CFAD Traditions | West Suburban YMCA Newton, MA | West Suburban YMCA

Camp Frank A. Day

Programs & Camp Traditions

Camp Frank A. Day

Opening & Closing Ceremonies
Opening and Closing Ceremonies occur on the first and last nights of each session at the Great Council Ring. At Opening Ceremonies, we kick-off the session together by singing songs, performing skits, and explaining our core values. Additionally, each camper and staff member receives a necklace with a charm that correlates to the number of years they have attended camp. Campers and staff are awarded additional charms based on their achievements throughout the summer. At Closing Ceremonies, we reflect upon our time at camp with songs, camper testimonies and speeches, and the Beacon Light Speech.

Plaque is a unique competition where campers in each unit are placed onto teams and compete for points in both athletic and general camp activities each day. At the end of the summer the points accumulated by each team each session are tallied, and the team with the most points has all its members’ names etched into a plaque and placed in the rafters of McKnight Hall.

Super Choice takes place for one hour every day. During this hour campers partake in activities within their unit (crafts, basketball, four square etc).

Evening Programs are special activities that are enjoyed either by cabin group, by unit group or include all camp. Activities range from taking a nighttime boat ride with your cabin to completing a unit-wide scavenger hunt to all-camp theme dances and “Coffee House” performance nights.

Green vs. Gray
Green versus Gray takes place Session 2 and Session 4, and the camp is divided in half. Once assigned your color it is your color for life, and it is even passed on from generation to generation. This 36-hour event kicks off with unit knock-out battles on Miller Court, has a day of athletic and art based competitions, and ends with cheer and song battles around a camp fire at the Great Council Ring. In the end everyone is family, but for 36 hours everyone chants their team cheers and lives to be Green or Gray!

Olympics
During the Camp Frank A. Day Olympics, campers are divided into several teams (6-8). This 24-hour event has the teams compete in a variety of competitions, ending with a skit and chant battle at the Great Council Ring. Unlike Color War, your Olympic team changes annually, giving you a chance to be with many different people and make many more new friends!

Awards Night
Awards Night is a popular event at camp that concludes the summer.  Counselors present elective awards to campers, Unit Directors recap the highlights of the summer and announce the winners of the Plaque Race, staff awards are given, and the camp community savors being with each other for one last night.

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