Summer 2024: Reflections and Highlights

The Wico Full Time Team is back in the New York office after an amazing Summer 2024 and has already started to plan for another incredible Summer 2025. Is anyone else already counting down the days? Before it gets too far behind us, we wanted to take a minute to reflect on the incredible summer we just had —full of unforgettable moments, personal growth, and so many friendships that will last long beyond the summer sessions.

From our Oskis to our Totems, every single camper and staff contributed our official “The One Where We Became a Community” summer. Whether it was singing at meals, embarking on trip days, or simply enjoying a quiet moment in Rupert’s Garden during selective, each day brought something special. Here are a few highlights from the season, though it’s impossible to capture the full magic in just a few words!

Perfect Camp Days (PCDs): We had so many of these amazing days, where everything seemed to align just right—the sun was shining, the lake was truly glowing, and our all campers were thriving in their activities. Whether it was sailing on Newfound Lake or learning new skills on the tennis courts, those PCDs were the ones that reminded us of the simple joys of camp and to be grateful for a summer of such little rain!

Color War & WCC: Color War and WCC 2024 were a highlight, as always, but this summer’s “breaks” were ones that will be hard to top. From early morning ice cream trucks to late night dancers, the energy, spirit, and friendly competition between the Blue and Green and Blue, Green, Red and Yellow filled the air with excitement. The creativity of the themes, the enthusiasm during games, and the final sing competitions were nothing short of spectacular. We still have the cheers stuck in our heads!

Trip Days & Special Events: Of course, no Wico summer would be complete without great trip days and special events! Several age groups participated in Destination Unknown (don’t tell anyone where we went), The Totem groups had a blast in Vermont, lots of splashing happened at Whale’s Tales and our Oskis and Cascos couldn’t get over the bears eating ice cream at Clark’s Trading Post. Our on-site special events, including Carnival, The Amazing Race, College Day, Party Day and more were hits! Campers were able to spend time with their cabin and counselors, running all over camp, doing a variety of fun activities – all while out of uniform.

Friends & Community: This summer, perhaps more than ever, we leaned into the theme of “community.” Inspired by the friendships formed on TV’s Friends, our 2024 staff embraced the idea of “the one where we became a community” during orientation. From moments of laughter when the campers got off the bus on opening day to the quiet tears around the final campfire, we saw our campers learn, grow, and build bonds that will last for years to come. It’s these moments that make the Wico experience truly special.

Thank you to all our incredible campers, staff and camp parents who helped make it all happen this summer. Whether it was our staff leading activities and guiding our campers through new challenges, our campers trying new activities and conquering fears or our parents trusting us to provide the best for their campers, you all helped make Summer 2024 unforgettable. Help us keep the camp spirit alive all year and share your favorite moments from Summer 2024. Whether it was a thrilling activity, a quiet campfire, or a special friendship that bloomed, feel free to share your stories. We will continue to highlight stories and questions in our Wico Newsletter throughout the year! Let’s keep the camp spirit alive until we’re back together in 2025!