jump, softball throw, 50 yard dash, the marathon (not 26 miles :D ), the Indian War Relay, swim races, and a few other games for evening program. Campers cheered for their teams and enjoyed a break from classes.  My favorite activity of track meet is the Indian War relay because everyone in camp is involved in it somehow. Still spit into green and white teams, campers run their teams baton from the camp Asto Wamah sign at the beginning of the camp road to main dock where they pass it to swimmers who swim between the rafts and hand it to boaters. From the boaters it gets passed to the canoes and from them the baton goes all the way to Hungerford cove. From Hungerford cove the baton is run to pollywog dock where senior swimmers swim to the finish line. The best part of all this is that once each camper has done their part in the relay they all sit on the dock and cheer loudly in support of their teammates.  Needless to say we’re all dragging our feet to our bunks tonight :)

- The Birch Blogger

July 7th

Another hot day on the lake but no one minded here! Campers were swimming and enjoying the blue skies out on/in the water. The campers are enjoying their classes and working hard to prefect strokes, memorize key boating terms, and complete projects. Today campers enjoyed cereal and English muffins, followed by a dinner of chicken fingers, rice, and corn, and finished with grilled cheese sandwiches with carrot sticks and applesauce for supper( ...and chocolate cake for dessert mmmm!!!!) . The campers also had the chance to go sailing on The Hunter ( a larger sailboat here at camp), jump off the tower, play soccer, or go play aquarium games for activity period earlier this afternoon. For evening program the campers played "Spies and Smugglers" ( a Wamah Favorite!)  Campers are split into two teams one are spies and are trying to guess where the smugglers have hidden a piece of paper with a certain amount of points written on it. The smugglers have to hide the paper in a pocket,shoe, a rolled up sock, and try to get to our A-Field from the flag pole without getting tagged by the spies.  The two teams get turns being both spies and smugglers.It is a lot of fun! Now we're going to have a quick dip in the lake before bed! Goodnight!

-The Birch Blogger

July 6th

Today campers spent 75-80% of their day in the water! :)It was hot, hot, hot! Today's meals included cereal and corn bread for breakfast, pork chops, green beans, mashed potatoes for dinner(lunch), and for supper we had an "Eat Out". Every Wednesday ( so twice in a 2 week session) we have an "Eat Out" where each cabin takes sandwiches, chips, and "bug juice" (lemonade) to a different location in camp. Some cabins rowed out to a raft or sat on a dock and ate out on the water! For evening program the whole camp played nonstop cricket, followed by a short general swim and watermelon for an evening treat! Off to bed!

- The Birch Blogger

Beginning of Boys Camp! July 3rd -5th

Greetings from Camp Asto Wamah! Camp is off to a great start, the weather is beautiful here and we've all been swimming, boating, and playing games outdoors! The first day of boys camp, Sunday the 3rd, the new campers were tested to see what swimming level they would be in for classes and then we had a quick general swim for all campers before a delicious dinner, or supper as we call it here at Wamah, of hot dogs and beans followed by brownies for dessert, YUM!  There was a little rain around supper time so for our evening program we had carnival games inside (musical chairs, card games, etc). The campers had to try to win play money to buy a treat( ice pops!), then it was off to bed. There were many fireworks going off that night on the lake so for some it took much longer to get to sleep. The next morning (the fourth of July) campers were up at 7:30 and got ready for breakfast (cereal and blueberry bread) at 8am. That day was the first day of swimming, boating, arts and crafts, and sports classes. We played medical wars on the A-field ( a doge ball game) for evening program.  The supper was chicken patties and because it was a holiday we all ate ice cream sundaes later that night after watching a few fireworks by the lake.

Today, the fifth of July, we all had a harder time getting up, being wiped out from the previous day's activities.  Breakfast consisted of french toast and all the campers enjoyed getting to boat and work on their baskets, t- shirts, and bracelets a little longer because they had already heard all the activity directions/rules yesterday.  The campers are already beginning to understand the routine and schedule here at Asto Wamah. Tonight we are having chicken fajitas and I predict that the game will be capture the flag (although it hasn't been announced yet). That's all for now! Check back tomorrow!

- The Birch Blogger

June 29th

Hello Birch Blog Readers, As the first session begins to come to a close campers are finally beginning to get used to the routine.  They are also beginning to realize that their fun filled days at camp are limited. For breakfast we had cornbread and cereal. Campers continue to soldier on through classes everyday, improving their swimming strokes and boating skills. In arts and crafts, progress is being made on pillows and baskets and on the A-field campers are working as teams. For lunch we had lasagna (my favorite camp meal) with salad. After perhaps one of the most filling meals, rest hour was a breeze. The beautiful weather this week has also made it extremely easy for the campers to jump in the lake for general swim. For activity period volleyball, kickball, stand-up paddle boards, and going out on the hunter we just a few of the things offered by counselors. On Wednesdays the Kitchen Staff and Sue the cook have their day off after the noontime meal. This meant campers had to make a sandwich and place it into their cabin's picnic basket for Eat Out. During Eat Out counselors take their cabins to unique places to eat supper and sing songs. For instance cabin two and cabin eight ate out on the two rafts. Other cabins ate on the various docks around camp and some even ate at campsites. For evening program campers were excited for Pirate Gangs! In this game there are very large boundaries, and most of the game is played throughout the woods. The camp is split into two teams, the X-faces and the Plain Faces (distinguished by a red X on one of their cheeks) Every camper is given a Camp Asto Wamah "gun" (a rag filled with flour) which is thrown at the other team. Campers are asked to wear dark clothing so they can see whether they have been "shot" by an opposing player. When a camper is "shot" they give their gun to the player that "shot" them.There is also a neon green jug hidden in the woods for each team to find. This "treasure" is worth points added to the score at the end of the game. Unfortunately, the treasure was hidden too well and neither team was able to find it. The final part of the game involves finding trash in the woods. Since camp prides itself on the pristine forest, it only seems right to give the team who finds the most trash during the game an additional ten points. The night ended with a quick dip and delicious watermelon! Yumm!

-Kyle Macsuga (co-smallcraft director)

June 28th

Howdy All, Yesterday at camp we continued our usual schedule in the morning. We had cereal and bagels for breakfast. During counselor's swim, one of the times during the day when campers have free time, many children went out in boats to practice rowing. Other campers attempted to land a trophy fish from either Fisherman's Dock or Cook's Dock. For lunch the meal was Swedish Meatballs, mashed potatoes, and corn. After lunch was finished a special entertainer came to camp. The act called Bwana Iguana came to camp and showed the campers some exotic reptiles immediately following rest hour. Animals displayed during the show included a snapping turtle, corn snakes, a black king snake, an American Alligator, an iguana, and the largest reptile, Mellow Yellow, an eight-foot albino python from Asia. Since this performer came, there was no fourth period, and the campers went straight to activity period. Activities offered included: going out on the hunter, stand-up paddle boards, jumping off the tower, and the Zumba. Many campers also took advantage of this free time to practice their boating skills. For dinner we ate grilled cheese and tomato soup. For evening program we played Spies and Smugglers, a game in which campers attempt to smuggle papers with varying point values up to the A-Field from the flag pole. The paper with the point values are hidden in the campers pockets, shoes, shirt tags, bandannas, and other creative spots. If tagged, players stop and the spies attempt to guess where the paper is hidden three times. If they do not guess the correct location, the smugglers are sent on their way and the game continues.

June 27th

Today at camp we started off the day by raising the flag in the morning followed by a few simple stretches. Breakfast was french toast and peaches. At the overflow table I was informed by a camper that the best way to tell if a peach is ripe is to smell it! After breakfast, campers headed back to the cabin to clean. Once cleanup was over, campers headed to their first classes. All of the campers seemed quite anxious to get to their first Sports, Arts and Crafts, Boating, and Swimming classes in the morning. Free time for the campers followed classes. For lunch we had ziti and salad with pudding for dessert.Our first general swim gave the campers and opportunity to cool off after rest hour. During activity period, activities like ultimate frisbee, jumping off the tower, canoeing, fishing, stand-up paddle boards, and nukem all entertained the kids until finally dinner arrived. for dinner we had chicken patties, chips, pickles, carrots, and applesauce. For evening program we played one of my favorites, capture the flag, which introduced the campers to playing in the woods. A quick dip after the game seemed like a perfect way end a beautiful second day to the coed session. Kyle Macsuga

June 26th

Hello to everyone who reads the blog! I am so happy to be blogging, but more importantly I am so happy that camp is finally here. Yesterday, after going through rules, learning counselor's names, and playing games like knock hockey, tether-ball, ping pong, and horseshoes by the lodge the campers and staff worked up an appetite. Luckily, Sue, camp's awesome cook, prepared the traditional hot dogs and tater tots for the first night's dinner. For dessert we had delicious brownies (they are especially good with milk!). Shortly after dinner was finished, the bell rang and alerted everyone to head up to the A-field for a longtime favorite campwide evening program, Medical War! In this dodgeball game, medics and guards volunteer to save their fallen comrades after they are hit by opposing dodgeballs. Downed teammates loudly yell "MEDIC!" to alert their team's medics to save them. After a few more nighttime rules, campers got ready for bed and counselors began reading their cabin's book. The campers all seemed to be tired out after a long first day and made good use of their freshly made beds!

-Kyle Macsuga (smallcraft director)

May

Greetings to All Asto Wamah Fans, Thankfully, summer is getting closer when you find yourself in May!

If you compare the pictures that were taken on April 1st, with those taken on May 1st, it is clear that change is a foot and we are definitely moving in the right direction. The lake is up to summertime depths, buds are just beginning to show on the trees and the skunk cabbage is a vibrant green and very prolific by Cabin 6 and the Icky Water Bridge. Truly, summer is almost here! If you will be a new camper, returning camper, or may be interested in attending Asto Wamah in the future, please know that you are invited to visit Camp on Saturday, May 28th from 3:00 to 5:00 for our Open Camp Day tours and an opportunity to meet some of the staff. We will be there, rain or shine, and look forward to seeing many of you. There will be lemonade and cookies and a chance to have your questions about Camp answered. Hope you can make it on the 28th. I also hope you are as excited about this new camping season as I am. This summer’s staff will be exceptional. Program plans are underway. The buildings and grounds are being made ready. The countdown can begin!

If you need to contact me, you can EMAIL me here or go through our Contact Camp page.

Looking forward to seeing you soon. Always, Nancy

April Update

Greetings to All Asto Wamah Fans, Now that April is here, camp is looking more hospitable.  There are only a few small piles of snow that don’t seem to want to let go.   Other than those, the grass on the field is getting green, any mud that we had has dried up, and the lake is on the rise.   Lots of projects are underway to make sure camp is ready and looks wonderful for your arrival.

In the beginning of March I reported that there were still places in several sessions.  At this time, the only session with openings is coed.  There are a few places for boys and very few for girls.  All other sessions are full with waiting lists.  If you have a friend who has not registered yet, the waiting list can be a successful way to get into a session.  It means you need to be patient, but openings do come and in most seasons lots of people are accepted off a waiting list.

In addition to the places for campers, the staff positions are filling up as well.  Many of last summer’s staff will be returning as well as a good number of the 2010 LTs.  Work is being done everyday to make sure that not only the facility is ready, but that the program is in place with capable people to run the various activities that are offered.  Asto Wamah is a buzz with activity now.

I hope you enjoy the early April photos that I took.  If you compare these pictures to the ones from early March you will see quite a difference.  Note how much the lake has come up!

Hope you are well and looking forward to the end of June and the beginning of the 2011 season as much as I am.

Always, Nancy

Asto Wamah Winter Updates

Dear Asto Wamah  Alumni, Campers, Parents, and Friends, February was a very busy month for Asto Wamah.  We began the month by mailing the 2011 brochure.  Since then, registration has been strong.   As we enter March, the all boys’ session (July 3 to July 16) and the first girls’ session (July 17 to July 30) are full with waiting lists growing.  There are still a few places for girls and boys in the one-week coed session (June 26 to July 2) and the two-week all girls’ session (July 31 to August 13).  All indicators point to a great summer at Asto Wamah.  For more information about availability please email or use our Contact Camp page.

February was also a time of snow removal, lots of snow removal.   There was the Camp Road and the roofs.  Have you ever thought about how many roofs are at camp?  Would you believe 27?  Obviously some are large and others are small, but the good news is all survived.  When the Lodge roof was shoveled off (we hired someone to do that HUGE job) there were over 30 inches of snow on it.  That snow is still in tall piles around the Lodge, hopefully to melt soon.  Several of us will be at a Camp Fair at REI in West Hartford’s Blueback Square on Saturday, March 12th from 3 to 5 PM.  We’d love to see you.  Bring a friend.

Always,

Nancy

Winter at Camp Asto Wamah

Dear Asto Wamah Alumni, Campers, Parents, and Friends, If you are now living in CT, you can understand how when I look out of my windows I wonder if summer will ever actually arrive this year. The 2011 Asto Wamah brochure was mailed today.  It feels surreal to be thinking about warm weather, swimming in Columbia Lake and playing on the field.  Camp is presently awash in snow.  Deep snow!  Endless snow!  But experience tells us that before too long the days will warm, the snow will melt, flowers will bloom and summer will return.

We are looking forward to a summer filled with laughter, good friendships and fun in both work and play.  In other words, a summer as usual at Asto Wamah. Although the physical plant is in hibernation, all else is in high gear.

Many thanks to all those who were able to continue their support of Camp through a 2010 donation to the Anniversary Fund.  The Fund grows and will help us meet our pressing goal of upgrading our bathroom facility in 2011.  The momentum of the 100th Anniversary celebration is alive and well.  We are truly grateful for your long memories and generous spirits. In case you are curious about how Mother Nature has treated Asto Wamah so far this winter, take a look at these pictures to learn the cold truth.

Warmly, Nancy

Looking Ahead To Next Summer

Dear Asto Wamah Parent,Thank you for your involvement in the 101st summer of camping at Asto Wamah. Now that the 2010 season is completed, we are looking ahead to 2011. For several years we have thought and talked about rearranging the sessions. This has been a big decision because the boys have followed the girls for most of the past 100+ years. Nonetheless, for a number of valid reasons we have decided to change the order for 2011. Knowing that many families will be making vacation plans well in advance of next summer; I am sending you the schedule for 2011 with the hope that a session (or two) at CAW will fit into your next summer plans.

2011 Asto Wamah Schedule & Fees ● June 26 to July 2 – coed (girls 8-12, and boys 8-12 years old) ● July 3 to July 16 – all boys (ages 8-14) ● July 17 to July 30 – all girls (ages 8-14) ● July 31 to Aug. 13 – all girls (ages 8-14)

A registration fee of $50.00 is due at the time of registration and is non-refundable and not deductible from the camp fee. The camp fee is $385.00 a week. Final payment for all sessions is due on June 1, 2011.

Please keep me updated on your home and email addresses so you don’t miss any communications.

Sincerely, Nancy Maclean, camp director

Boys Camp 2010 Day 9

Today is Pirate Day at camp, so cabins came to flag raising before breakfast dressed as pirates, and some even planned skits. Cabin 8 defended their buried treasure and raised their flag, then cabin 3 took back control of the flagpole by raising their own. Cabin 7 made a grand entrance, boating into the swimming area and storming the docks. The kitchen staff even got in on the act demanding campers give them all their gold for chocolate chip bread. Classes today also have a pirate theme, with sports classes playing “cannonball drop” (spud) or “Pirate Ninja Star Toss” (ultimate Frisbee). Swimming classes “walked the plank” before their usual classes, and in arts and crafts cabins are competing to construct pirate ships they will launch into the swimming area tomorrow morning once they dry. Cabin 4 made a double-decker boat out of popsicle sticks, cardboard, and tape.

For activity period, campers can take part in pirate wars to retrieve a captured princess, walk the plank from the tower, or play cannonball wars on the a-field. This evening will continue the theme with a camp wide treasure hunt. Cabins will compete as a team.

- Julia

Boys Camp 2010 Day 8

Yesterday, the campers selected team captains for today’s track meet. The green and white teams faced off this morning in the running long jump, the standing long jump, the softball throw, and fifty yard dash. Rest hour was held as usual after the traditional lunch of ham, noodles and corn. After rest hour and the half-mile marathon, campers assembled at the flag pole for the Indian War Relay, where the green and white team relay their respective batons through camp, with runners, boaters and swimmers racing each other. In a very close race, the white team won by only inches. Afterwards, the camp held a brief general swim to cool off.

Campers are now off to activity period, where they can jump off the tower, play aquarium games, or participate in foosball, tetherball and knock hockey tournaments. This evening we will have green and white cake in honor of track meet, and then play pirates for evening program.

- Julia

Boys Camp 2010 Day 7

Because of the rain on Thursday afternoon, instead of General Swim, the camp played a game of non-stop cricket. Fourth period and activity period were held outdoors, as scheduled, with campers braving the cooler weather to jump off the tower and sail. Fishing off of rafts, badminton and tie dying were other activities offered. Friday brought warmer weather and sports classes played football, basketball, and kickball. In arts and crafts, campers worked on hemp bracelets, embroidery floss, and wood burning. Some of the boys in Seniors are working with Nancy to lash furniture out of wood they collected; they are making tables and chairs for campsites. Yesterday’s evening program was Triad, a game of three-way soccer with teams formed by cabins.

Tonight cabins will again eat out for supper. Yesterday, all cabins selected and cleaned up a campsite for tonight’s meal of hotdogs and s’mores. Campers also collected kindling they will use to build a fire at their campsites.

- Julia