For Nate M. (Camper 2007-2012, Counselor 2013-2019) the rain was actually a treat! 

“The highlight of the reunion for me was honestly the rainy weather. We all know Camp still operates rain or shine so why should the reunion be any different? It reminded me of much simpler times– not having a care in the world, wandering around Camp while simultaneously getting soaking wet but still enjoying every moment. The rainy MFW was the icing on the cake, listening to the peaceful pitter-patter on the barn roof bringing back old memories I forgot I even had.” said Nate.

For alumni Noah S., “Going back to camp always feels like going home.” 

Just like their camper days, attendees checked in at the Penn Pavilion. Our “First Period” activity was a  group art project in Dellview. With photos from the Camp Onas History Project and instant-print photos attendees took that day, together we made a collective timeline of our Onas story. 

“I loved the timeline activity! It was really fun reminiscing with everyone and taking photos together. It was amazing to see my camp buddies and former campers of mine. It always brings me right back to where we were a decade ago,” said Liz B.

We had lunch in the dining hall, where alumni and their loved ones shared a classic Onas lunch: hotdogs, hamburgers, and veggie burgers of course!

“My partner has visited camp before but she finally got a taste of what the daily routine was like. Being able to share a dining hall meal with her meant a lot to me, and the camp people are always so welcoming and inclusive.” said Nate M. 

Meeting for Worship in the Barn brought back special memories for those who spent the day with us. 

“Sitting in the barn for Meeting for Worship, I was looking at all the little scuffs and paint on the wood and they were all exactly like I remembered it. If I look at any spot at camp, the memories just come flooding back,” said Cooper D., who traveled from Atlanta, Georgia, to attend the reunion and visit his family in Bucks County. Cooper D. was a camper starting in 2006, and worked at Camp from 2012-2017. He has been living in Atlanta since he graduated from college, and this was his first time back at Onas since a visit in 2019.

Cooper said, “It was just like all 12 of my camp years squeezed into one.” 

Thomas H., a middle school teacher, was a camper from 2007-2011. “Being back at Onas brought back so many memories. Seeing familiar faces and talking to people I lost contact with was such an amazing experience. I was flooded with so many of the best memories of my childhood, especially when we had Meeting for Worship in the barn (where I spent so much of my free time as a camper). The highlight was definitely Meeting for Worship and the timeline project. Contemplating during Meeting for Worship made me remember why going to Camp Onas was such a special part of my life. I was so lucky to go to Camp with my best friend, Cooper, so being able to think back on all those memories together was so wonderful.”