A Note From Summer Camp Director, Kyla McMahon

Wow! What an utterly exciting week. On Monday, we launched Summer @ Brookwood registration for the 2023 season, and since then, 90 children have signed on to spend part of their summer with us. It is not lost on me that families have many choices when it comes to summer opportunities, and I am beyond grateful that so many folks have chosen to send their children to our Day Camp and Specialty Camp programs.

This past weekend, as I was experiencing nervous jitters putting the final touches on our registration form, I learned that the summer camp I attended for many years as a camper, CIT, and counselor, was closing its doors. The news hit me harder than I would have expected, and I found myself reminiscing and taking a trip down memory lane.

Summer camp, for me, was magical. I tried activities outside of my typical choices (alas, still cannot throw a ball), advanced my gimp and friendship bracelet making skills, and made many memories over snow cones. There was comfort in our camp rituals - preparing for a family show two times a year, buying a candy bar on Friday afternoons, and waiting eagerly to earn a camp ribbon. Mostly, though, summer camp offered me the opportunity to develop the skills that made me the person who I am today.

Each day at camp, we had an opening and closing meeting. I, being the imaginative, budding-leader that I was, would then go home and play “camp,” mimicking our opening meeting routine through my lime-green echo microphone while standing in my backyard. Little did I know that this many years later, I’d be preparing to think about what Summer @ Brookwood’s camp culture, rituals, and opening meetings would look like.

All of this is my long-winded (me, long-winded?! Shocker!) way to say that my soul is in this work. Along with Sophie and Brookwood leadership, I’m working to ensure that Summer @ Brookwood is as meaningful to your child(ren) as camp was to me. I can’t wait, and I hope your family is just as excited.

Space still remains for most age-groups for Day Camp and in many Specialty Camps. Peruse the offerings on Heron Hub, and sign up here before all the spots are gone.

Join us, and summer better @ Brookwood.

Warmly,