Traditions & Terminology
Every camp has its quirks, and Onaway is no exception — we have our own language, our own rituals, and our own deeply held opinions about things the rest of the world has never heard of. Anyone who has spent a summer on these shores knows that these traditions are part of what makes Onaway, Onaway.
Birch Bark Box
Campers and counselors can add their creative writing to the Birch Bark Box throughout the week. On Sunday evenings, we take these out and read a selection of poems and other writings to the entire camp. These are often reflections on what Onaway means to the writer. Several of them can be found on this website. It is a tradition that reaches back many decardes.
During the last week of camp, we celebrate the many years our campers and counselors have spent at Onaway. For every four years spent at camp, they receive a layer of cake. By the time many Onaway campers transition to being a counselor, they sometimes already have two layers of cake. After every one receives their cake, campers walk around getting pieces of everyone's cake, until we all have had our fill!
Cake Night
The Dunk
Fair
Each summer, there is a competition between our longest campers, the Skytops, and our counselors over something called "The Dunk." Many years, pieces of it are hidden throughout the property. Once it is all found, it is set up for the midsummer Fair. Counselors dress in elaborate costumes and wait for campers to "dunk them."
After the 3rd week of camp, Onaway welcomes families back to visit for the weekend. The key event is a Fair we throw for families, complete with games, snacks, "the dunk", and other festivities. This is also the weekend that the Upper Camp play is performed for families.
Cup Weekend
The last weekend of camp is called Cup Weekend. Families return on Saturday to reconnect with their campers and watch the results of their hard work: tennis matches, a waterfront show, a dance pageant, and the Lower Camp play. It is named after a tradition Onaway has of giving one girl each summer the Onaway Cup. This is awarded by the older campers voting on a camper who best embodies the Onaway ideals.Â
Patches
Throughout the summer, campers work towards goals in all of their activities. From summer to summer they pass levels of skill in their activities. At the end of the summer, we have a big ceremony where patches are given to represent the accomplishments they have passed each summer. In days past, these patches were sewn onto a sweater which was worn from year to year.
The Rock
Sunday Letters
The Onaway community has long met on a beautiful lakeside spot we call "The Rock." Sometimes we have free swim at the rock. But, mostly it is known as the place we gather to sing songs and share about the adventures we have had during the week. Trip songs, updates on news in the world, and a review of camp activities pepper these gatherings. We also invite our families to join us at The Rock during Fair and Cup weekends.
We value letter writing and all long-form communication. Every day during rest period, we encourage writing. And on Sundays, the campers are required to mail letters home. Of course, some campers do this much more frequently. Similarly, receiving a letter in their mailbox is a real treat!Â
"EP"
Brown & White Team Games
Each night at camp, we gather for our Evening Program, also called "EP." These activities are often theatrical in nature, such as talent shows, the gong show, the counselor show, cabin group skits, and the like. Sometimes, EP can be a dance party or a game, or something quieter, like gathering at The Rock for singing.
Every new camper or counselor is added to a camp team. These teams compete throughout the summer in something we call Brown and White Games. They are held on Saturdays and include activities such as camp-wide hide-and-seek, water Olympics, and tug-of-war. The winning team gets bragging rights and gets to fly their flag on the flagpole.
Hebron
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The Bell
Hebron is a small village on the north end of the lake. Â Some of our camp choristers sing at the community church there on Sundays. Each summer the entire camp attends the Hebron Fair, an event complete with treats, treasures, and fun.
We wake up to the bell each morning. The bell tells us when a period ends and when to go to our next activity. And if we have a camp emergency, the bell tells us that as well. It can be heard throughout the camp. The Counselor of the Day is responsible for ringing the bell.
"Beaning"
Campers are expected to work with their roommate to keep their cabins clean. They are inspected daily, a tradition we call "beaning" referring to earlier times when campers had beans on their beds removed for untidy spaces. Cabin groups work together to get perfect beaning, which comes with a treat of a trip to a sweetshop nearby! Campers also work to earn their beaning badge.
Our cove has three rafts, which form a triangle. Campers swim these triangles during swim class and during free swim. Over the course of the summer, they need to swim a certain number of miles in order to pass their swimming levels. The highest level of swimming must swim 10 miles of triangles. Campers who wish to swim the length of the lake must first swim 20 miles of triangles.
Triangles
Driveway songs
Onaway tradition is that every time we enter the driveway, we sing a song "Camp Onaway, we're coming back to you..." Every time we leave camp, we remain silent until we are out of the driveway entirely, and then we sing "As Onaway goes marching along..."
Every night at Onaway ends in a circle. The circle represents our philosophy of belonging, and it is a tangible reminder every day that you are a part of something bigger than yourself. It is here that we sing "It's the end of a perfect day."