Forest Acres Camp for Girls

Forest Acres Camp for Girls is a sleepaway summer camp for girls located in Fryeburg, Maine, on the banks of the Saco River. The camp was founded in 1926 by Dr. Abraham and Gertrude Krasker. Its "brother camp," Indian Acres, was founded 2 years earlier in 1924. Indian Acres is located two miles (3 km) down the river from Forest Acres. Ownership of both camps stayed in the Krasker family until 1998, when it was purchased by the Newman family. The camps were purchased by the Waldman family in 2004.

Program

Forest Acres is available for girls ages 6 to 16. The camp is relatively small, with a community of 150 campers. The camp is divided up into four age groups. The youngest are called "Juniors," which are ages 6 to 10. The next group, 11 and 12 year olds, are called "Intermediates." The 13 and 14 year olds are "Seniors," and the oldest girls, 15 and 16, are called "Logs." Campers are also divided up into cabins, which house 6 to 7 campers and two counselors. The camping season is seven weeks, from late June to mid-August. Forest Acres is considered a "traditional" camp, providing a large range of activities instead of just focusing on a particular sport or activity. The philosophy for both Indian and Forest Acres is to provide children with a relaxed, supportive, and happy atmosphere in which to have fun, develop friendships, and learn a variety of skills and values. There are seven activity periods a day that are about 45 minutes long. The girls can interact with the boys at Indian Acres at the weekly dances and different co-ed activities, like the Co-Ed Play. Every Wednesday, the campers and counselors go on Trip Day to a destination in Maine or New Hampshire.

Horseback riding

Forest Acres has a notable horseback riding program, run by C.J. Law, the Equestrian Program Director at Mount Holyoke College, which has won the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Championship 3 times, and Reserve Champion once. Most of the horses used in Forest Acres' riding program are seasoned show horses from Mount Holyoke, and all of the riding staff, who instruct the campers in their daily lessons, are riders in C.J.'s program there. Forest Acres is home to a twenty-three stall barn and three outdoor arenas tucked in the back of camp. The program focuses on English riding. Nearly 65% of the campers ride.

Other activities

Forest Acres offers many activities, some of which include:
*Archery
*Dance
*Gymnastics
*Tennis with legendary tennis coach Lester Yesnick
*Art
*Drama
**Plays
*Horseback Riding
*Swimming
*Soccer
*Field Hockey
*Lacrosse
*Tae Kwon Do
*Cooking
*Photography
**Yearbook
*Softball
*Volleyball

Facilities

The facilities at Forest Acres include a heated convert|25|yd|sing=on outdoor pool, tennis courts, a softball diamond, an outdoor basketball court, soccer fields, a golf driving range, an archery range, a sand volleyball court on the river, a twenty-three horse stable with three riding rings, a fully equipped gym, a fitness center, a dance studio, a photography darkroom, an art center, and a theatre for all drama productions.

Forest and Indian Acres also own a cabin on Lovewell Pond, about a five-minute bus ride from camp, where campers can take part in water-skiing, tubing, wakeboarding, and other water sports.

External links

[http://www.forestacres.com Official Forest Acres Website]