January 2016 - Pompositticut Farm

What if I had Won Powerball?

Recently Powerball was in the news due to the extraordinary amount of money a few lucky winners finally won. A BILLION dollars was at stake and it certainly got people thinking about what they would do with the money. I know I gave it consideration, despite the fact I only purchased one ticket on the first go-around.

My thoughts first went to how it would change my life and relationships with friends and family. Then, after the initial dreams of how many luxury items I could afford, my thoughts went to how I could actually spend that money to better mankind. Although it seemed a stretch, would there be a way I could bail out a desperately poor town whose budget needed balancing? How about just building a group of houses in an area ravaged by tornadoes or floods? What about anonymously paying off patients’ medical bills in a hospital? There are so many ways that money could be put to good use with numerous people benefitting instead of just one lucky winner.

Altruism is not something we think about in our everyday lives nor are most of us in the position to afford extreme amounts of charity. Although it seems we all lead busy lives, we could afford to give more of our time. Indeed, even the top Ivy League universities are demanding more of their applicants. Not only is it imperative these perspective college students be in the top percentile of their classes but also that they are well-rounded individuals. Intellect, athleticism and talent certainly might get their foot in the door, but more and more colleges are asking what a student has contributed to society as a factor in determining who is accepted. Have they volunteered or donated their time and effort to a charitable cause? Have they put their egos aside to help those less fortunate or in need of comfort? Have they proven they have the potential of being not only a doctor, or scientist but a caring, empathetic citizen? It’s something we all could take a look at inwardly and consider whether we are all doing our very best.

Here at Pompositticut the opportunity to give back and help others in need was created several years ago. With the passing of Jackie’s Mom in 2012, the founder/director became personally aware of the hardships and challenges cancer patients face when undergoing chemotherapy. As a result Jackie established a scholarship program entitled “Serving More Kids” or SMK, with the ultimate goal of providing a wholesome camp experience for children whose custodial caregiver will be undergoing cancer treatment during the summer months. This is basically the only criteria required to apply and we encourage anyone who may know of a friend or family member going through this process to do so. Applications for these annual scholarships are available on the camp’s website.

It may not be a billion dollars, but if we all contributed in some small way it would eventually add up. Who knows, it may even feel like a billion dollars to the person on the receiving end!

Carlene

A Special Place

Those of you who have been to Pompositticut Farm know what a beautiful property it is. The wooded trails, hay fields, and meandering stream are home to many animals. Red tail hawks, wood ducks, wild turkeys, whitetail deer enjoy the abundance of food sources around the farm.

It is the domestic animals that are the luckiest though as they reside on what the Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation deems Pompositticut Farm as a MA Horse Farm of Distinction! Our horses, (as well as a few chickens and two donkeys), reside year round on the property and are housed in facilities that have been judged by the Farm Bureau to be “the cream of the crop”. MFBF President, Dr. A.Richard Bonanno added, “These farms present to the public a safe and professional image. They truly show-case the horse industry in Massachusetts for the public.”

Each farm or stable nominated for this prestigious award is evaluated in the areas of Horse Health Management, Farm Management and Compliance with Regulatory Requirements and must meet the highest of standards of excellence.

Scoring for the overall horse health represented half of the points accumulated in making this distinction and included is the appearance of the animals together with evidence of a sound equine health program.

Farm management areas considered were numerous. The judges evaluated neatness, ventilation, cleanliness and safety of buildings, land and equipment. Safety, first-aid and protection programs were scored as well as pest control and adequate horse care provisions both indoors and outdoors.

Farms are also judged on evidence of good farm/community relations as well as compliance with state and local operating and instructing licenses. Given the stringent review of all these practices, not all farms, actually receive this prestigious designation.

Pompositticut is and will continue to be one of those influential and respected farms known as the landlord of this area’s most admired camps, who, since 1980 has strived to maintain the highest of standards for all who have had the opportunity to be part of the many programs offered throughout the year. What a great place to call home!

Camp Fair in London, England!

I cannot believe it is already 2016! This winter is flying by and hopefully we will only get some cold weather and not too much snow. Along with the winter weather, January brings the PFDC management staff to its annual recruitment trip to London, England. Here is where we hope to find and hire some of our 2016 international staff who the children enjoy so much each year.

For summer 2016 we will be looking to hire 6 international instructors to complement our great American staff. The benefit to traveling abroad and having an association with the Camp America Program is the quantity of well qualified candidates with extensive equestrian backgrounds. We primarily are looking for instructors for our horseback riding programs and ropes course programs but we are always on the look-out for any great personality who will stand out and make this coming summer a smashing success for our campers.

While we are in London, we will also take time to reconnect with old friends. Several of the girls who live close enough to travel down to London will take the time to come visit us and show us some of their favorite places. A few will accompany us to the camp recruitment fair and talk to the new candidates about their experiences at camp and summer in America. It is always great to see familiar faces and catch up on what they may be doing with their lives today. A lot of them tell us how great their experience was at camp, visiting the US and how it has shaped their life with the decisions they may have made to pursue a career with children, camp, or the equine industry.

We have been very lucky to find such wonderful candidates in the past. This year we expect to continue to attract a high level of experienced and qualified applicants due in part to the wonderful testimonials from past international staff who have gone through the program. By providing top notch programs at camp, these participants have grown as instructors and are able to share their knowledge with children who are interested in learning from them.

Keep checking in to see who will be joining the PFDC 2016 team as we post announcements here in the news feed and on Facebook. Cheers!

Why Every Child Should Go To Camp

There are many reasons why all children should experience summer camp in their lifetime. Camp provides children the chance to meet new people, try new things, lean new skills, challenge themselves, have a change of pace from daily life and of course have FUN!

Camp is a safe place where children come and meet new friends who may not be in their neighborhood or school circle. They can interact with children from different backgrounds, cultures, and ages. This allows them to expand their world view through new friends and look forward to coming back each year to reconnect with their camp friends, some of whom will become lifelong relationships.

Summer camp is always a fun and exciting environment where hard working staff provides new activities and games that children might not have a chance to experience in their daily lives. Children could discover they love archery, acting, dancing, horseback riding, or even participating in a ropes challenge course. Along with discovering and trying these new activities they may also learn new skills along the way. These activities and the camp environment foster skills such as independence, cooperation, compromise, and working as a team to only name a few. These are invaluable skills that not only help your child with camp life but throughout their entire life.

Camp life and activities also provide a place where children can challenge themselves in a safe and supportive environment. Here there are many activities such as swimming, horseback riding, and ropes challenge course where children build upon their skills and can push themselves without a competitive atmosphere.

These days so much of children’s lives revolve around technology and computers. Camp provides a completely different environment where children are unplugged from the tech world and can enjoy friends, nature, and physical activity. This change of pace from a child’s daily routine allows them to relax and have fun along with stretching their legs and enjoying the many great things the outdoors provides.

Best of all Summer camp is a place for children to have fun. They can let loose and be themselves without the worry of being judged by peers or confined by a particular stereotype. Each summer as camp staff, we look forward to having fun as well and seeing the smiling faces and excited laughter of the children arriving to camp to have another great summer. Click Here to refer a friend to PFDC so they can experience the joys of camp.