Shabbat Shalom from Maple Lake! Camp is buzzing with excitement as our staff community completes our final preparations before our First Session camper arrival on Sunday. We are especially excited to be celebrating our 20^th summer and want to share with you some of what’s new at camp for 2018:

• NEW ski boat – We can’t wait to create many skill building moments with it!
• The completion of our docks update including a brand new paddle sports dock!
• NEW cooking program! We’re excited to have fun learning about cooking skills and healthy living through this new program.
• NEW inflatable at swim – Get ready to jump, slide and ROCKIT into Maple Lake all summer long!
• NEW outdoor water fountain – Campers and staff have more opportunities to stop for a drink of water or fill their water bottle on their way to their next great activity!
• NEW innovative and exciting programs for the camp community! We have updated our Saturday Shabbat schedule making our celebration of Shabbat even more
• NEW Visitor’s Day Schedule. We look forward to welcoming families from 11AM-2PM.

As always, our staff week has been filled with many meaningful moments. The focus of our staff week has been on understanding the individual needs of children, learning about the importance of Mental Health, building both physical and emotional safety skills, and learning how to integrate meaningful Jewish moments into every day at camp. One of the most significant themes that has come out of the week is appreciating that inclusion in all its forms is at the foundation of what Camp George stands for. This includes how we integrate campers and staff in to our community, how we accept and celebrate difference, and how we look out for one another each day. We have an exceptional staff team who has shown us that they truly understand what it means to supervise, nurture, and care for our campers. Our campers are so fortunate to have them as leaders, role models, and mentors.

We want to share a final update with you on our #MyCampGeorgeStory scholarship campaign. This year’s campaign has raised over $18,000! Thank you to our donors, our volunteer callers, and to everyone who shared our message to help generate these fantastic results. Together, our community continues to support more camper experiences. CLICK to add your support towards ensuring more Camp George STORIES.

We often think about the final Shabbat before the campers arrive as ‘the calm before the storm.’  Perhaps this summer, we should think about things the other way around.  We all know that the world can be a crazy, stormy place.  We are all bombarded with news stories and events that make us think about how much simpler our lives were before technology and the access to so much information became so prevalent.

At least for our campers and staff, they can experience some ‘calm’ while they are with us on Maple Lake.   Without the outside noise and distraction, our community can focus on real, authentic relationships.  We often talk about the magic of camp is not just about the activities, but more importantly it is about the walk to and from these amazing activities.  At camp, we can try new things, broaden our minds as we are exposed to new opportunities each day at camp.

Thank you again for choosing to be part of the Camp George Family. We feel incredibly honoured to be given the opportunity to provide a meaningful and transformative summer experience to our campers. Living each day at camp through our core Jewish values allows us to create a powerful community where Jewish learning is lived in every moment.

Please be sure to save the date for our CG at 20 celebration on September 28^th in Toronto and a reminder to parents in the GTA to join us for our second annual parents night out on Tuesday July 3^rd.

From all of us at Camp George, as we prepare for the best summer ever, we want to wish you all a sense of calm this weekend – Shabbat Shalom!

Jeff Rose, Director