Blogtember 2015: Blogging Around The Campfire Guest Post

I am super excited that today for Blogtember's Guest Post prompt my Solidarity Sister, Ashley, is sharing a few of her thoughts about summer camp! The first guest post for 'Blogging Around the Campfire', which some of you might remember me writing about earlier in the spring. If you have your own camp thoughts and experiences and would like to share let me know!

I’m Ashley and I blog over at Keeping Up With Ashley and Cody. I’m so excited to be here on Donna’s space sharing my opinion. I know Donna spent the summer at a camp with a whole bunch of kiddos. Well I did too!

I enjoy running our local youth club’s summer program. I spent endless hours for three months planning and replanning the activities and crafts. I worked hard to get special guests and did tons of shopping sprees. Preparing and running a club is exhausting, but worth every minute. The kids are the focus and priority everyday at the youth club because a summer camp offers many experiences kids don’t get.

Summer camps open up a whole new look on community and friendships. Our camp is a day to day camp meaning that we run 11 hours and then all the kids go home. The plus side of this is that they don’t all get bored and exhausted on each other. We do run into the sibling bickering, even though most of the kids are not siblings. When you are together for 11 hours a day, 5 days a week, and for three months the buttons get pushed. However, this teaches the kids the reality of community and friendships. They learn how to express their opinion nicely, how to remove themselves from conflict, and socialization skills. Our kids also learn how to work as a team, because we strive on community and being one whole body.

Summer camps allow kids to explore arts and crafts. Most of our children either come from parents who work hard but don’t have funds, or just work countless hours. Both of these situations doesn’t always allow the kids to go explore different arts and crafts like pottery and painting. Our camp allows them try different activities because of the guest teachers and our planned activities.

Summer camps provides the kids with structure and a safe place. We run on routines and a planned our calendar. Some kids don’t get the joy of having an organized life or a sense of feeling safe. Our camp provides the kids with teachers and staff members that bring in a welcoming atmosphere. We want the the kids to feel loved and important. We set expectations high, but reachable for each child to grow and prosper into a wonderful adult.

Summer camps are full of fun activities, community, and provide structure. Did you attend a summer camp with your kids this summer? If you have been to a camp, why did you enjoy it so much?

What Is You Do? - Blogging Around the Campfire #2

The countdown is getting lower every day (does anyone else remember singing that song at Sunday School and church camp as a kid?) there's less than a week until I set off to camp for the summer. 

Whenever someone asks about my job and I reply "Camp Director" I get a nod, followed by a pause, followed by the question "And what is it that you do?". So if you've ever found yourself asking that same question when I blog about my camp life today is your lucky day!

Kayla from Gen Y Girl interviewed me all about my job and just what exactly it is I do to earn a paycheque! 

Head over and read my answers! Feel free to contact me with any questions you have!

Blogging Around the Campfire #1

I am super excited to be launching a brand new (and my very first) series on the blog! I don't have a set schedule quite yet, once a week or once a month. Probably more frequently in the summer when I'm actually at camp and a little less frequently during the winter months. 

Today I'm going to start things off by introducing you to my camp story. I've shared pieces of it here, here and here. And there's probably hundreds more mentions of camp throughout the last three years of blog posts. 

My parents sent me to church camp when I was 7 years old. I cried 75% of the week, because I missed my parents but I didn't want to go home. Even as a child I was a fickle creature. Over the next 10 years I fell in love with camp. I lived for the time spent at camp and as I grew older eagerly awaited the day I was old enough to be a counsellor. 

When I was 16 I signed up to do an LIT program at a different camp because my camp was on the small side and didn't have that kind of pre-counsellor program. When I was 17 I worked at a camp for children and youth who were "in the system" because I wasn't old enough to work at the came I'd grown up at, the rule was you had to be graduated from high school. The following summer when I was 18 I returned to my beloved church camp where I worked as a counsellor for two amazing summers. In 2010 I got the opportunity to be the seasonal director for the summer, which due to a lot of unfortunate and heartbreaking circumstances ended up being the last summer for that particular camp.

I had to take a summer off from camp because of my school schedule but in 2012 I was ready to return to camp. Through a series of coincidences and perfect timing I found myself accepting a position at my current camp which provides summer camps to children, youth and adults who have disabilities. The camp has no religious affiliation, and while there are days I deeply miss that sense of community and growth I experienced growing up at church camp I love the experiences I've had at my current camp. This will be my fourth summer there and to be honest if you had told me back in 2012 that I'd still be there four years later I would have told you flat out there's no way that's happening. I've had opportunities to walk away but the time just hasn't been right, I know I won't be there forever but I'm determined to learn as much as I can and put as much effort into making it an incredible place while I'm there. 

My dream job would be working in a year round position at a summer camp and retreat centre that does have a religious affiliation but is also fully accessible and includes programs for people with disabilities. That may be a tall order and a big dream but nothing is impossible.

I'm hoping that this series will give me a chance to share my love for camp and some of the lessons I've learned over the years and that others will want to share their camp experiences. If you'd like to do a guest post send me an e-mail(graceandgaloshes@gmail.com) or comment below and I'll be in touch.