If there’s one thing you can always count on at camp, it’s that Jane and Jocelyn are there for you, whether you’ve got a question, a problem, or just want someone to talk to.
As we count down to the first day of summer, maybe you already have questions or thoughts on your mind that you’d like to share. What would you like Jane or Jocelyn to know as you get ready to head to camp? Is there something you’re excited about this summer? Something you’re nervous about? Something new you can’t wait to try? Something you hope to accomplish? Something you want help with?
Fill out the form to send Jane and Jocelyn a message and let them know what’s on your mind!
Something I Would Like Jane and Jocelyn to Know
Fill out the form to send Jane and Jocelyn a message and let them know what’s on your mind!
Just like campers, staff members have a lot to do to prepare for a summer at camp! We talked to some of our returning staff members to find out what’s on their must-do list as they get ready for another summer at Bryn Mawr. (Spoiler alert: There’s a lot of Green and Gold in their answers!)
From Talent Night to spirit chains to Color War, a summer at Bryn Mawr is all about treasured traditions! We asked returning staff members to tell us about their favorites (and they picked some of the biggest and best!)…
Everybody loves mealtime at Bryn Mawr… and everyone has their favorite camp foods! We asked some of our returning staff members to tell us which meals get them coming back up for seconds. Which of these meals are you looking forward to?
Did you ever wonder what it’s like to come to camp for the first time… as an adult? Each summer, we welcome new staff members, and they experience many of the same feelings that you may be feeling right now! We asked our pool director, Jess, and athletic director, Anya, to tell us about their first summer at camp (and what they’re doing to prepare for Summer 2025!).
Believe it or not, I am often asked if we have Halloween at camp! The short answer is… well, no, but sort of! We do not trick-or-treat, but we do dress up with our friends, have a costume parade and indulge in sweets and fun and games! It all happens on what is personally one of my favorite days of the summer: CARNIVAL!
Carnival starts with a costume parade. Every cabin dresses up together and makes their costume as a group. I love seeing how creative the cabins (and groups of staff) get every year. In the middle office, we division heads always try and come up with something clever. The parade takes place in the Apple O and each group gets the chance to come onstage and strut across to a song of their choice. It is so much fun to watch and see what all of the cabins came up with! In 2022, we started a new tradition of having a theme to inspire costumes. For our first “theme” year, we picked TV shows, and our division head group dressed up as the “Fresh Princesses of the Middle Office!” I wonder what the theme will be in 2023… (Psst: If you have any suggestions, DM them to Najah on Instagram!)
There’s so much more to Carnival that I’ll have to save most of it for another Tradition Time… because there is JUST TOO MUCH TO SAY! But since it’s #spookyseason, I have to talk about one more aspect. After the costume parade, everyone goes up to Main Campus for games, snacks and surprises — including the traditional Bunk One haunted house! Each year our Bunk One campers bring a little taste of Halloween to Carnival. They come up with a story for their haunted house, work together to build it, create costumes, and run the show themselves! To make sure the frights are fun for all, there are different times for each age group to go through the haunted house. As you get older, it gets scarier… and scarier!
Feeling spooky yet? Don’t worry — just like our adventure courses, the haunted house is “challenge by choice,” and only those thrill-seekers who want a scare choose to enter the haunted house.
What are your favorite Carnival memories? What do you hope next year’s costume theme will be? Comment below and let us know!
Happy birthday to all of our September and October Angels!
September
Birthstone: Sapphire Flower: Aster (represents wisdom, valor, and faith) and morning glory (represents love and affection) Famous September birthdays: Zendaya (Sept. 1), Keanu Reeves (Sept. 2), Beyonce (Sept. 4), Sydney Sweeney (Sept. 12), Ben Platt (Sept. 24)
Happy September birthday to Hayley (Upper Seniors), Willow (Bunk Two), Hailey (Upper Juniors), Charlotte (Lower Seniors), Madeline (Lower Juniors), Orli (Lodge), Daphne (Lower Juniors), Sarah (LIT), Maia (Bunk Two), Leah (Upper Juniors), Savannah (Upper Juniors), Alessandra (Lower Juniors), Sydney (Lower Juniors), Alice (Upper Seniors), Ava (Upper Seniors), Raphie (Manor House), Tessa (Lodge), Willa (Upper Juniors), Sophie (LIT), Liv (Manor House), Charlotte (Upper Juniors), Juliet (Upper Juniors), Layla (Upper Juniors), Josephine (Manor House), Lexi (Upper Juniors), Tallie (Bunk One), Chloe (Upper Seniors), Stella (LIT), Kameryn (Upper Juniors), Avery (Bunk Two), Ella (Lower Juniors), Layla (Upper Juniors), Kate (Upper Juniors), Dylan (Manor House), Gigi (Upper Juniors), and Summer (Upper Seniors)!
October
Birthstone: Opal and tourmaline Flower: Marigold (represents success, energy, the sun) and cosmos (represents tranquility, peace, and love) Famous October birthdays: Camilla Belle (Oct. 2), Tessa Thompson (Oct. 3), Cardi B (Oct. 11), Felicity Jones (Oct. 17)
Happy birthday to Gabby (Lodge), Ivy (Lower Seniors), Isabel (Upper Seniors), Willa (Manor House), Willa (Upper Seniors), Lucy (Lower Seniors), Sadie (Lower Juniors), Lila (Lower Seniors), Shoshana (Lower Juniors), Liv (Upper Juniors), Emma (LIT), Rowan (Manor House), Isabelle (Upper Seniors), Addison (Bunk Two), Liv (Lower Juniors), Mia (Lower Juniors), Sydney (Upper Juniors), Brandi (Upper Seniors), Olivia (Bunk Two), Elle (Upper Seniors), Maya (Bunk One), Harlow (Lower Juniors), Olivia (Bunk Two), Lailah (Lodge), Emily (Upper Seniors), Morgan (Upper Seniors), Lila (Lower Seniors), Morgan (LIT), and Hallie (Lower Juniors)!
The countdown to camp is ON, and we can’t wait to welcome our newest Angels to Summer 2022 at Bryn Mawr! In this special edition of the Poplar Post, you and your parents can read all about what to expect on the first day of camp.
Birthstone: Emerald Flower: Lily of the valley (represents sweetness, humility, and good luck), hawthorn (represents hope) Famous May birthdays: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (May 2), Adele (May 5), Billy Joel (May 9), Debby Ryan (May 13), Miranda Cosgrove (May 14), Lily-Rose Depp (May 27)
Happy May birthday to Ann (Manor House), Anna (Lodge), Ariana (Bunk One), Grace (Bunk Two), Eden (Upper Juniors), Ella (Lower Seniors), Charlotte (Upper Juniors), Joley (Upper Seniors), Alana (Upper Seniors), Sasha (Lodge), Joia (Upper Juniors), Lily (Bunk One), Ashley (Lodge), Olivia (Bunk Two), Belle (Lodge), Chloe (Upper Seniors), Leah (Bunk Two), Taylor (Lodge), Vera (Lower Seniors), Grace (Lower Juniors), Carly (Bunk Two), and Mikayla (Upper Seniors)!
Every year, we welcome staff from around the country and around the world. Some of them have been working at camp for many years, but even the most experienced camp staff member was once brand new to LBMC! We asked some of our returning staff members how working at Camp Bryn Mawr is is different from what they expected when they first came to camp.
“I truly had no idea what was in store for me before I arrived for my first summer. It turned out to be the hardest, most wonderful and one of a kind experience I could have asked for. I left a piece of my heart at Bryn Mawr, and I had no idea that camp would hold that much power!”
“I went to camp growing up for after-school, track-out, and summer camp. But the culture at Bryn Mawr goes beyond its function as childcare. It cares for the mental, emotional, and social wellbeing of every kid in addition to the physical, and I would argue that it cares for its staff to the same degree. Bryn Mawr is a family at heart.”
“I expected to make the biggest impacts on campers in my program area. It turned out the biggest impacts often happen outside of a program area.”
“I expected great experiences, but honestly, Bryn Mawr never stopped giving me happy surprises throughout the summer. I didn’t expect to make those deep connections with campers and also gain new staff friendships that I know will last for a lifetime.”
“The idea of working a full summer was daunting, but once I was there, I was having so much fun and time really flew by.”
“I think I felt a stronger sense of community and belonging than I expected to, being an international staff member. I also feel like I was valued more than I expected to be, and was given more responsibility, which felt really nice.”
“It was way more fun than I expected. I liked that, especially at the beginning, there was an introspection part to it.”
“There are moments and conversations I had with people that I never expected, and it was so good to fully feel alive! Like I was experiencing all the emotions, and for once it was okay, and other people related to me too.”
“It’s completely incomparable to any job I’ve ever had or probably will ever have again. I really feel I gave LBMC my everything. It was a lot — but also a lot of fun and felt good.”
“Bryn Mawr was supposed to be a one-time summer experience while I was still in undergrad. As I go into my 16th summer I can easily say that Bryn Mawr is a special place to work! They call it the Bryn Mawr family for a reason. Working at camp is definitely not the easiest job, but I would say it is the most rewarding job! You are able to make friends with other staff from all over the world, you are in an environment which empowers staff to lead and try new things, you learn to be vulnerable and how to ask for help. This place has shaped me into the person I am today.”
