Stories & Testimonials
The camper and parent testimonials below are taken directly from feedback forms that are filled out at the end of each summer. The comments have only been edited for clarity, not spelling or grammer.
From Campers…
What do you miss most about camp?
“I miss the silent meetings, the work projects, the counselors, and the friendly atmosphere that surround the place.”
“I miss the all camp games the most & silent meeting. You barely get a silent moment in N.Y.!”
“I miss the warm, friendly, atmosphere and all my friends, counselors included.”
If you wanted your friend to come to camp, what would you tell his/her parents to convince them to send your friend?
“That it would be the best time of his life (he already wants to come).”
“It is a great community with great fiends and counselors and great activities and work around camp.”
“If I were trying to convince parents to send my friend, I would tell the parents that camp gives you a lot of opportunities like whittling, boating, long distance swimming, and hiking, and is also very safe.”
Tell us about the most memorable thing you learned.
“If I can hike those mountains in one day, I can do ANYTHING!”
“That you should never say you can’t do something until you have tried hard.”
What are you most looking forward to next summer at camp?
“I am really looking forward to eating raspberries from the raspberry plants, getting to sleep in a new cabin, and seeing my friend again.”
“Staying for longer.”
From Parents…
What has changed in your child’s behavior? Do you like the changes?
“We noticed a new level of confidence with interpersonal skills. He tells stories with more detail and better eye contact, and offers up information more readily. He also put himself “out there” more than ever – doing a diavlo performance, speaking at Silent Meeting – which translates to higher confidence.”
“My son has been more openly loving with us (having pulled away a bit over the last year), and is kinder to his younger brother. We are thrilled!”
“My son has grown from inside to out. F&W is so wonderful for him – we always love the changes (attitude, self esteem etc.) we see in him.”
Were you satisfied with the quality of the care, counseling, and teaching demonstrated by the counselors and senior staff this summer? Please explain.
“Yes, definitely. I’m very impressed by the program and the level of responsiveness I received from staff. I heard great things from my son about the care, counseling and teaching provided by staff to campers.”
“The staff was very attentive to my son and encouraged him to be his best and praised his efforts.”
“The staff and counselors were great. He really liked them and reported with pride what some of their skills were through stories…We loved visiting day at TL when the counselors introduces themselves – they were so enthusiastic!”
What in-camp activities did your child report to you? Was he satisfied with the in-camp program? Are you?
“Building the split rail fence, getting ready for the Fair, making the fire for Fair, all camp games (he loved those).”
“Water front, natural water slides, work projects, bonfires, singing, bed-time stories & basketball with the older boys. He seemed very satisfied and so I am too.”
“He loved it. We loved it. Nothing but good things to say. He enjoyed being w/the animals, hiking, camping, swimming and arts & crafts that didn’t necessarily have to be about arts & crafts! Even singing. We parents were happy with the amount of Quakerism (official & unofficial) being delivered.”
“We all were more than satisfied with the in-camp program! His letters home were full of excitement about new things they were doing at TL, things he was learning. The overnight camping trip, though challenging, was viewed by him as a great accomplishment. He was very excited about using an axe and a knife, climbing the “rock wall” in the meeting house. In general, I think the level of independence and responsibility he felt he was encouraged to have was something that made an impression upon him.”
What out-of camp activities (camping, service trips, farm trips) did your child tell you about? Did he enjoy them?
“My son was really proud of the overnight hiking/camping trip. He told us many stories about his fellow campers and counselors – and his own perseverance despite the bugs and how tired he was!”
“That 36 miles hike – he really feel a huge sense of accomplishment.”
OVERALL EXPERIENCE - How did it all add up for your child? Please make any additional comments on your child’s experience not covered by the above questions.
“TL has been a perfect fit for my son. He has matured so much under the care of the staff. All the changes are subtle but add up to a more confident, happier teen. I think he was able to have a good start to high school because of his two summers at TL. He hopes to return for one last summer as he has a late July birthday.”
“His experience was a 15 on a scale of 1 to 10. He wants to come for 8 weeks next year – we agreed to four! He’s only nine!”
“To me, the beauty of F&W is what it doesn't have. My kids enrolled in a day camp when they were younger. It was an "old fashioned" camp and fun, but full of unbendable rules and schedules. I hated it, and eventually, so did they. I kept asking myself, "what is the value of learning to follow rules?" and I just couldn't think of anything. F&W throws away arbitrary rules and instead focuses on building a community of friendships and mutual reliance. There are inherent rules in that: of respect, of caring and fairness. And yes, the chance of falling and skinning your knee in that kind of environment is probably greater than in one with lots of rules and supervision.”
The Quaker ethic is the foundation of our philosophy and program. What effect, if any, did this foundation have on your son? Do you have any suggestion as to how this ethic can be better amplified at camp?
“We are drawn to F&W because of its Quaker ethic – slowing down, quiet, community and creating with your hands. I believe that all of these values made an impression on my son. I think he realizes that he can create his own fun without lots of resources and technology.”
“The Quaker ethic had a very positive effect on my son. Timberlake does an excellent job of teaching the values by example, not by preaching. Also, Timberlake uses humor and does not take itself too seriously, which is important.”
