Making Improvements to Camp in Many Ways
After I spent some time over at the ziptower this afternoon, I wandered over to the bocce ball courts to see the progress that some of the Build America were making. I spoke with them about some of the projects that they had been involved in so far this summer at other camps. The impression that I got was that they enjoyed the work that they were doing here the most.
As Josh Rhodes explained in an earlier podcast about Build America, these young men are working on three projects here this week: repairing the bocce ball courts, building a ramp for the horseback trail, and building racks
for the canoes.
At the talent show last night, these guys got up and led the campers in a few songs. The kids must have really enjoyed it because I heard some of them singing those songs while they were at activities today. Josh Poling, holding the microphone in the picture to the right, led the campers in those songs.
Three of the Build America guys participated in tonight’s Miss ASCCA Pageant. They really entertained the campers.
After the pageant, I interviewed Josh Poling about what he and the rest of the guys were doing this summer. The following podcast is 2:30 minutes and 2.29MB.
Ziwuan Williams: A Camper with Sickle Cell Camp
During free choice this afternoon, one of the activities offered was the ziptower. I always enjoy watching the campers climb up to the top of the tower and take off down the zipline. It is probably one of the most thrilling activities the kids can do while they are here at camp.
One of the campers that I was able to watch at the ziptower was Ziwuan
Williams. He first caught my attention last night when he got up and danced during the talent show. The picture to the right is of Ziwuan performing.
I was impressed with the ease and quickness with which he made his way up the climbing wall. You will see from the video below how agile he was. I also was able to catch him going down the zipline on video.
I caught up with Ziwuan after he had completed the activity to speak with him about his experience so far here at Camp ASCCA. I also asked him about having sickle cell. I loved his response to my question about it.
I also spoke with him about the pageant that will be held later this evening. In it a male counselor and camper from each of the guys cabins will be dressed up as girls and perform a talent.
The following video of Ziwuan on the ziptower and answering my questions afterwards is 3:56 minutes and 5.41MB.
Meet a Counselor: Mitch Hamilton
Ifirst met Mitch Hamilton during counselor orientation week held the last week of June. Since then I have seen him working with the campers for five weeks now. One thing that I have noticed about Mitch is that he has a genuine
interest in his campers.
Danielle showed me a picture last night of Mitch riding on a horse with one of his campers. She told me that Mitch admittedly does not like horses. This picture is to the right. He did not hesitate when this particular camper wanted Mitch to ride on the horse with him. This is just one of the many examples of how Mitch makes his campers needs and wants a priority, even when they might conflict with his own.
The following podcast of me interviewing Mitch Hamilton is 3:02 minutes and 2.77MB.
A glance at some talented individuals
Tonight was the talent show and what a show it was. After meeting the campers yesterday and getting to spend some time with them today, I was excited about seeing what they would do for the talent show. It was obvious that there were some talented young people in our midst.
I wish that I could put every act up for you to see, but there were just too many. Danielle took a lot of pictures from tonight’s show, so check out the flickr site to see who performed.
The following video is of a few of the acts from tonight’s talent show. It is 5:07 minutes long and 7.48MB.
Build America Comes to Camp
In addition to the many campers that we have here at Camp ASCCA this week, there are also a handful of young men here with Build America. This is the philanthropic organization for Pi Kappa Phi fraternity.
They will be here this week working on several projects throughout the
campus. In addition to these projects, they will have the opportunity to interact with the campers.
I have seen signs on almost every building here on campus that refers back to Pi Kappa Phi. Either through Build America or through their PUSH camps, many structures at Camp ASCCA have been built or improved upon.
I followed this group around for a bit this afternoon as Josh Rhodes showed them around and showed them what they will be doing this week. The picture above is of Josh explaining to them how they are going to improve our bocce ball courts.
The following interview with Josh Rhodes, a full time staff member here at Camp ASCCA, about Build America is 3:11 minutes and 2.91MB.
Dancing to the Music
Ialways enjoy being able to watch the campers when they go to music. It is a great place for them to take a break from the blistering heat, as well as let loose and have some fun. Aside from singing, the campers also get to play with musical instruments and do a little dancing.
We start off by singing several popular songs together. I especially enjoy when the campers get to play instruments and make their own music.
I would have to say that my favorite part about going to music is the dancing. There are several games that are played where dancing is encouraged. Watching the campers dance early on in the week also serves to make me even more excited about the dance to come on Thursday night.
The following video is a compilation of pictures of the group I went to music with this morning. The songs in the background are what the campers were singing while we were there. The video is 2:22 minutes and 1.43MB.
Meet a Counselor: Jacob Laan
Yesterday I posted an interview that I did with Dan Laan, a counselor here at
Camp ASSCA. Today I had the opportunity to interview his older brother, Jacob, who is also a counselor here this summer.
From what I have seen so far this summer, Jacob is a great counselor. He attends to the needs of his campers, but also helps them to have a good time while they are here. Though I have noticed that he is not as outgoing as his brother, he does have a similar sense of humor. And the kids really seem to like that about both Jacob and Dan.
The following interview with Jacob is 3:05 minutes and 2.81MB. The picture to the right was taken of Jacob and one of his campers during Camp Wheeze-Away.
An Eighth Visit to Camp
Ihave the privilege of eating all of my meals this week at a table with two amazing campers. One of those campers is Zach Wooley. I am excited that I
will get to know him over the next week and from what I have seen from him already, he is a fun young man.
As you may have guessed from the article title, Zach has been coming to camp for eight years now. I am always interested to know what keeps campers coming back for so many years. It is easy to guess why though.
The following interview with Zach is 2:14 minutes and 2.61MB. The picture to the right is of Zach and his counselor, Bradley Hess.
Meet a Counselor: Dan Laan
Dan Laan is a counselor and has been for the past two years. I have watched him interacting with the campers all summer and it is easy to see that he is
great at what he does. He always tries to keep a smile on the faces of whoever who is with and is energetic enough that it rubs off on anyone who happens to be around him.
I have also noticed that Dan does a good job of being serious when he needs to be, but keeping things light whenever he can. He jokes around with the campers and tries to keep them laughing or smiling at all times. It is nice to see a counselor that is responsible as well as fun. And Dan is that way.
The following interview with Dan is 2:37 minutes and 2.4MB. The picture to the right was taken of Dan and a camper during Teen Week.
All in the family: a counselor and a camper
This is a special week for one of our counselors here at Camp ASCCA. Anna Wright’s brother, Nick Crenshaw, is here with us this week as a camper. As soon as I found out that her brother was here I went to meet him.
Nick is very friendly and was quick to introduce himself to me. I can tell that he is excited about being here this week. He is in a cabin with someone else here at camp that he knows very well. Bradley Hess, another unit leader and Anna’s boyfriend, will be Nick’s counselor this week.
I spent some time with Nick, Anna, and Bradley this afternoon in the cabin. I was able to interview Anna and Nick together. The following video is 3:42 minutes and 5.07MB. The picture to the right is of Anna and Nick.
Ropes Course
Though I have been here at Camp ASCCA since May, I have yet to see anyone do the high ropes course. When I heard that it would be open this week, I decided that that was one activity that I had to see. It was first scheduled for Monday afternoon, but the thunderstorms made it impossible to do that day. The skies were clear on Thursday and I was excited about finally getting to watch this activity.
First the camper climbs up the cargo net. Next he or she has to walk across a wire while using hanging ropes to help get across. After that, the camper has to cross a log. Finally, the camper is hooked into the zipline and soars down to the landing platform. Throughout everything, the camper is in a harness that is connected to a wire. There are also staff members at each station above the ground to assist him or her.
The hardest part to me would have been walking across that thin wire. Jacob Fox, the camper featured in the video below agrees with me. I are also in agreement that the most fun part would have to be going down the zipline. The picture to the right is of a camper making his way across the high wire.
The following video showing each part of the ropes course is 3:40 minutes and 5.15MB.
Red Cross Blood Drive
Camp ASCCA hosted a Red Cross blood drive this afternoon in the campus’ chapel. It started at 11:30 am and went through 3:00 pm. The counselors and staff began signing up to give blood last week.
I went to the chapel before lunch to watch as the first few staff members donated blood. Everything was running smoothly from what I saw.
After lunch I went up to the chapel to donate blood. I have donated several times before, so this was not a new experience for me. I could tell that some of my fellow staff members were a little nervous though. They all successfully donated blood.
I think that we had a great turnout today. Most of the counselors or staff members that were not watching campers gave blood. The counselors also took turns watching the kids so that whoever wanted to give blood had the opportunity.
The picture above is of Leighann Littrell, a counselor, giving blood.
A group of cheerleaders
Ialways love to see campers cheering each other on at activities, so witnessing it this morning really brightened my day. While I was at the cargo net this morning, I was impressed with the amount of cheering and encouragement that I heard coming from a group of girls.
Every time one of their fellow campers was making her way up the cargo net, everyone waiting below was watching and cheering that girl along. At times, they all cheered in unison and even came up with cheers. I am convinced that it helped the girl climbing the net make it to the top.
I watched as three different campers were cheered on as they climbed the net and each of them were able to reach the top and ring the bell. This just goes to show that a little encouragement can go a long way.
I was able to catch on video some of the cheering that I watched this morning. The following video is 3:03 minutes and 4.09MB.
Nice little surprises
This is a fun week for the counselors and staff members here at Camp ASCCA. At the end of last week, we all put our names into a cup and drew names for secret pals. Throughout the week, we have been giving our secret pals little gifts each day.
We are supposed to give our secret pal small gifts Sunday through Wednesday. On Thursday, we will give that person a bigger gift along with revealing our identities.
I know that it is a nice little surprise that brightens my day when I receive my gift. I also like seeing the looks on the other staff members’ faces when they get theirs. One of the fun parts is figuring out sly ways of getting the gift to your secret pal without him or her finding out who you are.
The days can be long here, especially when you factor in the heat. The staff members are responsible for so much on a daily basis that it is a breath of fresh air to have something nice done for them.
Josh Gulsby: Sports and Games
Josh Gulsby is one of the program staff members here at Camp ASCCA. He has been in
charge of running sports and games with the campers for the past few weeks. This is the perfect job for him because while he is not at camp, he is a physical education teacher at an elementary school.
Over the past month, I have seen him play a variety of games with the campers. He is very creative and knows which games to play with each group of campers. I have been especially impressed with Josh this week because I have yet to see him play the same game twice. This shows his versatility and creativity.
I was able to sit down and talk with Josh about how he runs his program. The following interview is 2:58 minutes and 2.72MB.
Once just is not enough
At this zipline this morning, there was a group of young ladies with the Wheeze-Away camp that enjoyed the activity so much that doing it once just was not enough. There were three girls in this group who went down the zipline twice. Rachel Cummings was one
of them.
I noticed her excitement when she first arrived at the activity area. All of the girls were quick to harness up and were ready to go. I was impressed with how well Rachel did at pulling herself up onto the platform.
After she had finished her first turn, Rachel did not take off her harness. She sat in it and waited as the rest of her group members had a turn at it. She was determined to go again. Her patience paid off. I watched as she went up the platform and down the zipline a second time.
The following video of Rachel going down the zipline and the audio interview with her 2:34 minutes and 3.23MB. The picture above is of Rachel getting clipped into the rope so that she could climb up to the platform. The guy to her right is Jonathan Daughtry, one of the high adventure staff members.
Meet a Counselor: Jered Lee
Ihad the opportunity to meet Jered Lee earlier this summer when he was a counselor for
Camp Seale Harris in June. I was excited to learn that he would be coming back to work for Camp ASCCA as well. It has been great getting to know Jered and getting to watch him with his campers and group.
Though at times Jered is a shy young man, he always seems to keep his campers happy. He knows when to play and when to be serious. Some of you may have seen my earlier post about a counselor pageant with him featured in that article’s picture. It is great to see a counselor willing to go the extra mile to make the campers happy. And that is Jered.
The following interview with Jered is 2:21 minutes and 2.15MB. Jered is in the picture to the right.
Exceeding his own expectations
There was a camper at the cargo net this morning that seemed a bit apprehensive about trying this activity. Joseph Galloway insisted on being the last in his group to attempt to climb the cargo net. He watched and cheered as his fellow campers took their turns going up the rope ladder.
As it grew closer to his turn, Joseph kept changing his mind on whether or not he would go. He finally agreed that he would do it, but he would only go half way up the net. Even as he was harnessed in and ready to climb, he still insisted that he would not go above the halfway point.
To everyone’s surprise, Joseph did not stop when he reached the stopping point he had previously decided on. He kept on going without any hesitation. I could not help but smile and cheer him on even more than I had been. When he made it back to the ground after successfully reaching the top, he wore a huge smile on his face. It was obvious that he was proud of himself.
I was able to capture him climbing the cargo net on video. I also interviewed him and placed this audio portion in the background. The following video is 4:26 minutes and 6.31MB. The picture to the right is of Joseph while he was waiting for his turn.
A look back on Teen Week Prom
Although the prom was last week, I thought that it was such a special night for so many people that it deserved its own slide show. I have put together pictures that were taken by
other staff members, a photographer, and me.
The prom was something that all the campers, counselors, and staff members were looking forward to all week last week. It was also an event that I heard described to the parents as they were picking up their kids the next day.
There was something different about this year’s prom, or so I am told. This is the first year that campers actually campaigned throughout the week to be prom king or queen. There were flyers up on Monday and the campaigning only increased until the prom on Thursday night. The winners were Justin Strickland and Courtnee Macon. They are pictured to the right.
The following video montage of the prom is 6:02 minutes and 7.19MB.
A new way to play tennis
Sports and games were not being played in the pavilion, the bocce ball courts, or on the ball field this morning. I found this group of campers and counselors out on the tennis courts. They all had tennis racquets in their hands, but they were not playing any games of tennis that I had ever played or seen before.
Josh Gulsby, the program staff member in charge of sports and games this week, was creative in coming up with this game. Each camper was served a tennis ball and had two chances to hit it back over the net and into the court lines. If they did, they stayed in the game; if they did not, they were eliminated. Those who had been eliminated went to Gulsby’s side of the net and tried to catch the balls of those who were still in the game. If the ball was caught, the person hitting it was out and the person who caught it went back in.
The group that I watched participate in this game was Group 7. This group is pictured to the right. The counselors in this group are Mitch Hamilton, Michael Keys and Traci Finch. The campers are Darius Hunter, Jake Fox, DooDoo Mays, Justin Jackson, Deon Mobley, Zach Phillips, Trez Mahone, Samuel Nolan, Nathan Pouncey, and Quay Scott.
The following video montage of these campers and counselors playing this new game of tennis is 3:15 minutes and 3.55MB.
An alternative to outdoor activities….
Because of the thunderstorms that occurred off and on throughout the day, we were unable to have our outdoor evening activities, which were pool party and waterpark.
Instead there was a counselor pageant.
Each counselor was dressed up by his or her campers. The counselors had no control over what his or her campers decided to dress them as. You can only imagine the interesting outfits that I witnessed this evening. Words are not enough. There are pictures though. Check out our flickr site and look under the category “Wheeze-Away/Clot-Not.” The picture to the right is of Jered Lee (the one in the green dress) and Josh Rhodes (who was our MC for the evening).
Besides having to dress up, the counselors were each given one minute to perform a talent of his or her choice. We had everything from dancing and singing to piano playing and push-ups. It was a very entertaining evening.
The winner of the counselor pageant was Richard Jones. He was dressed up as “Captain England” and juggled for his talent.
Meet a Counselor: Holly Stewart
Ihad the opportunity to get to know Katie Stewart at the beginning of the summer before
the regular Camp ASCCA sessions began. Recently I have had the opportunity to get to know her sister, Holly, who is a counselor here for the summer.
Holly is always energetic and genuinely seems to care about the health and happiness of her campers. I sat at her table during meals last week and it was a blast. It is great to see someone with so much enthusiasm because it really rubs off on the campers.
The following interview with Holly is 3:09 minutes and 2.88MB. The picture to the right was taken of Holly during Teen Week.
New Additions to the Demo Farm
New additions have been made to the demonstration farm here at Camp ASCCA: pigs and line dancing. Today was the debut for three new members of the Camp ASCCA family. These pigs are seven weeks old and were found at an auction for us by the same man who gave us our three goats.
The campers seemed to have fun going into the pen with the baby pigs. A couple of campers were able to catch a pig and hold it. The picture to the right is of a camper holding one of the pigs.
Danielle Morris, the program staff member who runs the demo farm, added something else to this program. After all the campers had a turn holding, feeding, or petting all of the farm animals, Danielle taught everyone a line dance.
I thought it was a great idea to incorporate line dancing into the demo program. The kids were having fun and learning something new. And what better place to learn a line dance than in a barn.
I was able to video some of the line dancing done by everyone this morning. There is music in the background, though it is a little faint. The following video is 0:48 minutes and 1.27MB.
Basic Information About Our Wheeze-Away Campers
After breakfast this morning, as well as after dinner last night, some of the Wheeze-Away staff talked to the Camp ASCCA counselors and program staff about the basics of asthma. This information is vital for all of us to know so that we will be able to meet the needs of our campers with asthma this week.
I do not know a lot about asthma, so I found the information to be very helpful. Because safety is of utmost importance here at Camp ASCCA, getting this information is vital.
After lunch each day, the campers here with Camp Wheeze-Away will be taught how to control their asthma. I plan on attending this information sessions to learn more as well.
The following podcast about taking care of our campers who have asthma is 5:21 minutes and 4.89MB.
