Camp Airy

Infobox_University
name =Camp Airy


image_size =
caption =Serving Jewish Youth For Over 80 Summers
motto =
tagline =
established =1924
type =Overnight Camp
endowment =
staff =
head_label =
head = Mike Schneider
students =
city =Thurmont
state =Maryland
country =United States
campus =450 Acres
free_label =
free =
colors =green and white
mascot =
nickname =
affiliations =Camp Louise
footnotes =
website = [http://www.airylouise.org Camp Airy/Louise website]
address = 14938 Old Camp Airy Road Thurmont, MD 21788
publictransit =
telephone =301-271-4636
coor =coord|39|38|40|N|77|25|16|W|type:mountain_region:US
logo =Camp Airy is a Jewish sleep away summer camp located in Thurmont, Maryland at the edge of the Catoctin Mountain Park. Boys between the ages of 7 and 17 attend for one to eight weeks, depending on their age and interest. Airy is a member of the American Camp Association.

Facilities

Located on 450 heavily treed acres, the camp is in a very convenient location 60 miles north of Washington and 62 miles west of Baltimore.

On the lower side of camp there is a large gym, complete with basketball courts, a wrestling area, and weight training/athletic conditioning room. There’s also a 300,000 gallon swimming pool, athletic fields, tennis courts, a floor hockey rink, and a ropes course. [http://www.airylouise.org/airy/facilities.asp Facilities at Camps Airy & Louise ] ]

At the top of the hill, there’s a 550-seat dining hall where campers eat each of their meals. Nearby are the music pavilion and the post office. All of the sleeping cabins are also up-campus, and on the far western side is the outdoor theater which is used for performing arts and also for Shabbat services.

Programming

Airy offers many traditional summer camp activities including Athletics, outdoor living, swimming, performing arts and fine arts. [ [http://www.petersons.com/summerop/sites/016984si.asp Camp Airy - Overview - Peterson's ] ] .

Athletics are a critical part of any summer camp experience. Campers play baseball, basketball, football, lacrosse, soccer, floor hockey, tennis, and volleyball. Many also participate in in-line skating, fencing and wrestling. The camp also has an archery range.

The performing arts department typically produces two plays in a summer, the first a serious production, and the second a comedy. In 2008, the campers will be performing West Side Story and The Nerd. [ [http://www.airylouise.org/airynews/detail.asp?newsid=130 News from the Camps at Camps Airy & Louise ] ] . There are also opportunities for people who play musical instruments or enjoy singing to perform.

In the fine arts department, campers are offered activities in ceramics, painting, silk-screening, copper enamel, hemp and beads, photography, and wood working among others.

Recently the camp has begun to add non-traditional features such as a skateboard park, Scuba diving, paintballing, and go- carts. [ [http://www.airylouise.org/camps/2008programs.asp New Programs at Camps Airy & Louise ] ] .

Religious aspects

Although Airy is a Jewish camp, most of the activities are not religious in nature. The meals are kosher style, meaning that milk and meat are not served at the same time and nothing that is explicitly non-kosher (such as pork) is served. Traditional grace after meals is also recited on Saturdays.

Shabbat is observed at camp with short services on Friday night and Saturday morning. Very few structured activities occur during the remainder of Saturday. This “day of rest” creates a certain rhythm that helps punctuate the camp experience.

People

Many of the prized assets of Airy are the people who work there. Many, referred to as “Lifers”. For Airy, those include Director Rick Frankle, executive director Mike Schneider, and the wresting coach Larry Cantor. [cite news | first=Linda | last=Esterson | coauthors= | title=Lifers | date=2007-01-19 | publisher=Baltimore Jewish Times | url =http://www.jewishtimes.com/specialissues/camps1_10-11.pdf | work ="Camps (A special section)" | pages =10-14 | accessdate = 2008-05-31 | language = ] . Each year, 60-70 percent of the staff returns for another summer. [ [http://www.airylouise.org/ourstaff/faq.asp FAQs for Potential Staff Members at Camps Airy & Louise ] ]

The [http://orderoftheleaf.org/ Order Of The Leaf] is an alumni organization made up of all staffers who have served for three or more years. Its purpose is to allow these individuals to keep in touch with one another, and also raise money to support the camp. Several so-called "camperships" are supported by OTL that allow children whose parents cannot afford the camp to attend at reduced cost.

References