Request for Electronics Donations

Why would we be requesting electronics, when Camp Alleghany abides by a no-tech policy for campers?

Well, for a very ironic reason…it’s because we keep camp life and tent life and tent row technology free, we find ourselves in need of some technology in some of our program areas. So we’ve brainstormed and thought of a couple of simple solutions. And we could use your help.

Just ahead of camp starting, when you’re getting your child ready for her stay, we thought we’d put out a plea to the ‘Ghany Community to receive from you three categories of old photo and sound electronics that you might not be using any longer:

• Old iPods or iPhones.
• Used digital SLR cameras.
• “Old fashioned” point-and-shoot digital cameras.

Read on to see what program areas need these devices…

1. Dancers Hear the Music

We can definitely put to use any unused iPhones or iPods that we can download iTunes on to, to be used for our Dance Department staff.

As you know, we have a limited-access tech policy for both our counselors (and a no-tech policy for campers) but we still need a way for the Dance counselors to have program music without relying on their own Internet-connected, app-heavy, text-crazy iPhones with all their tempting personal distractions! (They do get to use them in their off time. 🙂 )

Those same counselors are way beyond the age of CDs in a CD player — it’s all about iTunes. Because they might want to practice out in a field, by the river, or just go over the music in their head during off time, it’s all a lot easier with iPhones and iPods.

To make your old devices ready for camp we’d like to have these before camp so that we can download iTunes, remove other apps, disable Internet connectivity, and set them up as camp property. So if you’re able to mail them in to our winter address now (see below) that would be great. We’d be happy to reimburse anyone for shipping.

The other option is to simply bring them on Opening Day and we’ll make it work! 🙂

2. Photography / Photojournalism Department

As for the needs of our Photography/Photojournalism Department more particularly, we would also love, love, love to inherit any old digital single-lens reflex cameras (DSLR cameras). If you have one that’s never getting used, is being left behind for a new version, or that someone just doesn’t want in the age of iPhone cameras, we’d be more than happy to give it a home in Photography.

Alternatively, if you’ve got one that you don’t need for any reason but you’d rather get some cash for, we understand and we’d be willing to consider negotiating a small reimbursement for a used camera. We need a few more cameras for our Photography Department either way so if anyone is looking to upgrade and was thinking about selling theirs on eBay or Craigslist, please, email me first! We might be able to work something out.

For all these devices, their chargers and/or batteries are preferred along with the devices. And again we’ll reimburse shipping if you send ahead (iPods and iPhones especially!!), or we’ll gladly take them on Opening Day.

If you aren’t a current camper family but are an alum, I’d encourage you or anyone to contribute. You can mail them in or drop off if you happen to be coming this way.

3. No Tech but also some Tech…Everyday Moments Around Camp

As I cited above (and linked to our past blogs on this topic) we have a no-tech policy for campers in terms of personal use. We do this to maintain the “getting away from it all” and timeless nature of the camp culture we’ve cultivated for almost a century at Camp Alleghany for Girls. We also do it because kids are so overwhelmed by e-connected everything these days, as well as the pressures of social media, that a tech detox is something today’s girls really need. Parents have let us know how good it is for their girls to get away from the Internet, even if at first a camper balks at leaving her phone, text, and Instagram behind.

At the same time, we hear from campers and parents that some aspects of tech, especially when done thoughtfully, can aid their navigation of the wider e-connected world. That’s some of the impetus behind our Photojournalism Department, with its combination of photography and videography for learning to tell effective and engaging stories.

And around camp in general, we need and want the same.

We would just love some good “old fashioned” (ha ha) point-and-shoot digital cameras with no video camera on them and no Internet-connectivity.

For camp in general, we’ll use these cameras so that any counselor can check them out to use on special events like a dinner hike, tent time, a special tent bonding moment of s’mores, etc., that we otherwise might not have our staff photographer there to capture.

This way we’ll be able to capture more of those everyday moments that the campers love, and those photos will also be uploaded to CampMinder so the campers will be able to enjoy even more of their memories – their OWN memories!

Some of these photos could also end up in blog posts, on our Social Media channels, or used to aid the Photojournalism Department as “accessed photos.” We think it’s a fun way to expand engagement in documentation of camp and camp life!

So if you’ve got any of these old cameras hanging around and not getting any use, we can sure use them.

How to Send in Your Electronics

So, if you’ve got any of the above listed pieces of equipment, please, pop them in the mail to the winter office address below. If you’d like shipping reimbursement, please indicate that in the package and we’d be happy to send a check. And if you want to sell one, use the email address above to connect with me about it. Send now to:

Camp Alleghany
P.O. Box 2515
Staunton, Va 24402

Or after June 1, send to:

Camp Alleghany
P.O. Box 86
Lewisburg, WV 24901

Thanks in  advance to any generous donors — we look forward to giving your old electronics a happy new home in the Camp Alleghany world!

— Elizabeth Shreckhise, Assistant Director, Camp Alleghany for Girls