Camp Oneka For Girls | Camp Programs



Oneka is located on beautiful Fairview Lake. It is a private, natural, spring-fed, clean, relatively warm (76-78'F) lake. It provides a natural setting for an excellent and varied aquatic program which includes the following:

Swimming Program - Lessons are taught daily in our 25 yard long, 6 lane wide "pool" in the lake, complete with diving board and sliding board. An extensive dock system provides quick and safe access to all parts of the swimming area. Beginners use a separate, though adjacent, shallower area. Sailing - All campers sail with younger campers going with counselors on each boat. Five sunfish and a javelin are available. Canoeing - Skill sessions include instruction in canoeing and safety, followed by free time and games. Boating - Narrow width rowboats are built to allow young campers to learn basic boating skills as a primer to canoeing. Sailboarding - Different sized boards are available to accommodate different sized campers. This skill is taught by experienced staff and is quite challenging for the older and more athletic campers. Water-skiing - Skiing is offered to campers that already ski. For campers willing and ready to try, we teach skiing. For campers new to skiing, counselors get in the water with the skier for instruction and safety.
Tubing and Trampoline - This is pure fun; no skill necessary! Just hang on to the tube as the boat zips you around the lake or try jumping on our 20 foot water trampoline. Playaking - Plastic kayaks with double blade paddles are mostly fun but do provide some unique maneuvering with the double blade paddles and some test of one's balance.

Field sports - Soccer, Hockey, Softball, Kickball, Volleyball, Newcomb - Skill sessions teach fundamentals and provide supervised practice. Intra-camp teams provide game situation experiences. Tennis - Skill sessions teach and practice fundamentals. Intra- and intercamp matches provide competition for the "serious" tennis players. Oneka enters one U.S.T.A. tournament, usually during the second half of camp. The courts are available for campers during their free time. Archery - The archery program involves various achievement levels based on shooting proficiency. Awards are received at each level. Archery is always supervised by trained staff members. Climbing Wall - A 30 foot, 3-sided climbing wall, built by an accredited contractor, challenges beginners and experienced climbers with a variety of climbing surfaces. Riding - Lessons in ring riding are offered once a week at a local stable with an excellent instructor who has worked with Oneka campers for over 15 years. Miscellaneous - We include other sports in our program from time to time, such as lacrosse, table tennis, ultimate frisbee, cricket, tumbling, aerobics, running, basketball, and others.

To an extent, the activities may vary a bit with the expertise of the staff. Most of the following activities are always available: drawing, sketching, copper enameled jewelry making, ceramics (a kiln and three wheels), tie-dyeing, basketry, leather work, photography, and a large variety of general craft activities.

All campers have an opportunity to perform in camp shows. The senior campers perform a full musical show at the end of the first half of camp. All families are invited. Recent efforts have included "Into the Woods" and "Oliver."

Activities are designed to teach appreciation for the environment. Responsible camping skills are taught and practiced.

Campers of all ages have opportunities to choose to go day hiking, go on overnight campouts, to enjoy a day at Hershey Park (second half of camp), and to visit an Arabian horse farm. The youngest campers can choose trips to the blueberry farm, bear cave, the steam train, and the mill pond while older campers can take a Delaware River canoe trip and a back packing overnight hike. Experienced older canoeists may participate in a 4 day Adirondack canoe trip.

	One of Oneka's most treasured traditions is the red-white competition. All girls are assigned to either the red or the white team and compete with that team in a variety of activities during their stay at camp. This encourages a healthy approach to competition. Friends may be on opposite teams, but competition belongs and should remain on the field. The result, we hope, is respect for one's opponent on the field and friendship with them throughout camp. Campers wear red shorts and white shirts during competitions, to dinner each night, and on Sundays. Staff wear blue and white. [top]