For the third year, your friends at GAC are here to help you with Valentines. We know that it can be tough to find just the right message to send to your camp friends. That’s why we’ve put together another set of “GACentines.” These Gold Arrow themed cards are perfect for use in real life or online. Just print them out and send them, or download them to share on social media.
If you prefer your Valentines to feature photo staff puns, we can help:
Perhaps you would prefer a Group Counselor? Here you go!
Maybe you like your Valentines to be a little bit like the 4th of July. Joe America is here to help.
If you want your card to have an English flair, Lynx is right here waiting for you!
There’s no excuse to not send this note!
Maybe you want to show your affection with a Rocks & Ropes counselor. Sol is just the ticket!
Baboon is here to serve up your Shaver Island Valentine.
Finally, if you’d like something without a pun, we’ve got a shot of Toyota and Stix in the minutes after they got engaged during June Specialty Camp.
We are thrilled to announce that Camp Owner and Director Audrey “Sunshine” Monke’s debut book has a scheduled release date. The book is ready to go and we’re excited to read it! Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults will be released on May 7th, 2019.
Based on thousands of interactions with campers, camp counselors, and parents, and on academic research in positive psychology, Happy Campers introduces a framework of intentional strategies to help parents create the same kind of transformational culture that kids experience at camp. Instead of raising a generation of kids who are overwhelmed, anxious, depressed, and unable to function as independent and responsible adults, parents can create an environment at home that promotes the growth of important character traits and social skills that kids need in order to have meaningful and successful lives. Complete with specific ideas to implement these summer camp secrets at home, Happy Campers is a one-of-a-kind resource for parents wanting to raise happy, socially intelligent, successful kids.
If you want to pre-order the book, you can do so at any of the following links:
If you’re in the Los Angeles area and would like to attend a meet and greet with the author, Sunshine will have copies available (and will happily sign them) at our GAC Party on May 5th.
To help you pass the time until the book is released (and to make you smile), enjoy this video of Sunshine unwrapping her first book for the first time!
The advance copies of my book have arrived! Watch me open the box and see it for the first time!! http://sunshine-parenting.com/happy/
Posted by Sunshine Parenting on Thursday, January 31, 2019
The National Day of Unplugging is right around the corner, and Gold Arrow Camp is thrilled to be taking part in this event yet again. We’re going to be among the 112,000 people who have pledged to unplug for 24 hours starting at sundown on Friday, March 1st. You know how we feel about technology in the summer, and we think it’s important to take a break during the rest of the year as well. If you visit the National Day of Unplugging website, you can sign a pledge to unplug, and they’ll even send you a sleeping bag for your phone! We hope to hear from you (after the 2nd!) about your unplugged day. If you need ideas for what to do, start with this post about making dinner more like a campfire. That will get your 24 hours off to a great start!
Every year parents and campers alike wait next to their mailboxes, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Gold Arrow Camp Parent Handbook. We know how much joy the handbook brings to the lives of our camp families, and so we’re pleased to announce that it will soon be headed to your home.
Keep an eye on your snail mail for this year’s edition! It’s full of information on bus stops, packing for camp, a “parent to-do list” and a summer calendar!
Once again, the GAC Runners will be headed to Newport Beach on March 17th, 2019, for the 36th annual Spirit Run. This race is a favorite for us as we get to see so many long-time GAC families and campers at the expo. There are races for all ages and skill levels. We’d love to have you join us for the Spirit Run. Details and registration information are available here.
More information about the GAC Runners program is available here.
One of the highlights at the end of each session is our dance at Granite Grove. After dinner, campers head back to their cabins to clean up and get dressed up in costumes to match the theme of the dance. Then, as cabins, they head down past the waterfront to dance the night away under the lights and a ceiling of stars at Granite Grove.
There are group dance favorites, like Footloose and Tragedy, along with snacks and our photo booth. At the end of the evening, campers head back to get ready for bed, exhausted and elated at the same time!
Here are the themes for 2019!
Turkey Trot is Coming!
The GAC Runners will once again convene on Woodward Park in Fresno, California for their annual participation in the Turkey Trot. We invite all Central California GAC families (and those that may be in the area for Thanksgiving celebrations) to join us for the 5K run or 2 mile walk. The run and walk both benefit the Community Food Bank.
If seeing your GAC family isn’t enough motivation to come out to the Turkey Trot, all registered participants get a free T-shirt and a personal pie. There’s also a costume contest, so let us know if you’re coming so that we can make sure you can join our Thanksgiving themed group costume!
The run and walk begin at 8 AM on Thursday, November 22nd. We hope to see you there! Click here to register for the Fresno Turkey Trot.
What are the GAC Runners? Click here to find out more about GAC Runners.
