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Q
ummer camping didn’t always provide a lot of options. Aside from Scout camps,
there was a handful of private and institutionally sponsored retreats where kids spent most of
their time swimming, hiking, complaining about the food, creating handicrafts which
parents dared not throw out, and singing around campfires. These camps and the campers
were cheerfully spoofed by the late Allen Sherman in “Hello, Mudda, Hello, Fadda; Here I
am at Camp Granada.”
No more! The variety of activities and the specialized summer experiences available today
are almost endless. Swimming, hiking and singing will always be part of the camping program.
We’ve even come to expect horseback riding, Israeli dancing, tennis and canoeing.
But that’s not the half of it. Camps today offer sailing, rappelling, white water rafting and
gymnastics. Oh, you’d like your child to have a sporty fun summer but still get a jump on
some serious subjects? There’s that, too. Some camps offer computer training, science
programs, ecology studies, journalism, Judaic studies and bar and bat mitzva preparation.
Other summer programs really specialize: Some specialize in music, others in weight loss,
still others in a more intensive computer or horsemanship program.
Still, camping isn’t the only way to spend the summer, especially for teenagers. Some of the
options are programs in Israel, or specially arranged trips highlighting the wonders of this
country or foreign countries. One program is even offering a trip to China this year.
^All this makes it tough to make a decision and one that cannot be taken lightly. What’s
right for one child can be an unhappy experience for another. Though, of course, parents make
the ultimate decision, the prospective camper needs to have his views heard. Nor is there a
“right” age to start camp, or necessarily a right age to stop. Some campers have such
marvelous camping experiences over a period of years that they return as counselors-in-
training, then counselors—some make a career as staff.
Parents considering camp for the first time or thinking about changing camps for one
reason or another need more than a pretty brochure to help make a decision. It is well to talk
to the camp director or representative (arm yourself with a list of questions, no matter how
silly some may seem); talk to parents of previous campers or consult a qualified advisory service.
Now is the time to start thinking about what your child will do this summer. On the
following pages is The Southern Israelite s 1986 Camp and Trip Directory. Any of them will
be happy to answer your questions. If your youngster has a happy summer, so will you.
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Ask about our 1986 Staff-in-Training Programs:
1. Camp Based
Live at camp for four weeks, develop skills in program
planning and problem solving.
Dates: June 15-July 11 or July 13-August 8
2. Western Adventure
During six weeks exploring the Rocky Mountains, develop
advanced camping skills.
Dates: June 15-July 25
3. CBM Yehud Exchange
Live with a family in Yehud, (Atlanta's sister city.)
Develop insight to Israel’s land and people.
Dates: June 15-July 28
1986 Summer Season...Register Now!
(Over 600 campers have already registered)
Spaces Are Still Available
Dates: First Session: June 15-July 11 Second Session: July 13-August 8
Full Session: June 15-August 8
Camp fee includes all activities:
For a descriptive brochure or other information, call or write: Camp Barney Medintz, Atlanta
Jewish Community Center, 5342 Tilly Mill Rd., Dunwoody, GA 30338 (404) 396-3250.
Larry Melnick. Director Linda Lincoln, Associate Director: Steve Mendel, Assistant Director
Accredited by the American Camping Association
PAGE 13 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE January 24, 1986