During my thirteen years directing Camp Onas, I’ve had plenty of chances to tackle light plumbing repairs—but this spring stretched my skills in new ways. Thanks to YouTube tutorials and a metalsmithing class I took in college, I was able to add soldering copper fittings, replacing broken stem valves (including one that was very, very broken!), and temporarily re-routing water to a building so a group could shower while its well pump was being replaced.

With the Sides under construction, our spring groups have been flexible and creative—relying on the bathrooms in Texas and Dellview while camping in the Barn, the Texas Room, Dellview, and even a makeshift bunk we set up on the Dellview porch. Everyone was great about it, but the indoor bathrooms weren’t built for quite that much use—which meant a lot of quick fixes and tight turnarounds before the next group arrived.

While I really do enjoy this kind of hands-on, logical work (plumbing systems are fascinating!), I’m looking forward to seeing the new showerhouses in action—and to a little less hands-on plumbing work - and instead, learining ins and outs of how the new buildings work.

I have been with Onas since 2000, and in that time have needed to adapt to technology I wasn't raised on, being that I'm a Boomer.

Using new software programs can be anxiety inducing (for me), but has been necessary over the years.  No longer am I entering camper registrations from a piece of paper into a camper database.  No longer writing payroll checks and filing payroll taxes by mail, or taking a stack of checks to the bank several times a week for deposit, thanks to online payments. Until 2020, Zoom was unknown to me, now used in our weekly staff meetings. I am grateful for a helpful and understanding younger staff that is always patient and encouraging, and will face new technology driven advances head-on...although there maybe some grumbling and sweat involved.

Recently, I learned more about Camp's financial aid process, and began playing a bigger role in helping to review SCOPE campership applications. SCOPE, which stands for Summer Camp Opportunities Promote Education, is a national nonprofit and longtime partner of Camp Onas. They've helped to fund dozens of full camperships for Onas families over recent years, and we were recently notified that for the 2025 summer season, SCOPE has allocated $27,000 for 18 Onas campers to participate, tuition-free! 

By far, the most rewarding and uplifting part of the application review process is getting to read each camper's note about why they'd like to come, or return, to Camp Onas. Campers talk about the special bonds they've made, or the excitement of making new friends. They like spending time outside, listening to nature. They like how kind their counselors are, and how they sing at night. They like learning to swim, or becoming more acquainted with bugs. They like the "endless possibilities of fun" and their chance to "just be." I like how learning something new reminded me of something I've always known deep in my bones -- that Camp is magical.

This year, I've been trying to learn about the birds that make Camp their home during the year. I've gotten decent at identifying some of the basic ones by sight, but the fun step I'm working on now is learning some of their calls and songs so that I'll know who is around me just by listening! So far, I'm pretty good at noticing Blue Jays, American Robins, Gray Catbirds, and Northern Cardinals just by sound. It makes me feel connected to Camp as more than just a place where our community of people gathers, but one that includes all the creatures of this area. 

This Spring, I learned how to replace a spoke on a bicycle! Onas has an ethos of repairing something before replacing it. Working at Camp Onas, especially my first two years as a kitchen aid and CIT, definitely built my confidence with using tools, fixing things, and learning how to do something myself. After a crash on my bike last month (don't pedal too fast on narrow paths, kids!), I took my bike to the neighborhood bike clinic to get it checked out. When I told the bike mechanic I wanted to learn more about bikes, I ended up spending the next two hours doing the repair myself with his guidance. Before I only knew how to replace a tube or patch a hole. It was great to get my hands dirty and I'm back cycling again!

Another thing I learned (not as exciting) is how to embed Google forms on the Camp Onas website! We've got a lot of events coming up, and this was a useful way to facilitate sign-ups.