At Shrine Mont, camps close a little differently from other camps out there. We don't just pat the kids on the back and send them home, we hold an entire service dedicated to the session that just occurred as campers mix with families before we send them into the valley of the world. Today on the Camp Cast we talk about why we close camps the way we do and what camp staffs do as soon as the campers leave.

Art Camp is a unique camp that offers campers from ages 8-15 to come together for one week and hone their artistic skills. Often one of the last camps of the summer, Art Camp gives campers a safe place to find their creative voice while providing a chance to participate in classic camp activities. This week we take a look at folks offering artistic guidance to our campers and learn just how Art Camp tackles having a camp so huge.

One of the longest running camps at Shrine Mont is open to campers of all ages. What started as "Family Conference" is now a full-blown Family Camp and it's perfect for just about everyone. It provides parents a chance to enjoy a relaxing camp vacation whether their kids are too young or too old to attend any of Shrine Mont's other camps. But that's not all Family Camp has to offer...

In the summer of 2016 I shadowed Olivia Bambara, the Explorer's Camp Program Director for a day. I had worked as a Program Director in the past, but half the fun of this podcast is that it was one of the few I've made where I don't have to hear my own voice. So I sought out Olivia who had been working on the Mountain for years and had now grown into the roll of Program Director at they very same camp where she grew up. For some campers that's the dream. Not all get that far, but for the few that do it's a very rewarding adventure. So I want to give a special thanks to Olivia who was kind enough to let me follow her for a day and skilled enough to handle being interviewed while hiking North Mountain. Enjoy!

This summer I was placed in a new role with Senior High Youth Conference, for the duration of their time on the mountain I would serve as Storyteller in Residence. Together we examined how we would tell the story of SHYC and spread the word about the folks we had marked both on and off the mountain.

It's the start of a whole new summer of the Shrine Mont Camp Cast! Summer may be over, but the fun has just begun. This week we learn just what goes into putting a staff together and find out what camp directors look for when hiring counselors.

This summer a fair percentage of our staff hailed from South Africa, specifically The Diocese of Christ The King. Every year, this diocese hosts Camp CTK, and while a group of its staffers had the chance to come work at Shrine Mont this summer, Paris Ball and Ashley Isenhower visited Camp CTK while they were in session to learn about how Camp CTK function and just how similar they are to Shrine Mont Camps. 

In depictions of camp on the big screen there is often an element of pranking going on, whether it's pranks against the camp director or the rival rich-kid camp across the lake. In this episode of the Camp Cast we learn about why such events no longer happen at Shrine Mont Camps as we chronicle the events of the prank war to literally end all prank wars (on this mountain).   If you have a story to share for the Shrine Mont Camp Cast send an mp3 to [email protected]  

Hello folks, welcome to Summer 2 of the Shrine Mont Camp Cast!  Right off the bat, you'll notice one key difference with the show this summer and that's our release schedule which will now be biweekly. This show is a lot of work for one man to take on, and in the interest of self-preservation we've decided to space out the episodes time around.  A few week ago, I attended the Shrine Mont Alumni Work Weekend, a new event that takes place a week before training begins for those who will be on the mountain this summer. During that time I spoke to Paris Ball, Mike Wade and a few of the alumni attending the event to find out what it takes to get camp ready for staff that will be living on the mountain.  If you have a story for the Shrine Mont Camp Cast, send an MP3 to [email protected]

2012 was my first year on Shrine Mont Staff, one that marked a shift in my life. For an entire summer I felt at home, surrounded by a family of which I had no blood relatives. I left a temp job in Chicago where I mindlessly scheduled deliveries and over the course of the summer realized that I didn't need to be in the big city to be happy. That summer changed my life and taught me that your passions are best when shared with others and that there's limitless ways to pursue them.    In the season one finale of the Shrine Mont Camp Cast I spoke to a group of five first timers about their experience on the mountain. Some of them were former campers, some of them had never been to Shrine Mont before, but they were all preparing to leave with a bit of joy in their hearts just from having been there. Hopefully they'll be back next summer, and so will the Shrine Mont Camp Cast.