BY GINNY RAUE
WEST MILFORD — If you had to opportunity to go to camp as a child, you may have fond memories of many sun and fun-filled days. There were new friends to be made, swimming in a cool lake, lots of activities and a great way to pass the lazy, hazy days of summer. And, not to be down-played, keep you out of your parent’s hair for a bit, too.
According to West Milford Community and Recreation Program Specialist and Day Camp Director, Jane Dell’Osso, all that fun can be had right here in West Milford at the Bubbling Springs Summer Camp. And thanks to the generous donations of residents, some kids who wouldn't otherwise be able to afford it, will attend camp again this summer.
The day camp runs an eight week program consisting of four two-week sessions. Children, who are entering kindergarten through eighth grade may attend as many sessions as desired. There’s also morning care and after care available.
“It’s a family environment for township residents,” Dell’Osso said.
There are sporting activities, art projects and themed activities such as pirate or carnival week. The one steadfast rule is that all campers are required to take swim lessons.
“The kids get colored swim bracelets to identify their swimming ability. Every child who completes camp knows how to swim at some level,” she said.
Camping safety
The safety of the campers is an important aspect of the program.
“We have to follow policy and procedures and the counselors who oversee the children are very responsible. Many of them are former campers and every worker in our program has had a background check," said Dell'Osso. "For the little ones there is one counselor per seven children, for the older children the ratio is one counselor per 10 children.”
There is a sizable staff on hand each day including director, nurse, coordinator, art and sports personnel, about 25 counselors and 10 counselors-in-training.
There are definitive rules at the camp, two of which many parents and guardians will readily endorse - no cell phones or electronic games and absolutely no bullying.
“It’s a camp with a family-like atmosphere. We want the parents to feel like they are dropping their children off to a grandparent,” the director said.
Fun in the sun and the rain
Dell’Osso, who has been overseeing the camp since 2003, has seen the program grow.
“There were about 75 campers when I started and now there are about 175 campers per session,” she said.
She believes that the children enjoy a positive camping experience. They are kept occupied and the fact that the kids learn to swim is a very important aspect to her. Many campers, she said, return year after year.
Rainy summer days could present a problem when you have 175 kids under your watch, but that’s under control. In inclement weather, the campers go to the Hillcrest Community Center on Macopin Road and enjoy some of the same activities indoors and also go on field trips, to a bowling alley, for example.
Help a West Milford child go to camp
Some parents, although they would love to give their child a summer camp experience, just can’t afford it. Working long hours to keep a family afloat still often doesn’t leave wiggle room in the budget for “extras.”
To that end, Bubbling Springs Summer Camp puts out a call for assistance each spring, hoping to get enough donations to help some township children attend camp and have a happy summer experience.
Scholarship donations may be sent now through June to Dell’Osso’s attention at Hillcrest. They will be very much appreciated, she said, and directed to children through child study teams in the school system.
“It’s a limited number of children but I feel it’s important for our community to help support a child who otherwise would not have this opportunity,” she said.
Imagine a child, digging in the sand, watching a fish dart by in the lake, meeting new buddies, learning what it feels like to float, being a cowboy or a pirate for a day, playing in the fresh air and the great outdoors of West Milford, expanding their limitless horizons.
“There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million.”
- Walt Streightiff