Labor Day Weekend at Pinewoods
September 1–4, 2012, Saturday–Tuesday
Stay tuned for updates on this year’s staff! Last year’s weekend featured:
Rich Jackson calling English country dance
English dance musicians: Vince O’Donnell, Doug Creighton, and Patrick Yacono
Chris Weiler calling New England dance
American dance musicians: Susan Janssen, Corey Walters, Aldo Lavaggi, and Becky Miller
Sarah Henry from Half Moon Sword teaching intensive rapper sword sessions
Rapper musician: Michael Gorin
Barbara Pixton leading instrumental workshops in international music
Ray Rosenstock leading vocal workshops in international music
Co-sponsored by the Country Dance Society, Boston Centre and the Folk Arts Center of New England, Labor Day Weekend at Pinewoods offers American, English country, international, and rapper sword dancing, plus workshops in instrumental and vocal international music. The relaxed schedule also includes children’s classes, evening dance parties and after-parties, and various staff- and camper-led activities, all amid the lovely pine forests of Pinewoods Camp.
Camper fees include all activities, all meals from Saturday supper through Tuesday breakfast, and three nights’ lodging in rustic screened cabins and cottages on the camp’s wooded hills and shores. Campers dance in open-sided pavilions under the trees, and enjoy the waterfront on two clear ponds.
For directions to Pinewoods Camp, see the directions page or download the PDF of the map and driving directions. There is additional driving information below, under Getting to Pinewoods. Camp opens at 3 pm on Saturday.
2011 Labor Day Weekend at Pinewoods fees
(the 2012 fees will be posted in July)
Adults... $250 (FAC or CDS members... $240)
Young adults aged 16–25... $200 (FAC or CDS members... $190)
Teens aged 13–15... $175 (FAC or CDS members... $165)
Children aged 7–12... $145 (FAC or CDS members... $135)
Children aged 4–6... $100 (FAC or CDS members... $90)
Children aged 2–3... $65 (FAC or CDS members... $55)
Children under age 2... $30 (FAC or CDS members... $20)
To register for Labor Day Weekend at Pinewoods 2012, fill out and submit the online Application Form (to be posted). The application form will also be available for download as a PDF. Payment can be made by check, credit card, or PayPal. Please make checks payable to “Folk Arts Center of New England” and send them to FAC at 10 Franklin Street, Stoneham, MA 02180-1862.
Pinewoods Camp’s rules for campers under 18
Welcome, families! We are glad to have you here. For your children’s safety, remember that Pinewoods is not certified as a children’s camp, nor is it childproof. Your children could easily get hurt or lost if not closely supervised. The camp environment is also fragile— please help your children to respect and care for the trees, plants, and paths.
1. Campers under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, who is responsible for those children at all times. A Statement of Responsibility form for each child must be signed by the child’s parent (and the appointed guardian, if applicable). This form should be downloaded (PDF), printed out, completed, and sent to the FAC office before arrival at camp. Forms can be scanned and emailed to the FAC office (fac@facone.org) or mailed to FAC at 10 Franklin Street, Stoneham, MA 02180-1862.
2. General waterfront rules are posted at camp. Please review them with your children. Pinewoods Camp, Inc. does not assume responsibility for campers swimming or using the boats.
A. Swimming:
1) Ages 0–9: must be accompanied and supervised by their parent or another adult designated by a parent. Ages 10–17: may swim without a parent when the lifeguard is on duty, and with a parent’s consent. May also swim with a parent or another adult designated by a parent during non-lifeguarded hours.
2) Campers under 18 must pass the lifeguard’s swimming test in order to swim beyond the dock, even when accompanied by a parent or other adult.
3) One adult may not supervise more than 4 children at one time when the lifeguard is not on duty.
B. Boating:
1) Campers under 18 must be accompanied by their parent or another adult designated by a parent. However, campers aged 13–17 may canoe with another teen during daylight hours if both have passed the swimming test and if their parents permit.
2) Anyone under 18 must wear a life jacket at all times when boating.
3. The illegal use and sale of alcohol and drugs are prohibited. The Massachusetts state drinking age is 21.
Getting to Pinewoods
Pinewoods Camp is on an out-of-the way dirt road between Long Pond and Round Pond, off Route 3, south of downtown Plymouth, Massachusetts. Detailed directions to camp are available for driving and public transportation. You may download a printable PDF of the driving directions.
- The last part of the route to camp is narrow, bumpy, and hidden from the world. If you have not been to Pinewoods before, it would be best to arrive before dark.
- Pinewoods is off the beaten track, and is one of two camps in Plymouth with the same name. If you are taking a taxi to camp, have driving directions handy.
- Parking is limited at camp; please carpool if possible.
- In consideration of Pinewoods’ neighbors, please use the Halfway Pond Road approach as described in the driving directions.
What to bring:
- Flashlight (the paths can be very dark at night)
- Blankets and sheets (for single beds) or a sleeping bag
- Extra pillow (if you need more than the one provided or are attached to your own!)
- Towels: for swimming and beach activities, showers, and hand drying
- Swimsuit, sunscreen, sunglasses, sunhat
- Comfortable clothes for dancing
- Shoes: clean, soft-soled shoes for dancing, comfortable shoes for walking around camp, flip-flops for the beach and showers
- Costumes and accessories for the Sunday night party (theme to be announced)
- Hat for the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party on Monday afternoon
- Warm clothing (the weather gets cool sometimes, especially at night)
- Rain gear (this helps keep the rain away!)
- Insect repellent
- Toiletries
- Alarm clock
- Medications you may need, especially a bee sting kit if you are allergic
- Special foods you may need (you may use the refrigerators in the Camphouse, Pinecones and Hunsdon House)
- Musical instruments (if you play any)
What not to bring:
- Pets
- Guests
- Valuables
- Firearms
- Illegal substances
- Heat-producing appliances such as hairdryers. Most of the housing at camp cannot handle the electrical requirements of hairdryers. If you must use them, when at camp ask the Grounds Crew where these appliances can be used safely.
Special diets
Pinewoods Camp feeds a large number of campers with a small kitchen crew, and does not have the resources to accommodate all individual needs and preferences. The camp tries to serve a variety of foods, and may offer nondairy or other alternatives to some menu items. A vegetarian option is always provided; you must sign up for this on the Application Form when registering.
The Dining Hall’s refrigerated “alternative cart,” available during mealtimes, is typically stocked with:
- Bread, rice cakes
- Peanut butter, jelly
- Cottage cheese, plain yogurt
- Green salad, raw vegetables, fruit
- Plain tofu, plain tuna, hard-boiled eggs
- Cold cuts, plain cooked chicken
- Condiments (tamari, ketchup, etc.)
If you require additional options, you will need to bring your own food with you. It can be stored in refrigerators at the Camphouse, Pinecones, and Hunsdon House. Please label your food clearly with your name. Pinewoods does not have food preparation or storage space for campers in the main kitchen. There are stoves in Pinecones and Hunsdon House for camper use.
If you have severe food allergies, check in with one of the head cooks at the beginning of your session, and ask about specific dishes if you have any doubts. Although the cooks make an effort to have potential allergens listed on the menu board for each meal, Pinewoods Camp, Inc. cannot accept responsibility for notifying you of the presence of potential allergens in the food served.
Phone calls
A pay phone for camper use is located off the porch of the Program Center, near the Camphouse. Callers from the outside world may leave messages for campers at 508-224-1430. The answering machine is checked throughout the day, and an alert for any camper with a message is posted near the phone booth. If a matter is urgent, a message will be taken at the camp office phone at 508-224-4858, but neither the Pinewoods staff nor the FAC staff can search for a camper to take a call except in an extreme emergency.
Campers may use cell phones only in their cabins. Use of cell phones on the paths, in the Dining Hall or the dance pavilions, or in other common areas is not allowed.
Internet access
The natural beauty of the camp’s woods and waterfronts offers a welcome respite from high-tech daily life. To help preserve the rustic ambience that is such a refreshing part of the camp experience, Wi-Fi service is not available to campers anywhere at Pinewoods. If you can’t leave your laptop at home during your stay, plan to drive into Plymouth for wireless Internet access, or use the DSL cables inside the Program Center or in the Internet booth beside the phone booth on the Program Center’s porch.
