Wonder #16: The Joy of Bridging Generations (Part II)
One of the most obvious hallmarks of the Camp Arcadia experience is connection within the generations of a family. Camp has long been described as a “generational place.” I don’t know about you, but it always surprises people when I tell them that it’s not uncommon for grandparents, parents, grandkids and even great-grandkids to be at Camp together!
In reflecting on their experience as children, parents, and now grandparents at Camp Arcadia, Wes and Gina Kaufman share what intergenerational connection looks like for their family.
What does intergenerational connection look like for your family?
As grandparents, we’re blessed to bring our grandson, along with his Aunt/our daughter. Our grandson, now 8, has been to Camp since he was an infant. To see his growth over the summers has been incredible. The independence he can have at Camp now is awesome.
We love to go to the beach together and build sand structures or play monkey-in-the-middle in the Lake. We’ll take a small fleet of kayaks and paddleboards out to the lighthouse and play in the waves. One of our new favorite activities is biking out to the ball diamond and through the trees to the Pump Track to see who can have the fastest time around the track.
Do you have any special moments or memories of such time at Camp?
We were blessed to bring Gina’s parents here while they were still agile – we partnered with and played against them in tournaments like shuffleboard, euchre and ping pong. As our children grow into adults, we find ourselves as partners and competitors in those same, timeless activities.
The first year I (Gina) partnered with my youngest daughter in shuffleboard, we ended up with an unexpected 1st place ribbon against some serious competitors. We hadn’t practiced and had no strategy. We were playing with light-hearted banter and encouragement, but more importantly we were together as a team.
How has Camp helped you stay connected together as a family?
As our family grew and moved apart geographically and socially, Camp Arcadia provides us with a full week of meals, activities and time together. It allows us to start communicating by sharing what is happening during the day, and progresses to learning more about what has been happening in our lives while we have been apart.
This is just one snapshot of how God uses Camp Arcadia to bless families and individuals each and every year. We are grateful for your partnership in what God is doing through Camp.
We have a $150,000 Matching Gift Challenge active now through December 31, 2024! If you’d like to join us as a partner in ministry, consider making a gift to Camp Arcadia in support of our mission to provide renewal in spirit, mind and body for each and every guest.
Registration for our 2025 Retreats is open now – learn more or submit your registration form today: www.camp-arcadia.com/register. The 2025 Priority Deadline is January 7th.
