Silver Spring, Maryland native, Holly Stone, was just a young girl of twelve when she first headed north to spend her summer at Medomak Camp in Washington, Maine. For ten summers, between 1966 and 1976, Holly morphed from camper to counselor to head counselor at the traditional summer camp she called home each summer.
In 1992, Clarksville, MD residents, Holly and, George Stone learned that Holly’s beloved camp was to be sold. Although the camp was in a state of disrepair Holly could not bear the thought of the camp traditions that had become a part of her, dying. So in October 1994 Holly & George took a leap of faith and bought the 250 acre property.
The summer of 1995 Medomak Camp reopened as one of the first secular, all season family camp in America. Yes, that first season only lasted three weeks and consisted of Holly & George, their four children, friends from the Baltimore/Washington area as well as alumni who came to camp to help the Stone’s clean and repair the facility. However, working around camp in the mornings gave way to play time in the afternoon by the lake with the children. Once the camp was spiffed up the consensus was, “No boy’s camp, no girl’s camp, FAMILY CAMP! And the idea was firmly planted.
Now, twelve years later, Medomak Camp has an eight week season offering one week sessions of family camp. Recently the camp voluntarily passed over 300 health and safety standards achieving accreditation by the American Camp Association. ACA accreditation assures families that the camp has made the commitment to a safe, nurturing environment for children as well as adults.
According to ACA, over the past 4 years, the number of accredited camps reporting family camping has increased 24 percent. Family Camps help parents introduce the camp experience to younger children who have not yet experienced parental separation and feel this “going to camp together” prepares them for going to camp on their own. Ultimately, Family Camp helps parents, as well as grandparents looking for a healthy, positive experience to have with their children an environment that allows them to bond, grow closer and build relationships as a family.