Ohio Jewish Chronicle, 1991-02-28

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NUMBER 9
FEBRUARY 26,1991
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PLD'may survive  ;
Gtilf War
page 2
Purim helps us
keep our sanity
page 3
annual Art Auction
page 5
JNF launches cash
mobilization drive
page 6
Minyannaire Reunion
to honor Schottenstein
p«igc 6
Voice your support
page 12
In The Chronicle
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New Generation
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LOCAL FEATURE
Camp Wekeela — A dream come true
By Ina Horwitz
A childhood dream come
true for husband/wife team,
Eric and Lauren Scoblionko of
130 S. Merkle in Bexley. When
they met a decade ago in Boston, Mass., they discovered,
during conversation at their
first dinner date, that they
both wanted to direct a overnight summer camp. Eric
particularly wanted to be with
"kids," but not as a teacher in
a classroom.     ,
In 1981, Eric bought Camp
Wekeela, located in Canton,
Me., an hour's drive from
Portland. "We .were relentless
in pursing our goals," he said.
"Not only that, but the enterprise turned out to be one of
the most difficult things I
could have imagined but also
one of the happiest."
Eric, 37, had been looking
for a camp for about three
years before he met Lauren, a,
Columbus native, now 35.
They visited at least 50 camps,
and after a few more years,
found Wekeela, situated on 150
acres, the original site dating
back to 1922, They totally repositioned and renovated the
camp and its facilities and officially opened for business in
the summer of 1982.
For the first three years,
they both put in 80 hour weeks.
"At the beginning, we had only 90 campers where we now
have 325," said Eric. "We both
held down ojher jobs in the offseason, until the fourth year,
when things really took off."
The camp is coed, separated into a junior division
(ages 7-12) and a teen division
(grades 7-11). They've had
campers from 37 states and 12
foreign countries. They employ a staff of about 112, 95%
of them American and 5% foreign. Their secretary recently
returned from a ciilinaiy institute in, England, where she
was interviewing for a camp
cook.
"Many camps use a large
amount of foreign staff," said
Lauren, "but we feel that
American staff integrate better with the campers." The
staff's ages usually range
from 19-25, although they have
some who are older. Most of
the counselors are teachers
during the regular year.
As seasoned camp directors, the couple has a lot of
knowledge and expertise, as
well as ideas and their own
philosophy about what a good
summer camp should be like.
They also have demonstrated
clearly that running a camp is
a year round job, particularly
for Eric. "Next year's planning starts the day the kids all
leave," he said.
They use an office in their,
home, where, most often, the
phones ring constantly. "On
an average day;" said
Lauren, "Eric could be editing
a brochure, talking to prospective campers or staff or
getting in touch with old staff.
He often works from early in
the morning to 11 p.m."
While her husband is usually busy during the off-season
with next year's planning and
scheduling, ("It's like running
a hotel," she said.), Lauren
takes "a little break" from the
action, but her three small
children keep her occupied all
year. Seth, 6; Arielle, 4, and
Benjamin, 18 months, also go
to camp with the family every
summer.
While there, "my kids have
over 250 young people to play
with all the time," said
Lauren. The Scoblionkos also
hire specific sitters for the
children, while they're attending the needs of campers and
staff alike.
. Even both grandmothers
help out, Reba Scoblionko of
Allentown, Pa., and Geri Ell
man of Columbus, each coming up for a period of time to
watch their grandchildren.
While officially non-sectarian, the campers are primarily Jewish, according to the
Scoblionkos. While the camp
kitchen is not kosher, it can
serve a kosher diet to those
who want it.
There is an optional Kiddush on Friday nights, "and,"
said Lauren, "many kids
choose to attend, although
they might not show the same
interest at home. It teaches
them Jewish values. We light
the candles, say prayers over
the bread and wine and someone, usually a camper, gives a
short talk."
The owners believe that a
good summer camp philosophy should provide self-
esteem and a yearning for
self-fulfillment — both "keystones to a successful life."
They feel that camp should be
"a caring environment for
young people."
The couple understands the
challenges and competition
that arise at camp. When handled properly, they said, these
aspects of life help campers to
manage both success and disappointment.
see WEKEELA pg. 16