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Back in 1969, the Treece family had dreams of children swimming, boating, fishing, riding horses, experiencing nature, and enjoying the outdoors. They graciously donated 40 beautiful acres of forest along the Wildcat Creek to the YMCA for what has become Camp Treece.

The YMCA shared that same vision for children, and Straight Arrow Day Camp was born. Children come to enjoy all of these activities, and they leave with much more... they made memories, built lasting friendships, and gained independence and self-confidence. They leave camp feeling good about themselves and thankful for "an experience that lasts a lifetime." For over thirty years, Straight Arrow Day Camp has been a tradition that has given children the opportunity to make their own special memories.

The facilities and programs have changed over time, but our mission has remained the same. At the YMCA, character development and values are more than just buzz-words. They are a part of who we are. All of our programs incorporate our core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility: we reinforce the same values you teach at home.

Camp Treece is conveniently located 15 miles southeast of Lafayette.

*Extended care is available as early as 6:00AM and as late as 6:00PM for $5/day/child.

Our purpose at camp is more than just the supervision of children. It is teaching children to live and work together while fostering self-esteem in this amazing outdoor environment. Daily activities include:

Straight Arrow Day Camp stresses "safety first" in every situation. All camp staff are CPR and First Aid certified. Medical help is available if needed. Our staff is second-to-none. Our counselors are carefully chosen for their maturity, skills, experience, and their genuine care for children. They go through a vigorous selection process and camp training.

Trailblazer Camp offers formal training for teens entering the sixth grade through 11th grade. These fun and educational sessions teach the YMCA core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility and allow the campers to earn beads to create a full circle of achievement. The campers are taught leadership skills and receive a bead for each one accomplished in Safety, Nature Education, Cooperation, Patience, Responsibility, Honesty, Respect, and Caring. The campers work together on projects that encourage teamwork and fellowship. Trailblazer Camp is the first step towards becoming a Junior Counselor.

Leadership Camp is for teens who have earned all of their beads as a Trailblazer that are required to become a Junior Counselor. This is an extended experience for teens who love camp and want to improve their leadership skills by hands-on learning. This week-long camp is filled with activities that will challenge new skills, build and renew old friendships, and help Trailblazers on their way to becoming a staff member at Straight Arrow. Campers will find that this program involves greater responsibility than they experienced as a younger camper. Once a camper successfully completes Leadership Camp, they may be invited to attend Adventure Camp in August.

We provide daily transportation from McCaw Park, Cumberland, and Happy Hollow Elementary Schools. The YMCA is the gathering point for our bus trip to Camp Treece. We end every day back at the YMCA to enjoy a relaxing swim.

No one is refused a camp experience at Straight Arrow Day Camp. We have financial assistance available through our "Earn Your Way to Camp" candy sale and the Open Door Scholarship Program, which is funded by our annual Strong Kids Campaign.

For more information, please call 765-474-3448.