Boothbay Region YMCA received approval Jan. 6 to build a new permanent Camp Knickerbocker bath house facility. This new facility will hold four changing stalls, four toilet stalls two of them being handicap accessible, two water fountains, benches, sinks and cubbies. This new facility will make for a better more enjoyable summer camp experience. For years the Y has been working on the planning and funding to upgrade the Camp Knickerbocker facilities at 157 Barters Island Road, Boothbay and this new bath house is just the beginning.

Not only is camp getting a new bath house this year, but we are also excited to announce new camp leadership and programs. Erin Gray, senior program girector of Aquatics and Summer Camp, will be taking over leadership duties. Erin has been with the Boothbay Region YMCA for three years, starting in aquatics. Erin has been involved with summer camps since she was six years old — starting with day camp, moving to resident camp, becoming a counselor-in-training (CIT), and then a counselor for five consecutive summers at Camp Pondicherry. At Pondicherry, she was a lifeguard, the assistant waterfront director, the waterfront director, and then finally the program director. With her extensive experience and love for camp, Erin is very excited to bring new fun and engaging programs/ideas to the table. It should be a great year for her and all the campers who attend this year.

Camp Knickerbocker’s Day Camp Program will have a new format, allowing campers to sign up for activities that they want to work on. Each program area will have a director and an assistant who will lead the campers through activities within their programs that let the camper work toward completing a level. Each area is composed of three levels — the number level the camper is signed up for determines how many weeks that level should take to complete. With this set-up, we are hoping that campers will be engaged, have fun, and strive in an environment that promotes healthy living, youth development, and social responsibility.

Along with activity areas that campers have seen in recent summers, we will be introducing four new programs: archery, hiking, nature, and outdoor living skills (OLS). These programs will be part of the day camp program as well as serving as areas specialty camps can utilize during their designated weeks. With a new curriculum, we are excited to see campers learn basic camping skills in OLS like fire and shelter building, outdoor cooking and knot tying; safety and shooting protocols, how to build an arrow and how to repair equipment in archery; explore not only Camp K’s hiking trails but local trails as well in hiking; and learn about Maine wildlife, the water cycle, constellations and more in nature.

Registration for Boothbay Region YMCA and Central Lincoln County YMCA opens Monday, March 2.

Registration for non-members of the Ys in Lincoln County opens Monday, March 9.