Camp Marcella

Camp Marcella is a facility designed and owned by the New Jersey Camp for Blind Children (NJCBC) incorporated, a non-profit organization started in 1947. For eight weeks during the summer, Camp Marcella offers free one or two week camping sessions for visually impaired children and teens ages 5 through 16. Two of these sessions are for blind and visually impaired children between the ages of 7 and 21 with multiple challenges.

History

The NJ Camp for Blind Children, commonly known as Camp Marcella, started in 1947. A more or less casual type of camp facility existed, but to many parents it lacked the many advantages of a complete camping experience. So, NJ056CWCFBC Inc. recruited the right people for the right job. With the physical work and contributions of over 13 organizations and individuals, Camp Marcella opened its gates that very summer, and has been going strong since 2006! Today Camp Marcella comprises over 200 acres of mostly woodland surroundings and a clear fish laden lake, with all of its facilities designed for the best possible care of children with blindness, visual impairments and special needs. [Overview Page On [http://www.campmarcella.net/HistoryOverview/Default.aspx campmarcella.net] ]

Campers

The camp is completely free to blind and visually impaired children and teens ages 5 through 16 and special needs campers ages 5 to 21 who are legally blind residents of the state of New Jersey. The camp is funded by the New Jersey Lions Club and various private donors. There are currently 5 sessions. The first, is senior session, for children ages 13-16. The Second is Junior Session, ages 9-12. The 3rd and 4th sessions are for special campers, ages 7-21. The final session is for Kiddie Campers ,ages 5-8.

pecial Campers

Special Campers age are people of ages 7-21, who have multiple disabilities. During this session there are far less campers than there are in the other sessions. There are also multiple staff assigned for each camper. They demand much more attention and supervision than the campers of any other session. For special campers, there are two one-week sessions. The first is for the younger group of special campers, and the second week is for the older special campers. [CBVI Page http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/cbvi/campmarcella.html]

taff

Overview

The camp is comprised of a director, program director, program staff, counselors, kitchen and maintenance staff. In the past, the counselors were usually college aged people. Many of whom major in education or some field relating to people with disabilities. For the 2007 camp season the plan was to have certified teachers work as program staff and all other staff members 19 yrs and older were counselors or "RA's" (residential assistants or advisors) as they may be called.

Program Staff

For each program area, there are 2 program staff. One director, and one assistant. They work with each cabin for 30-45 minutes each weekday during camp.

Administration for the 2007 Camping Season

*Director: Phil Cocilovo
*Program Director: Trevin Grenier

Cabins

Overview

As of Camping Season 2005, all camper cabins have been refurbished. Insulation and exhaust fans have been installed to make cabins more comfortable. Walls and ceilings have been sheeted with finished grade plywood to provide a safer environment for campers, and floors have been resurfaced to create an even texture, eliminating any foreseeable hazards. State of the art smoke and fire detectors, with emergency lighting, have been installed in each cabin and are wired into a central system which will report any activity directly to the nearby Rockaway Fire Department. Bathrooms have been upgraded and all cabins were recently repainted.

The interior of our cabins is bright and spacious. Each camper sleeping area has two beds and lockers for storing clothing and other personal items. [The Facilities page from the camp site, [http://www.campmarcella.net/Facilities/Cabins.aspx] ]

Boys' Cabins

*Beaver
*Muskrat
*Oppossum

Boys or Girls Cabins

*Chipmunk (depending on the session and amount of male and female campers in that session. NEVER CO-ED)

Girls' Cabins

*Otter
*Raccoon
*Squirrel

Program Areas

* Boating
* Swimming
* Nature
* Arts and Crafts
* Phys. Ed
* Music
* Library
* Life Skills

References

External links

* [http://www.campmarcella.net/Default.aspx Official Site] Updated in August 2007 and under construction. New things being added often.
* [http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/cbvi/campmarcella.html Official CBVI site]
* [http://sociology.department.tcnj.edu/Internshippage/EDU/CampMarcella.pdf Staff Job Application]
* [http://www.dailyrecord.com/news/articles/news3-camppool.htm Article Summarizing The New Pool]
* [http://wcbstv.com/consumer/local_story_187170842.html Article Concerning The 2006 Budget Crisis]
* [http://www.marcellaforum.proboards25.com A Camp Marcella forum]
* [http://www.kiddonet.com/homepages/sarcasticlilone.htm Various Camp Marcella Ghost Stories]
* [http://family.webshots.com/album/166770000VqFNVN?start=0 A Camp Photo Album]
* [http://hometown.aol.com/district16a/marcella04-1.htm 2004 Lions Club Camp Marcella Photo Album]
* [http://hometown.aol.com/district16a/marcella03-1.htm 2003 Lions Club Camp Marcella Photo Album]