Our Counselors. Our Heroes.

A hero is an individual who exhibits bold, honorable and daring actions; he or she is willing to replace his or her own needs with the needs of others. A hero doesn’t have to have super powers or save the world in the nick of time. In fact, oftentimes a hero humbly steps back and does not seek recognition for his or her actions.

Here at CBS, we find these unique characteristics in our counselors daily. We could not operate our winning program or impact lives without our amazing counselors and cannot begin to tell you the endless praise we receive from parents and campers about their enthusiasm and charisma.

To make sure we bring on only the best counselors, we invest much of our off-season time searching for the most enthusiastic, fun-loving, tender-hearted counselors. We travel to universities across the country to find the young men and women who are passionate about spending their summer building into children and modeling a Christ-like lifestyle for our campers.

Our counselors encourage and inspire campers to grow in character and integrity. They touch the lives of campers in ways that change them forever and build relationships that last. They wake up every morning with a smile on their faces, push their personal needs and wants aside, and are ready to take on the craziness of camp! 

Thank you to all of who have ever served as a CBS counselor—all of you really are our heroes.

Why send your child to summer camp?

Parents, for those of you who attended summer camp growing up, it’s a no brainer. Camp was life. Some of you could even say camp defines who you are today. However, those without what we camp folk call an essential “life experience” may need some convincing.

Summer camp is more than sports, cabins and blow up lake toys (though our Blob is certainly a highlight of CBS J). Camp is a platform that gives children the opportunity to step out of their comfort zones, build confidence, create friendships and gain independence.

We have 5 reasons summer camp is a positive addition to a child’s life:

1. Drop the iPhone

Imagine a place where your child takes a break from his or her computer and electronic devices. Today, children can be so busy with texting, Facebook and YouTube that they forget how to communicate in real life and in real time. Without these distractions, a child is able to get outside, try new things and truly engage in meaningful conversations with his or her peers.

2. Build Confidence

Our camp counselors are trained to nudge their campers out of their comfort zones and try new things, whether a new activity or trying new foods! When campers are encouraged to try things on their own, they discover new and positive things about themselves, thereby building an inner-confidence. 

3. Develop New Skills

Camp Balcones Springs offers over 40 activities to choose from, and campers are given the opportunity to choose what they would like to participate in. It gives them a chance to step away from their usual sport activities and try new ones they would not normally get to do at home. Camp is a great way for children discover and develop new activity and personal skills.

4. Experience Diversity

Children are often only exposed to a core group of people including family friends, school friends, teachers, etc. Camp brings children in contact with children and counselors from different schools, communities and cultures. This encourages them to not only accept different types of people and customs, but gives them the opportunity to begin different types of friendships.

5. Create Lifelong Friendships

One of the most important things about camp is making new friends. Camp friends are a different kind of friend. The friendships a child creates at summer camp stem from a strong family-type bond. The experience, excitement and education of making new friends, learning to live together  and appreciating differences quickly transforms camp from just a group of peers into an ever-growing family unit. 

Zach, Santa and Mrs. Clause Say "Merry Christmas!"

Camp Thanksgiving!

 

Why would Kathryn Taylor be dressed up like a pilgrim?  Why would Stephanie Smalling dress up as a Native American?  Why because of the Camp Balcones Springs Thanksgiving Dinner.  Actually, they came from a YoungLife function, but that is beside the point. 

Thanksgiving always brings to mind the idea that we all have so much to be thankful for.  I personally am thankful for good health, great family and friends, and that I get to work at such an amazing place.  One of the things we all share in common and can be thankful for is how much of a wonderful impact camp has been in our lives.  On Tuesday, November 15, camp and several University of Texas students got together to have dinner, reconnect and enjoy each other’s company.  It truly was a group effort bringing this wonderful event together.  We had our gracious hosts (Christine Baskin and Mac Baskin), our head chefs (Martin Ramirez and Teddy James), and the sous chefs (Adrienne, Kelli, Joe and Todd) all come together to put on this tasty dinner.  The dinner included your more traditional Thanksgiving fare, Turkey, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy as well as some not so traditional (Teddy made a watermelon and tomato salad of some sort….hahaha). 

We all know that what truly makes camp the great experience it is, goes beyond the beautiful surroundings, fun activities, pranks, and Todd Darby (j/k people)!  It truly is one of the greatest experiences b/c of the people who come into our lives.  I know all of my fondest memories of camp have all been associated with my various camp buddies.  That night as we were all enjoying good food and great conversation, will be added to my favorite memories of camp.

It made me wonder about all of you out there that we didn’t have the pleasure of seeing that night.  What are the things that you are most thankful for?  Do you guys have any Thanksgiving traditions?  And one of the most crucial questions of all….Will you be returning for Summer 2012 to add to your camp memories?

#CampLove - Todd

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Hiney Writes and Counselor Reapplications

This was a great weekend for camp. We had so many fun things all rolled up into a short period of time, we almost forgot this is our job!

Congratulations to Lauren Rocco, one of our former campers, who got married here this weekend. It was a blast for the four old campers who came back out to camp for the weekend wedding. Check out a picture of the Gridiron during her reception. Beautiful hill country wedding today! on Twitpic, Courtesy of Caroline Fontenot

Sunday we had a camper reunion party at Mangia's Pizza in Austin, and it was so fun to see Marrietta, Drew Korba, David Williams, Jackson & Carter, Cory Kittleman, Mary Russell Keane, and a handful of others that made for an awesome afternoon.

Then today the quarterly Hiney Write went out to all of the counselors from this last summer, along with the Re-App for Summer 2012. Download both and remember all of the great memories and #camplove from this summer and find out what has been going on this fall.

And we are in the process of updating our website with some phun new projects and changes for next summer. Stay on the look out!

Adrienne and Martin will be in Dallas this weekend, so catch up with them while they are in town! Email them at agrissom@campbalconessprings.com and mramirez@campbalconessprings.com to meet up with them.

Miss you all lots, and can't wait to see you soon!

Happy Halloween! The Best of CBS Costumes

@meagan_talley: What type of shoes do ghost from Texas wear? BOOts! #muahahaMonday #HappyHalloween @rgleitman thanks @nance871

I have loved getting to read all of these bad jokes before Tuesday! It just makes Halloween that much better. 

Enjoy a slideshow of some of the best costumes we've seen in the last 5 years or so...some are a blast from the past! Thanks to all of you who posted these on facebook for our viewing pleasure!

Be safe Trick-Or-Treating tonight, and be on the lookout for new costume ideas for next year's theme nights!

For more camp news and updates, Follow us on Twitter and "Like" us on Facebook 

#CampLove

Sometimes I get writer’s block. I sat in front of the computer last week and artfully spent a couple hours to write the title and first sentence of several blog posts-to-be (keep checking back though, since I still want to write about them!). But, as I was stumbling around the @BalconesSprings Twitter this morning, there were several—significantly more than normal—tweets and conversations between camp folks sharing memories of Camp, joking around, and just saying how much they miss and love each other:

From @Jillyanne: @beccabeccag @ladykrell @Annabellegwine can we just time travel back? #Chickeninabiscuit

From @sydneymaeh: @annabellegwine Oh heavens you are precious! A week ago, I mayyy have been telling people it was Meow Monday…love you!

From @Jocelynamg: RT @annalynncarroll She knows in her quiet center where God dwells that he finds her beautiful, has deemed her worthy, and in him, she is enough.- Stasi Elridge. Love that and love you!!

And those are just a handful from this morning!

But it was Robyn Hammond’s tweet this morning that inspired me out of writer’s block. It was encouraging Aggies on campus today to come check out being a camp counselor at CBS while Todd, Martin, and Adrienne were set up at Koldus, but she ended it with the Hashtag that summed up my feelings from this morning:

#CampLove

I’ve tried to resist using twitter-speak to describe real life, but it just fits so perfectly. #CampLove is different from #NormalLove because it encompasses so much more. It conjures up feelings of sitting on the B-Compound (or D-Compound) porch, talking and laughing with your best friends. It reminds you of how you feel on the first day when your crazy counselor, who you didn’t even know then, tackles you when you get off of the bus with a huge smile and welcomes you to camp. It prompts your memory of when you split a whole flowerpot of “dirt” with one other person at Women’s dinner. That is #CampLove!

It may be October, it's finally raining here at camp(!), and school has started for many of you, but take a study break this week to look at pictures from camp, or call a CBS friend, or go on the Camp BalconesSprings facebook, or yell a “Five Bullets” everytime the Rangers score a Home Run—but be sure to tell someone that you #CampLove them!

As part of CBS’s fall recruiting and traveling schedule, Adrienne, Todd, and Martin have been visiting campers in Houston and counselors at Texas A&M the past few days with plans to see more of you all in the coming weeks! Checkout our website for more updates on when we will be near you!