2022 Golden Quill Award Winner

Jolly Corley, MS and Kim Aycock, MST
Staff Culture: Skipping a Season without Skipping a Beat (January/February 2021)

Jolly Corley, MS, is obsessed with creating dynamic, thoughtful workplace cultures, especially at camp. Jolly’s passion is helping others cultivate their purpose. Using games, theater, and life experiences, she prepares staff to understand that our own experiences are the most useful tools for reflection and growth to a solid foundation in becoming leaders for life. Jolly spends winters in Minnesota enjoying the snow and frigid temperatures with her husband and their two kids. In the summer she hangs out on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. Jolly likes skiing, popcorn, and iced coffees.

Kim Aycock, MST, has several decades of experience developing young people with skills robots are unable to do. While blending the talents of a master teacher with the knowledge of a seasoned camp expert, Kim ignites the learning for varying levels of camp pros worldwide through her interactive and innovative presentations. Kim speaks at regional/national conferences, contributes regularly to Camping Magazine and ACA blogs, and serves as co-chair of ACA’s Staff Recruitment and Retention Committee. Kim lives in Southport, North Carolina, with her husband, Jeffrey, and two dogs, Gus and Gumbo. She loves running, watching dolphins, Diet Coke, and ice cream.

We are inspired by the idea that camp culture is a reflection of values in action. Regardless of the challenges we face, a return to our values puts down an anchor and acts as a compass to give us direction (crisis or not). Ironically, culture also reflects the inaction of values. It is possible to put one foot in front of the other without skipping a beat. If we don’t put our values to work, we go nowhere — to the detriment of our campers and staff. We feel strongly that our collective camp communities (and future) depend on it.

2022 Golden Quill Award Honorable Mention

Emily Golinsky
Enrollment: A Risky Business? (November/December 2021)

As founder of Bright Moose LLC, Emily provides training, consultation, and professional development to camps, schools, and youth organizations, guided by the motto “Help others shine bright!” She sits on the board for NHCamps, holds multiple volunteer roles for ACA, New England, is an education advocate for youth with special needs, and is a certified mental health first aid instructor. Emily has her BS in health psychology and her MS in camp administration and leadership. After 15 years, she is recently re-retired from her role as executive director at Camp Starfish (NH) and is an avid collector of terribly awesome puns. 

My inspiration for this article came from my personal passion for (and professional dedication to) ensuring that camp is accessible to all. Camps shouldn’t put themselves, their staff, or their participants at unnecessary risk by enrolling campers who have needs the camp is not prepared to support. There is truly a camp out there for every camper, and I want camps to know that it’s OK — in fact it’s good business — to balance decisions about the enrollment of one camper against all the potential risks and rewards for the entire camp community.  

2022 Golden Lens Award Winner

Nina Goodheart
“A Star Is Born” Ghostlight Theater Camp

Nina Goodheart is a photographer and theater director based in Brooklyn, New York. Her photography has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Architectural Digest, American Theatre, Vulture, Observer, NYLON, Playbill, Artforum, and more. As a director, she has worked on and off-Broadway. This past summer, she had the joy of directing Iphigenia 2.0 and The Wolves at Ghostlight Theater Camp in Oakland, Maine.

I snapped this photo during the final dress rehearsal for Ghostlight Theater Camp’s immersive outdoor production of Jesus Christ Superstar, directed by Zack Elkind. It was the last show of a long day, but the audience couldn’t tear their eyes away. As the sun set, the surrounding campers switched on their flashlights in silent unison to illuminate the performers, and I found myself overwhelmed by a feeling of community. I was proud to be part of a camp that held such space for its campers — to sing, to feel, to support each other — and honored to have the chance to capture it.

2022 Golden Lens Honorable Mention

Anne Longman
“Zen and the Art of Horseback Riding” Camp Manito-wish, YMCA

Anne Longman is a senior at Millikin University where she studies arts technology with a concentration in visual media. After spending four years as a participant at Camp Manito-wish YMCA, she returned to Wisconsin in 2021 as staff photographer. In her free time, she competes on the Millikin University track team, spends time outside, paints, and takes lots of photos. 

This photo was taken outside the horse arena at Camp Manito-wish, where campers line up for their turn to ride. Going to this program area was always exciting, watching campers conquer their fears, and become more confident as they learned how to interact with the animals. This moment felt particularly special, as the camper displays a look of confidence right before her turn in the arena.