A San Gabriel Valley Summer Tradition: Tom Sawyer Camps

The Tom Sawyer Camps website’s countdown to next summer’s opening day starts the day after summer camp closes for the season.

Across the San Gabriel Valley, parent conversations in spring often lead to “What are your kids doing this summer?” Day camp? Sports camp? Summer school? Day care?

Stacy Geck, associate professor of Clinical Management Communication within the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California, can’t say enough great things about the Tom Sawyer Camp (TSC) and her three children’s experience at the Pasadena and Arcadia-based programs.

“It’s old fashioned fun,” Geck says, “where the kids get to play outside, get dirty, swim, play tag and get muddy. We tried another camp before, and as a working professional, it didn’t work in our schedule and wasn’t well rounded. TSC programs are really well thought out. My favorite part is to take pictures the first week of camp. They’re covered from head to toe in mud. It’s wonderful!”

With about 1,300 children, age 3-14, attending the various part and full day sessions for two to five days a week over each summer, TSC still has openings for this summer in both locations in Arcadia at Arcadia County Park and at the Hahamongna Watershed location on the Pasadena-La Cañada border.

Each summer, about 400 a day attend the Pasadena camp, and approximately 100 children participate in the Arcadia programs daily. “The dates vary as well as time length of day,” says Sarah Horner Fish, Executive Director for the camps. “Some families pick sites based on proximity to the location and some pick it based on the session dates, and others by the size of the program.”

The camp has been family owned and operated by Mike and Sally Horner since 1973, and is accredited by the American Camp Association and the Association of Independent Camps. Sally Horner has been very active on boards of both organizations and served on the National Standards Board for eight years and as president for the Southern California Section for two terms, prior to her recent retirement.

Geck commented further, “The camp operations are very transparent. The office is on call for you.  If you’re anxious about how they’re doing, just call. My daughter had the sniffles but was convinced she was fine. I just had to call to check on her, though. TSC immediately sent someone to check. It was NOT a bother. For me, this is the right camp. They take care of the kids they way I would take care of them.”

The counselors and staff return year after year. In fact, Executive Director Fish is a homegrown product of TSC, where she was a camper, junior counselor, Pre-Camp Counselor, Summer Day Camp counselor, and Assistant Day Camp Director during her 30 plus years with TSC.

Fish says they have about a 75 percent return rate from last year’s counselors, which speaks to the staff’s loyalty. Santa Clara University Sophomore, Matthew Lee, will return for a fourth year as a counselor this summer.

“I love working with young kids,” Lee reflects, “and enjoy being a role model for the 13 boys I typically have in my group. We’re given freedom to be creative and imaginative, getting dirty and playing in the mud. It’s a less structured environment than some of the other camps, but it takes planning and leadership to make up games and lead your group throughout the day without the structure.”

“It’s challenging to engage the group, coming up with fun games,” Lee continues. “It leads to the imagination component of Tom Sawyer, which I love. Nothing’s ever boring.  Even waiting in line can be a game.”

In the spirit of that imagination and creativity, the TSC website describes its programs. “Tom Sawyer offers four camps, each devoted to a different level of development. All four camps provide horseback riding, swimming instruction, pressure-free sports, group games, and a rugged outdoor program that acquaints the campers with the local wilderness areas. Each child belongs to a group of his or her own peers, and each group, guided by fearless counselors, is complete with secret oaths, handshakes, forts and treasures. Sharing these adventures develops a strong group spirit. Selecting the group's name is an important task and you will hear tall tales about the adventures of the Sparkling Shimmering Star Fish, the Fuzzy Wuzzy Fireballs, The Sensational Super Spy Squad or the Desert Commandos. In the Tom Sawyer-Huck Finn tradition, secrecy and mystery are very important with age-old legends of the One-Eyed Monster, Echo Princess, Ivan, Garbog, and the Trids. At the end of each day, the groups share with others campers what death defying feats they have performed at camp that day, with each group bragging about the adventures of their day.”

 “For my personal growth, it really provides an opportunity for leadership and imagination and creativity, I might not have gotten anywhere else,” says Lee. “TSC has allowed me to be more creative myself and in my improvisation classes at school and being to able to think on the spot. Something always comes up during the day that requires being able to adapt and keep the kids healthy and safe, while having fun. Lastly, the TSC management is incredible, and operates in a real family (style) environment. They take time to care and to get to know everyone.”

Can’t manage to drive the kids to camp, AND get to work on time? Door to door transportation is a great option offered by TSC, as well. The camp can arrange for Class B-licensed van and bus drivers for locations within their service area. “It’s one worry off my plate, and it adds to the fun of the day for my son,” commented one parent with a busy work schedule. A Monrovia couple said, “The number one item was the door to door service. You just can’t beat having your child picked up by a cheery staff member every morning, and returned home again at the end of the day.  Particularly in LA with all of the traffic on the road.”

The camp’s ropes program, a favorite for age ten and up, is used almost daily during the summer season. Per the TSC website, “Built 25 to 30 feet off the ground between utility poles, each event has a specific physical goal which creates in participants a perceived risk of falling and/or failing. These mental obstacles present growth opportunities for participants. By helping youth meet these challenges and encouraging group members to support each other, Tom Sawyer staff teach participants how to overcome fears. As a result, group members often become closer friends and a more cooperative team.”

TSC rents out its ropes course and its staff for children as well as adults, “for sports teams, birthday parties, scout troops, companies – who all want team building activities,” according to Fish. TSC also runs year round horseback riding lessons at the Hahamongna site for twenty five students a week, and offers weekend trail rides for groups of three or more by appointment.

When asked her advice for parents considering a camp experience for their child, Geck reflected, “When summer comes, parents get panicky. Adults hardly ever get summers off, so it’s hard. TSC appears expensive, but the service and dedication you get is priceless.”

If the summer’s simply not enough TSC for your child, the camp offers after school programs at four local schools, a holiday camp, spring camp, a Catalina Island camp and the yearly December 26^th  tent camping trip to Death Valley National Monument.