Beach Time

The beach is a great place to hang out with your cabin mates, relax, and enjoy the view. Skipping or throwing rocks into the water (from the water's edge) can be a great way to spend time with friends. We have some pretty impressive structures built on our beaches, often times with elaborate stories behind them too!



Thursdays in February

Join island visitors and residents at Doe Bay on Orcas Island to share music, spoken word, and other performances on the night when we come together in that ancient ritual of community and communion: good pizza! Every Thursday in February, Camp Orkila will receive $1 from each pizza sold. Please come out to buy a pizza, enjoy the entertainment, and support Camp Orkila! The Café is open from 5-10pm and Open Mic begins at 7:30pm.

Dork Dance Outfits

Perhaps you have heard of the Dork Dance, perhaps you haven’t. For those who may not be familiar with this popular event at Orkila, the Dork Dance is a dance where popular music is played, some amazing dance moves are thrown down… and some fabulous outfits are worn. The pinnacle of the event is often getting ready for the dance and participants often take great pride in what they've put together to wear. Here are some highlights. Enjoy!

    

     



Dock Jump

Jumping off of the Orkila dock is a thrill! The dock has a special gate for dock jumps on the upper level as well as a prime location for jumping on the lower, floating dock. So whatever your comfort level with height, there is an option for you. Dock jumps are a fun activity for both those jumping and those cheering them on - often times you can even hear dock jumps happening down the beach!

Staff Spotlight: Marty Emmes

Hi! My name is Marty Emmes. I grew up in Eugene Oregon and have attended my local Y beginning as a kindergartener. I came to Orkila in the summer of 2009 as the Assistant Director of Teen Expeditions. My passion for Sailing, Kayaking, and Cycling; allowed me to feel quite at home with my role that first year. These last few years, I have been happy to be involved in an organization that was so fundamental in shaping me as a person. The chance to help facilitate similar opportunities for others is why I'm here. Having the chance to send out, support, and receive back participants from trips is an extremely rewarding part of my job. I strongly believe that Orkila has the opportunity to offer something that is both rare and important. I’m excited to be working with Orkila going forward and developing strong and pivotal experiences for youth.

I would love to hear about your ideas and reasons why you love Orkila. Please give me a call at 206.382.5009 or reach me by email at memmes@seattleymca.org

SNOW DAYS

Snow days at Camp are beautiful. Sure a lot different than in summer. Wish you all could be here to enjoy. Stay warm and safe where ever you are. Only 166 days until the first day of summer camp!


The Challenge Tower


Saturna Island in the distance


Freeman Island


Wally Fisher Lodge


South Beach Cabins, home to Mt. O

The Pool. Polar Plunge anyone?

Patsy Collins Terrace and Larry Norman Lodge

McDade Campfire

McDade Campfire from Wally Fisher Lodge

Squid Dissection

Our Marine Biology Camp does some pretty cool activities; feeding the animals in our tanks, extreme beach walks, and even squid dissections! Squid dissections are often a high point of the week; it's an adventurous and intriguing activity that campers come out of with not only knowledge but maybe even a piece of paper with their name written in squid ink!

Camp Songs

"We have a song to teach you! This is a repeat after us song! And a do as we do song!" Camp songs are funny, energetic, quirky, and at times very random. Camp songs; they make people laugh, they make people dance, and of course… they make people sing! What's your favorite camp song?

Staff Spotlight: Dominic Vellucci

Hello everyone, my name is Dom Vellucci and I'm really excited to be coming back to this community. I worked with Camp Orkila in 2010 as an environmental educator and Leadership Development Institute (LDI) instructor, and have filled similar roles in other camps in Michigan and Pennsylvania. I come from upstate New York, where I studied agriculture, managed a couple farms, and taught garden-based learning to elementary schools in New York City. I also volunteered for a therapeutic horse-riding program in NY, but I don't know how to ride horses yet. Perhaps someone here will teach me. It's great to be back in Washington and I look forward to seeing lots of new faces as well as some familiar ones, too. No, I didn't just come back for gaga ball, but it was a factor. I am honored to help Orkila continue making great traditions, and am sure that you will all help me do the same. And I apologize in advance if you are hit with one of my juggling clubs, just practicing!

Bouffant Caps!

Bouffant caps are given out at camp to wear underneath helmets, however this is not the only time one might see someone wearing a bouffant cap. Bouffant cap fashion is big at Orkila; campers and staff have found a variety of ways to wear these pale blue beauties. Do you have a favorite way to wear your bouffant cap?



       

Dam Building

There are many things to do on our beach, however damming the creek by our Marine Center seems to always be a favorite activity. Up the hill from the Marine Center we have a salmon pond in the forest, the pond outputs water into a creek that runs down to the beach, on the beach there are logs and large rocks that direct the water to eventually flow out into the ocean. Campers (and staff) will use sand, rocks, logs, and whatever else they can find to try and dam the creek or redirect its path.

KP in the Larry Norman Lodge

The Larry Norman Lodge is our main lodge at Orkila (we also have Tracy Strong Lodge located in Tracy Strong Village towards Upper Camp). Campers and staff work together to help set tables with place settings and food during KP while the rest of camp is at line-up. KP stands for Kitchen Patrol, but really it's more like  Kitchen Party; music is often played, dancing and singing usually accompanies. While everyone files in, the music continues to play and often can result in one epic dance party!

It's Time For Line-Up!!!

 

Before every meal, we hold an all camp line-up on the Patsy Collins Terrace (PCT). At line-up, songs are sung, graces are taught, games are played, announcements are made, and units share cheers that they have created. Line-up is a good time for everyone to come together and also a prime time for silliness to occur. Do you or your camper have any fond memories from line-ups?