Camp Desoto: A Spiritual Analysis

Last summer I volunteered to be a camp counselor at a camp in Blowing Rock, North Carolina called Camp Sonshine. This camp is different from others in that they bring children ages 5 to 18 from inner city Memphis, Tennessee to the Appalachian Mountains. This

I have been fortunate enough to share this experience with many of my childhood friends. “Holston Presbytery Camp serves as a bridge between the earth and heaven. It’s the one place where you can

I attend my church's fifth and sixth grade summer camp as a teen counselor, and have done so for three summers. This experience is very special every year because as I grow in my own faith and knowledge, the experiences I see my campers undergoing in just a weekend means more and more

At Eastbay camp, the children of the United Methodist Church join together with the children of The Baby Fold. They form bonds that touch hearts and inspire friendships. The camp experience is tailored to meet the individual needs of each child. After all, God

Summer camp is a tradition that the women in my family have participated in since my mom was a little girl. In the mountains of North Carolina lies a very special place to me, my mom and my little sister. This place is called Camp Glen Arden and it is my home away from home. There are many special traditions within Camp Glen Arden, so that is why I chose it to be the topic of my ethnography.

In a small town of Oakhurst CA, there is a place that holds a place in my heart. An outdoor camp school, filed with 300 year old redwood trees and Native American history. But my favorite part about Calvin Crest is that while we learn about nature; we also learn about God and all the wonderful things he has put on his earth just for us. Even though it’s only a few miles from home, it feels like a different world.

Emma Chester, my camp counselor, is a hero. I was going to Portage Lake Bible Camp for the first time with my new church. I’d heard about this camp. It sounded fun. What could go wrong? Lots of things. I grabbed my bags, hugged my parents goodbye, and left. About four hours later, we arrived. I was told my cabin and counselor after entering. I had Cabin 6AB, and Emma, a bright, smiling young woman. I found my group, and they told me about her. She appeared while we made our beds, smiling brightly, and they ran to give her a hug. We had a lot of time to decompress, and later we sang around the fire pit. Our group became a family. Over the next few days, I loved Emma. Whether she was chasing us around in an intense game of Gorilla Warfare, trying

The prayerful approach to every activity and the metaphysical preparation for the same was one of the highlights I had for the week. Both the staff and the Campers came to every activity well prepared and this level of preparedness helped support whatever the staff and campers were doing. Some of the activities I went to include: Nature trail, Soccer, Football, Kayaking, Boating, Swimming, Marking Books, Burn dance, Hayride, Arts and Crafts, Morning and Evening assemblies, Wednesday Testimony meeting, Vespers, Sunday School, and Principia

There, youngsters of all ages learn how to identify edible plants from harmful mushrooms; how to classify animals from their tracks and skat; how to approach and treat goats, chickens and dogs; how to tend and harvest a garden; and how to forage for supplies sturdy enough for fort-building. Most importantly, they learn to say yes to each other in an open and accepting way. With open-ended activities, every camper’s approach to exploration, investigation and questioning is equally valued. They learn that there are no best ideas. They learn that the possibilities are endless.

To meet this objective, I joined in 2010 the NAE4-HA Program Taskforce Committee on Camping and Environmental Education, attended state and national workshops on camping, and gained six seasons worth of camping experiences. The experience I gain as a member of a national taskforce enhances my knowledge of camping, of the NAE4-HA organization as well as camping and strengthens my relationship with other extension camping professionals across the nation. Workshops, presentations, and conversations with other camping professionals have aided in the productivity and value of Kanawha County Camps. A competent and supportive team of extension staff, adult volunteer leaders and teen leaders at the county level has created a quality and affordable experiential educational camping experience for youth in Kanawha

Nine years ago, my parents dropped me off at overnight camp for the first time ever. Wow, nine years ago… that’s just hard to think about. Anyways, I do not remember much about that first summer, but it must have been fun because I came back the next summer, then again, and again, and again, and again, and, while, you get the point. I really liked it there. Back then, I would not have been able to explain what I loved about camp so much. I would have said something like “my great friends” or “all the sports we play,” but now I understand it means so much more than that. If I was to explain all the memories I made on that hillside throughout my seven year career as a camper, this essay would be well over 650 words, so I will refrain from doing so. Instead, I will talk about my transition from camper to counselor and how it helped me realize the importance of giving back.

In 2012, my church traveled 765 miles from our little suburb to one of the poorest cities in the United States. We stayed in Cary, Mississippi for almost a week, leaving very early Monday morning and arriving back home midday on Saturday. During the journey, it was somewhat agonizing, although I did occupy myself with my music and a book that I brought along for the ride. The coordinators tried to make this experience fun, so we stopped by places in Nashville and ate at the Cracker Barrel.

In the spring of 2014 I went to FFA Success Conference in Covington, GA with my teacher Mrs. Beasley. Being sixteen and in High School after hearing about “camp” I thought how lame it was. Not knowing it would have changed my life on how I looked about things in life. So as my teacher went on about it and described how fun and positive it was I gave in. it was a two day conference so we will leave that next Saturday and arrived the same day. After the arrival we logged into our separate cabins girls and boys. From there we went to the first session.

When thinking about my favourite place a lot of thought went into the landscape of the areas that I was choosing, thinking about distinctive features that drew me back to this particular region. In terms of Camp Hurontario not much has changed of the natural landscape in its seventy five year history except for building and expansion on the island, although it has come a long way from what is was before being purchased. D.W Meinig explains to us in “The Beholding Eye,” stating “Nature provides a stage. The earth is a platform, but lf thereon is furnished with man’s effects so extensively that you cannot find a scrap of pristine nature.” (Meinig 36) the relationship between man and nature is delicate and millions of years old and camp was the first place to

Tribes were known for something: be it war-like as the Apache were, traders like the Sioux, farmers like the Navajo, or they built good sturdy homes like the Locata. Each tribe recognized their own unique traits and similar social structure.