Importantly, Brant Lake Camp’s operating Philosophy is built upon 3 CORE VALUES to which we are deeply dedicated. We re committed to providing:

• A safe and healthy environment for all our campers, both physically and emotionally, while helping them develop a strong sense of independence, self reliance and good values
• An incredibly fun and positive experience, steeped in tradition and camp spirit
• Exceptional instruction and sports participation, based on thoughtful planning to
  what represents “appropriate” competition for each age group and ability level.

What Differentiates BLC from Other Fine Camps

While we know that there are other fine camps that provide fun and safe experiences for boys, we believe that there are five unique aspects to Brant Lake Camp that differentiate us and allow us to deliver our Core Values in a way no other camp can. These include:

Our Key Staff - Their Quantity, Quality and Longevity

We believe that the number one factor in our long time success is the quality and quantity of our experienced Key Staff. We have over 30 men and women each summer who are over 25 years old, who have experience with us in prior summers (many for over 15 summers and some as many as 50 summers!). Most importantly, they have leadership roles in areas such as Head Counselors, Group Heads, Athletic Directors, Activity Heads and Guidance Personnel. While we hire great college age counselors each summer they are not the ones we want making key decisions about what is safe or appropriate during the course of each day. By having so many Key Staff members throughout our camp, we can keep counselors doing what they do best, i.e. being friends, role models, assistant coaches and teachers. While we also ask counselors to help us identify any problems they see, they are not allowed to be disciplinarians or problem solvers. Our counselors know that they should always turn over this role to our mature,omnipresentKey Staff who are fully integrated and involved with their respective groups.

Our Three Mini-Camp System

As boys become older and more mature, we believe that their program should change accordingly. Our unique three Mini-Camp System is designed to keep our program fresh and appropriately geared to the age of the camper. Additionally, each mini-camp has its own set of facilities as well as dedicated Key and Counselor Staff which allows boys in this structure to be part of a small and closely knit group yet an integral part of the total camp experience. In this way, Brant Lake runs three smaller camps versus one big one which also allows us to stay closer to the needs of every camper.

The Junior Camp is comprised of our youngest boys, divided into three groups (Soph A’s and B’s and Juniors) who have completed the second, third and fourth grade. The Intermediate Camp is made up of boys who have finished the fifth and sixth grade (Inter A’s and B’s) while the Senior Camp is comprised of boys who have completed the seventh, eighth and ninth grades (Senior A’s, B’s and C’s).

You can learn more about our Mini-Camp System in our Program & Activities section on this site.

Our Unique System of Counselor Utilization

We believe that the most important role a counselor plays at camp is that of a bunk counselor. Nothing is more important to a child’s overall happiness than being comfortable and secure in his own environment. How well a counselor knows his campers and how much attention and positive feedback he gives them will be a major determinant of a camper’s happiness.

Most camps hire counselors as Specialists or as Generalists. The latter are often made to feel that they are the least important among the staff. We believe that camps that hire counselors as Specialists (i.e. to be a basketball instructor or a tennis instructor, etc.) are making a critical mistake. Once a person is hired with that title, he is likely to think that if he performs his role as a specialist instructor well and pats a couple of his kids on the back, that he has done a good job for that day.

At Brant Lake, even though we have some very talented athletes and terrific, experienced coaches, we hire almost all of our counselors as a combination of Generalist and Specialist. We want every counselor to know that his first responsibility is to the boys in his bunk. His second responsibility is to the boys in the age group that he is living with and his third, but still important, responsibility is to the activity in which he can best be helpful to our Key Staff. Almost no one teaches the same activity for more than half of their day (common exceptions are some tennis pros, and some waterfront staff). The rest of the day, counselors serve as general counselors, traveling with the boys in their group, enabling them to build relationships which also keeps them from getting burned out in their areas of expertise.

Therefore, by following this policy, not only do we get the crucial camper- counselor relationships formed, but also our instruction is better because our talented instructors, led by experienced Key Staff, remain enthusiastic and are more involved with the kids.

We are aware of the benefits and pitfalls of competition and give much thought to this subject. We believe that for competition to be healthy for young boys it must be appropriately geared to their age group, skill and interest level. We follow a very clear and defined policy on competition, by Mini-Camp, to insure this is done the right way and to the benefit of all our campers. We also believe that competitive activity must always be carefully organized and overseen by Key Staff for the most positive results to be achieved.

Rich Gersten has developed a comprehensive thought-piece on this important subject which guides our practices and is included in the Program & Activities section. We hope you will review it.

Our Innovative and Dynamic Senior Camp

We are very proud that Brant Lake, more than most camps, has an exceptionallyhigh rate of returning campers. Most telling is the fact that this continues right through the oldest group in camp-- our Seniors. At a time when many kids in this age group are interested in such options such as teen tours, specialty camps, overseas programs, etc., boys seem eager to return to BLC.On average, we have about 40-50 boys in our oldest Senior group plus 15-20 partial summer CIT’s which, by all standards for camps such as ours,is a significant number at this age.

Why? Because we work very hard at creating a special environment for boys of this age which gives much of what many are looking for outside a traditional camp experience. This includes increased program choices, more social and great entertainment opportunities, interesting travel/trips and new activities and privileges. Throughout their time at BLC, kids have always looked forward to the day they get to the Senior Camp. From the later wake-up times, to offering Majors and Minors (some boys play golf on courses 20 times per summer, some none), to the many trip days and multiple day trips, to having a Video/Film program and a CD burning program, to going to Rock Concerts or to Movies at least once per week and watching Sports Center in the dining room at breakfast. All these factors contribute to the feeling that our Senior Camp is a dynamic and “cool” place to be. Most importantly, we have the mature, Key Staff to make sure that all activities are safe, and fun!

In Summary, we are aware that there are other fine camps, but we think that Brant Lake Camp is truly unique and a special place whose philosophy is one you will embrace.