Camp Nubar Wraps Up 46th Summer with New Director and Record-Breaking Attendance

On August 15, 2009, after six weeks of traditional and new activities, fun, and friendships old and new, Camp Nubar finished its 46th season in the Catskill Mountains located in the scenic Hudson Valley of upstate New York.

After 16 previous summers as a camper and counselor, Jennifer Omartian led a highly qualified staff as a first-time director, not only keeping camp traditions alive, but creating several novel cultural, athletic, artistic and social activities.

This summer, Camp Nubar also witnessed several new ground improvements, made possible through funds raised during the Camp’s 45th-anniversary event in 2008. Over $90,000 was raised for improvements in the camp drainage systems and roofing. The money also allowed for the purchase of a new motor boat, kayaks, outdoor ping-pong tables, MacBook Pro computers (for digital video editing), and digital kilns for ceramic classes.

Counselors arrived a week before campers did for a special "pre-camp" training session, which included extensive Red Cross, First Aid, CPR, and life-saving instruction. Counselors hailed from across the United States, but also as far afield as Lebanon, Turkey, France, Ireland and Canada.

The first-session campers, many of whom had traveled from Canada, arrived at the beginning of July to officially start the summer season. Three weeks later, the second session began and featured a mid-summer Open House visitor event, where family, friends and many Camp Nubar alumni reconnected over Armenian food, dance performances, a waterfront exhibition and a basketball game played by campers and staff. Camp ended with a recording-breaking 140 campers for the third session, which featured the highlights of Color War and a banquet.

New activities this summer included aerobics, advanced photography, fishing, water polo, Armenian cooking and group fitness. "Dancing with the Staff," a spin-off of the popular television show "Dancing with the Stars," added an exciting new twist to the evening activities schedule. The Canteen, or camp store, featured new improvements, including healthier snack selections, such as Vitamin Water and granola bars, and fashionable camp gear.

"Camp Nubar was amazing this year," said camper Brenda Yazujian from Philadelphia. "There were many new activities added to make our days even more fun. I wasn't bored once this summer!"

Traditional camp events like weekend dances, with Luau, Hoe Down and Hollywood themes, continued to be camper favorites. In addition, campfires, talent shows, lip syncs, scavenger hunts, capture the flag, ultimate frisbee, olympics, basketball and tennis tournaments, certified horseback riding, arts and crafts, ceramics, Armenian history and language lessons, archery instruction, and sports competitions with other local camps remained popular daily activities. There were weekly visits from clergy for religious services, including Rev. Fr. Taniel Karadjian, Rev. Fr. Bedros Kadehjian, Rev. Fr. Kapriel Mouradjian, Rev. Fr. Stepanos Doudoukjian, Very Rev. Fr. Daniel Findikyan and His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern).

A highlight of the summer, known as "Color War," is a competition which encompasses athletics, team spirit, chariot races, the arts, Armenian language and dance, trivia, music and choreographed cheers. From the start of summer, campers and counselors eagerly await the surprise kick-off of Color War, in which the camp is divided into two teams, blue and gold, for a fun-filled contest that lasts three days. This year, the Blue Werewolves, led by generals Arno Isnar and Maral Varolian, and captains Dan Sahakian and Audrey Demirjian, trumped the Gold Warriors, led by generals Armen Shamamian and Tamar Merjian, and captains Anthony Antreasyan and Andrea Afrikian. In true camp tradition, as soon as the competition ended, blue and gold teams made green peace over a shaving cream fight and water activities by the waterfront.

"Camp Nubar '09 was one of the most special things I've ever been a part of," said Daniel Antreasyan, the assistant director. "We had a ton of talented counselors who made it a priority to make sure the campers got the most of their experience and that they left wanting more."

For the first time this year, Camp Nubar has created multimedia materials, including a camp newsletter, cabin photographs, and slideshow, which are available on the camp website: www.campnubar.org. Counselors have also started a Twitter account, www.twitter.com/campnubar09, and a Facebook group, which will allow campers to follow camp updates and happenings all year long.

Founded in 1963, AGBU Camp Nubar is a first-rate modern facility that has been highly ranked by the American Camp Association, American Red Cross, and American Academy of Pediatrics. For more information about AGBU Camp Nubar, please visit www.campnubar.org, email campnubar@agbu.org, or call 212-319-6383.