Do you believe in love at first sight? Yea me either. But love in one summer is definitely possible!
It took me just one summer at West End and I was hooked.
A little background on me, I have worked at a non-profit co-ed day camp a for-profit co-ed overnight camp, a non-profit boys and now West End House Camp.
Needless to say, I’ve had a lot of opportunities to fall in love.
After one summer on the shores of Long Pond and I am in love!
Here are just 5 of the things I fell in love with although there are many more…
Friends Become Family
A few days before opening day 2025, we found out that one of our camper’s fathers had just passed away. Awful news!
About 4 or 5 days into camp, this camper pulls into camp and is immediately swarmed by a group of boys and swept away towards the Council Ring.
His mother, with tears in her eyes, hugged me and said, “This is why I knew he had to come. This is his family.”
West End House Camp is more than friendships; it is a brotherhood.
Diversity Isn’t Just a Word
I was scrolling through camp’s family photos and a jolt of pride went through me as I saw all the different families we serve.
It wasn’t just different physical appearances, and believe me we have every skin color, eye and nose shape, height and weight you can imagine!
It was the family make up.
Adoptions, foster families, mom, dad and a dog, two moms, designer brands and dollar store finds.
Their background makes up their unique personality AND helps to create a truly diverse brotherhood where everyone is welcome.
Boys Develop Character Through Competition
When you are a boy, everything is a competition.
One of my favorite competitions to watch is in the Mess Hall.
The boys slide the salt shaker from one side of the table to the other. The loser has to eat some of the salt…YUCK!
Why keep doing this? The response…
“You don’t give up trying just because you may not like the outcome.”
Watermelon
I fell in love with Watermelon my very first Sunday night at camp.
After being told to grab a softball glove and cleats (which I didn’t have) I was swept up with the entire camp crowd to the fields.
Softballs, bats, no outs, family members encouraging other family members, staff playing alongside campers…It’s AWESOME!
Everyone laughing, everyone having fun, most people wearing shirts inside out. And no watermelons in sight!
People Stay Connected
Alumni attend meet and greets, counselors show up to the camp breakfast in January, and almost anyone that went to camp will happily tell you how it was back in their day whenever you ask.
We even ran out of mattresses at Old Timers Week and had to borrow some from the girls camp this summer!
All because “Once You’re One of the Boys You’re Always One of the Boys”.
So love at first sight may or may not exist but love after one summer definitely exists! I found it at West End House Camp.
I loved so much about West End in my first summer that I know I will continue to find things to love the longer I continue to return.
This is a community where I can see boys being boys in all their glory.
They will be their emotionally supportive, unique, competitive, active, loyal selves.
I feel so grateful to be able to support the boys in their growth and development while they have fun and play and I fall in love with everything there is at camp.
And with that, the Spirit of the House will never die,
Jessica