 
- 47 years under the same directorship
- RN on campus
- Daily towel service
- Security Guard at camp's entrance & exit
- Cook-outs
- Overnight campouts for 2nd to 8th graders
- Milk and juice provided at lunch
- Ice-cream snack provided at day's end
- Door-to-door transportation
- Free before and after care provided
- Accredited member of the American
Camping Association
1. Why should my camper start Jeff Lake as
a pre-schooler?
2. Can you tell me about the bus ride?
3. How is competition addressed at camp?
4. Is size a factor in choosing a day camp?
5. What if my child is not athletically inclined?
6. Who are my camper’s counselors?
7. Can I rent out the Jeff Lake Camp facility for a corporate
picnic or private party?
 1.
Why should my camper start Jeff Lake as a pre-schooler?
In the hussle-bussle of our lives there are very few ‘traditions’
we can offer our children; attending the same camp summer after summer
is one of them. Each camper that starts Jeff Lakes as a pre-schooler soon
feels JLC is their summer ‘home away from home’. With longevity
comes a sense of belonging to a community.
Our Freshman Campus offers a small nurturing campus with its own soccer,
basketball, and baseball fields, cabins and bathroom facilities. We are
acutely aware of the developmental needs of pre-schoolers – feeling
secure at camp and having strong self-esteem. Our Freshman staff, consisting
of certified teachers, are focused on that goal. A 4 to 1 camper/counselor
ratio allows for the hands on care necessary at that age.
We are often asked if our pre-schoolers take advantage of the wonderful
facilities at Jeff Lake. The answer to that question is absolutely yes!
Your camper will boat on our lake, hit a tennis ball, climb a mini-climbing
wall, and make a pot in pottery. Our program director will ensure that
your pre-schooler will utilize our facilities with the most efficient
use of their energy. For example, if your camper is scheduled for project
adventure period one then second period will be next door at gymnastics.
Swim instruction is scheduled daily. Our pre-school swim program is designed
to focus on each camper’s individual skill development. At the pre-school
level, we have campers ready to learn to rhythmic breath and others reluctant
to dunk their heads. Each camper is taught at his/her skill level. Jeff
Lake Camp is known for its swim instruction progress and our pre-schoolers
are no exception!
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 2.
Can you tell me about the bus ride?
Camp begins the moment a camper enters his/her JLC vehicle. Our well-
trained bus counselors ensure that your child is safely buckled in the
seat and well supervised during the ride. But what our bus counselors
are most loved for is…FUN! Each day a different activity is scheduled
on the bus so that the ride to Jeff Lake becomes an event. Crazy Sock
Day, Dress as Your Parent, Breakfast on the Bus, Bingo, Trivia, Pass It
Up, and Halloween Day make each ride special. Campers decorate their bus
and create songs and cheers to promote spirit. Start collecting buttons
for Button Day and don’t throw away that ridiculous man’s
tie – it may win your child a blue ribbon on Crazy Tie Day!
We leave the driving to professionals. Neither parents nor counselors
drive Jeff Lake vehicles. Our bus drivers drive for school systems during
the school year and become our camp drivers during the camp season. Professional
drivers coupled with efficient routing make the ride to JLC as short as
possible. Air- conditioned buses keep our campers comfortable as they
transition from home to camp.
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3. How is
competition addressed at camp?
The discussion of competitive vs. non-competitive is one that is subject
to confusion in the camping community. Jeff Lake values athletics. We
emphasize skill development by teaching the fundamentals of each sport.
We will not let a camper who feels inadequate in a given sport sit on
the sideline. One-on-one sports instruction is available with our Athletic
Director or a qualified senior counselor. We believe that even the most
reluctant camper becomes a participant if he/she feels successful.
All games are played with enthusiasm, good sportsmanship, and counselor
participation. Teams are always picked by the counselor to ensure that
teams are evenly matched. No camper is consistently picked first or last.
Yes, sometimes one team wins and another loses however there is always
an emphasis on sportsmanship.
Many of our sporting activities are individual sports such as swimming,
boating, archery, and karate where competition is not a factor. In addition,
we have an extensive Arts department that balances our athletic facilities.
The same camper who is shooting baskets in the morning is likely to be
throwing a pot on the potter’s wheel in the afternoon.
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4. Is size a factor in choosing a day camp?
This is another topic that lends itself to confusion in the camping community.
We feel it is more relevant to ask, "What does the size of Jeff Lake
mean to my camper?".
The size of Jeff Lake allows us to maintain a carefully selected and trained
staff of approximately 275, a 50-acre lake with two water-trampolines,
a water climbing wall, an extensive fishing program, a boating waterfront
comparable to most over-night camps, miles of mountain biking trails and
numerous sports and art activities over our extensive shaded acreage.
We never feel ‘crowded’ and there is plenty of land and water
room for the development of new activities. Your child will never out-grow
our camp. Your senior camper will continue to be challenged. Our CIT/Teen
program will provide the necessary transition between senior camper and
junior staff.
But for our campers, Jeff Lake is only as large as the number of campers
in their specific group. We foster group cohesiveness and spirit. For
each child the summer revolves around the 15-18 campers and Senior and
Junior counselors that lead
his/her group.
Ask a Jeff Lake camper if JLC is ‘big’ and they will say "big
in spirit" and "big in fun".
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 5.
What if my child is not athletically inclined?
Jeff Lakes is best suited to the active child but not necessary the athlete.
On a typical day, sports (basketball, archery, volleyball, etc) games
(4-squares, running bases, gaga) and art activities (pottery, Native American
crafts, music, dance) will be programmed. From first grade on, our campers
can individualize one period per day. If you are interested in less athletics
and more art activities, then you can use Hobby Hour to select photo,
arts & crafts, cooking, etc. By fourth grade, our campers have two
choice periods per day and can further individualize their schedule.
Athletic activities will always be part of a child’s life be it
physical education at school or swimming on family vacations. Many of
our campers who come to JLC feeling that they are not ‘athletes’
are in fact lacking confidence in their athletic skills but not lacking
potential. Our expectation is not to make an athlete out of each camper
but to make a camper a comfortable participator. Through developmentally
appropriate skill development coupled with lots of positive reinforcement,
many ‘non-athletes’ leave the summer feeling ready for the
challenges of the ‘physical’ world. On the other hand, many
of our strong athletes develop an appreciation of the artistic side of
themselves. We want each child to learn and grow. Risk taking, on the
ball field, in the art studio, or during social interaction, is a behavior
reinforced through successful experiences. Jeff Lake Camp is the perfect
environment to ‘take a risk’.
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6. Who are my camper’s counselors?
Our talented staff of junior, senior, and specialty counselors lives in
the same communities as our campers. Many of the 75% returning staff each
year were JLC campers and CITs. They bring back to our camp community
the ‘traditions’ that make Jeff Lake so strong. Our counselors
are thoroughly interviewed and background checks are done on any camp
member not familiar to JLC. Our staff undergoes 18 hours of training and
orientation so that they are well prepared from the moment your child
begins our program. A 4:1 ratio of camper to counselor ensures that each
camper has the necessary supervision. Our counselors are mentored by a
Division Head who provides guidance to the staff and keeps the lines of
communication between parent and camp flowing.
Staff is the backbone of any camp. We pride ourselves in the quality of
our counselors and in the extremely high percentage of returning staff
each year. Each staff member is dedicated to providing the quality of
experience you expect from Jeff Lake Camp.
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7. Can I rent out the Jeff Lake
Camp facility for a corporate picnic or private party?
Absolutley! Click here to find out more.
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