Living Well At Camp

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Centennial Celebration!

CAMP GREENVILLE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

2012 is the 100^th Year of YMCA Camp Greenville. It’s time to celebrate! You can make history with us by participating in these events:

Centennial Garden and 100-Year Time Capsule

The Centennial Garden will become a new destination for reflection at Camp. It will be dedicated to all future campers. Everyone who participates in Camp programs throughout 2012 will have the opportunity to place a message to the campers of 2112 in a time capsule to be sealed at the end of the year and placed in an air-tight chamber under the Centennial Garden.

Easter Sunrise Service- April 8, 2012 Arrive by 5:15AM

He Is Risen Indeed!

Start Easter Sunday at Symmes “Pretty Place” Chapel. Join the tradition of listening to an encouraging message from the camp director and an uplifting cantata by the Rocky Hill Baptist Church of Cedar Mountain, NC. The service ends just in time to see the sun come up over the Blue Ridge Mountains. A delicious breakfast will be served in the Camp dining hall following for a $7 fee. Registration: www.campgreenville.org/eastersunrise.php

Centennial Summer Kickoff Weekend– May 5 and 6, 2012

Hands On Greenville Day May 5

Give back to camp through this volunteer work day. Beautification, erosion control, gardening and more will be a part of a day filled with fun and service. Registration: http://www.unitedwaygc/hands-on-greenville-day.php

Family Fun On The Mountain May 6 All Day

Learn about all that Camp Greenville has to offer while enjoying a free day of fun Camp Greenville style. Some activities you can expect are horse rides, zip line (9 and up), chapel, live music, guided hikes, bouldering, archery, arts and crafts, an exciting candy drop and more! This is a great way to introduce friends and family to Camp. Easy Registration: www.campgreenville.org/familyfun.php

Camp Greenville Day – September 2, 2012 10AM – 4PM

Calling All Alumni! Come reconnect with friends, celebrate a century of lives shaped by our one of a kind location, and get caught up on Camp Greenville past, present and future. The day begins with a service at Fred W. Symmes “Pretty Place” Chapel, followed by a fried chicken lunch and afternoon reminiscing at the Stone Adventure Center. Registration: www.campgreenville.org/cgday.php

8^th Annual Blue Jean Ball – October 2012 Location and Date TBD

Put on your favorite pair of jeans and join us for an evening of live music, silent and live auction and celebrate Camp’s centennial with your colleagues and friends. Proceeds go to Camp’s Capital Improvement Fund. Information: www.campgreenville.org/bluejeanball.php

Celebrating a Century of Shaping Lives

Upcountry History Museum

We will tell the story of Camp Greenville through a display at the Upcountry History Museum October-December 2012. Camp representatives will also be the featured speakers at Lunchtime Programs at the museum on January 11, 2012 and October 10, 2012.

Centennial Heritage Book

Work is currently underway on a heritage book to be published in 2012. The finished book will be a piece to be cherished for years.

Keep up with the most current Centennial Celebration information at www.facebook.com/YMCACampGreenville

Centennial Celebration Summer Here We Come!

Opening Campfires-Hiking to Rainbow Falls-Cabin of Excellence-Chapel at Pretty Place-Whitewater Rafting on the Nantahala-Swinging on the Rope swing-Zip linnig-Horseback Riding-Packouts at Sub Camp-Cooking at Outback-Mountain Biking-Morning Shine-Parade Ground-Mom and Me-The Zombies Ain't My Neighbors-Whaling-Pottery at Hill Skills-Water slides-Kayaking-Archery and Target Sports.

This list is just the tip of the iceberg of fun that was the Best Summer Ever. Campers from 19 different states and 5 different countries attended camp. There were 1138 different campers who attended at least one session of camp this summer and many who came for more than one session. Counselors also came from several states and Mexico and Brazil. Each week we had several campers and staff who joined the Monk's Old Timers Club. These are participants with 5 years of camp attendance. At the end of the summer vote on their peers to receive one of four staff awards.

This years winners were.

Rookie of the Year -- Clair Dias

John Wright/Vickie Jones Outstanding International Staff -- Andre Barbosa

Monk and Sudie Mulligan (camp spirit) -- Angelina Lilly

Uncle Johnny Holmes (significant service) -- PJ Arnold

Preparations are under way to celebrate our centennial all summer long in 2012. The theme for the summer will be "Making History - I'm There". This year we want to make history by serving more campers than ever before. We are off to a great start. 427 of the 1138 2011 campers (or 37%) reserved their place in the history books by signing up on closing day this summer. Some programs are nearly full. Registration will be open soon for all others.

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24 Consecutive Volunteer Weekends

Our Thanks To Sam

At the age of 20, Sam Benham, has given much of his time to give back to YMCA Camp Greenville. Sam has participated in 24 consecutive volunteer weekends and hopes to make that number 26 by the end of the spring season.

“All in all I plan on coming to the volunteer weekend as long as possible,” Benham said.

Benham’s streak started back in the fall of 2007 when Benham was a junior in high school.

“My sister told me, or basically dragged me, to the volunteer weekend. After that I wanted to come to every single one,” Benham said, “I thought they were super fun and it let me get away from the city.

Benham initially heard about camp through family and other siblings that had been campers in the past and he decided to apply for a Junior Counselor position.

“Since I worked as staff during the summer I now keep coming to Volunteer Weekends so I can give back to the camp and make this camp more enjoyable for future campers,” Benham said.

Benham added that he loved to show off to campers by saying he helped out with certain projects.

“It makes me feel good and hopefully will make them to want to come and give back to the camp when they are old enough,” Benham said.

Volunteer weekends are a time for Benham, and many others, to give back to the camp through service and to reconnect with friends that they do not see on regular basis. The next volunteer weekend is April 15-17. Interested? Send a note to Lucas at volunteer@ymcagreenville.org

The 100 Camper Challenge is On - FL v GA

The Florida v Georgia 100 Camper Challenge
Decide Where The Burris Family Spends Spring Break

I am challenging Florida and Georgia Camp families to each recruit 100 campers before April 6, 2011. Just send me an email and tell me how many campers you can recruit. The state with the most is the state where my family will spend spring break. We will leave camp Friday, April 15 and return Friday April 22. I want to come back with 100 new camper registrations. The winning state will be announced on our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/YMCA-Camp-Greenville/14353763549 at 3PM Friday, April 8.

Go tell your friends about camp and send me those emails.

Rick Burris
rburris@ymcagreenville.org

Experiential Learning Abounds At Camp

SHARPIES NOT WELCOME

Last weekend provided yet another experiential learning opportunity at Camp Greenville. Ten volunteers spent Saturday working with camp staff to clean graffiti off of the walls and bunks of the Lakeside Cabins. The impact was startling. Between past counselors hanging their head as we sanded their name off of the bunk, to others pridefully declaring they will ensure camp stays graffiti free, all took satisfaction in the clean slate that was left.

"They worked really hard, and the results were incredible," stated Volunteer Coordinator, Lucas Pokorny. "I was really proud of them." Volunteerism is at the heart of this 99 year old camp. Volunteer Weekends happen 7 times a year, plus all summer long at YCG. The next Volunteer Weekend is March 18-20. Contact volunteer@ymcagreenville.org for registration.

Thanks for all of the hard work put in to beautify camp for everyone. You are making a difference!

The 2011 PEAK (Preparing Educators for Adventures with Kids) conference is in the books and once again it was a great three days of learning. This year the conference drew attendees from all over the Southeast as well as from as far away as Texas.

A rich collection of varying workshop topics were covered from Leave No Trace ethics, to Nature Writing and Photography, to grant writing, and winter tree identification. A full list of session briefs can be found below.

This year’s keynote, Clyde Carter from Brevard College, spoke about the power of experiential education and the ways it can be transformative to both the student and the facilitator. He spoke about the three alienations facing our society today of self, each other, and nature. He went on to define each of these with examples from his own life’s journey and concluded with ways of reconnecting that would lead to not only a better facilitator and a more complete person.

Keynote, Clyde Carter, addressing the group.

Friday a tradition that began last year was continued as a handful of conference goers explored the area and visited another facility to see what sort of neat things they had going on in the field of experiential ed. This year’s trip was to Green River Preserve which is located only a couple miles north from Camp Greenville as the crow flies. Folks were treated to the overall philosophy of their program as well as a tour of the camp by Director Sandy Schenck.

Green River preserve Director Sandy Schenck giving the tour.

A diverse offering of workshops, a great opportunity to build connections within the outdoor community, and gorgeous weather made for 2011 an amazing year for the PEAK conference. We hope to see you up on the mountain next year for the 2012 PEAK conference at YMCA Camp Greenville.

Session Briefs

PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS

Primitive Skills and Crafts

L. Woodrow Ross, Freelance Writer/Photographer

A demonstration of Primitive Crafts with hands-on participation, outside demonstrations with traditional archery, atl-atl, flint knapping, throwing sticks and more. Inside class will review available literature and skills that can be easily learned and taught to youth. The philosophy of a primitive lifestyle will be discussed with an open question and answer session at the end.

Project Learning Tree

Chris Spender, Ranger, Holmes State Educational Forest

Project Learning Tree (PLT) is an interdisciplinary environmental education program designed for educators of ANY background. The hands-on activities facilitate the exploration of topics including communication, economics, energy and fuels, geology, government, history, recycling, transportation, watersheds, wildlife, and much more!

Differentiated instruction? Technology connections? Literature links? Standard course of study? The PLT activity guide covers it all, and the PreK-8 guide is correlated to the NC Standard Course of Study in science, math, language arts, and social studies. CEU renewal credits are available and this workshop qualifies for Criteria I or II in the EE Certification Program.

KEYNOTE

The Power of Experiential Education - Keynote

Clyde Carter, Associate Professor, Brevard College

There are times as experiential educators that our facilitated experiences far surpass our limited objectives. Students walk away with more than our imagination would allow us to consider. The experience not only broadens the student’s mind, but also touches their soul. What is it that makes a program experience authentic? What elements of experience must collide for the true power of experience to be unleashed? How much of it is luck or magic vs. the handiwork of the facilitator?

Experience the Area: green river preserve

Sandy Schenk

The Green River Preserve is an environmental summer camp, located on a beautiful 3400 acre private wildlife preserve in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Their unique program offers a creative, nurturing, and intellectually stimulating approach to connecting children to the joy and wonder of the natural world. It’s just down the road from Camp Greenville!

The bus will leave from the Airnasium at 3:30 and return before dinner.

WORKSHOPS

Unlocking and Unraveling the Standard

Rich Bowerman, Lead Instructor, Mountain Trail Outdoor School
We often advertise and talk about how our programs "meet the standard course of study". Just what does that mean and why is that so important to an outdoor-centered environmental education program? How can knowing state education standards help me as an outdoor educator? Most important, how can the knowledge gained from this session help me for the next three hours with my class of eager middle school students?! This session is for everyone from seasoned program directors to entry-level instructors. Be sure to bring your input to share as that is the standard for these sessions!

Experience Outward Bound’s Expeditionary Learning Principles

Dottie Shuman, Professor of Outdoor Education, Montreat College

Sharon Lane, Grad Assistant to the MSEE program, Montreat College

Outward Bound’s philosophy has been adapted to be used in the formal school setting. In this workshop you will be introduced to the 10 design principles used in formal school settings as you have your own expeditionary learning experience. This workshop will open your eyes to the importance of self-discovery, success and failure, the natural world and solitude and reflection in all educational experiences. Come experience Outward Bound’s principles without going on a SUthree-week experience.

LEAVE No trace: Skills and Ethics

Dawn Kopa, Field Support Coordinator, Florida Trail Association

Come, let us educate ourselves and adopt the skills and ethics that enable us to LEAVE NO TRACE. These skills support sustainable use of wildlands and natural areas. You will learn ways to minimize your impact while still enjoying the outdoors. Join us for this session, become familiar with the seven principles that lie at the heart of LEAVE NO TRACE and reduce the damage caused by outdoor activities.

Designing Experiential Environmental Education Lessons

Nathan Meltzer, MAP Student, Prescott College, Mountain Trail Outdoor School

In this presentation, Nate will share the work he did for a graduate-level teaching practicum in the fall of 2010 while working as an instructor at the Mountain Trail Outdoor School (MTOS), in Hendersonville, NC, and simultaneously studying Adventure Education in Prescott College’s Master of Arts Program (MAP). The practicum was designed to incorporate many of David Sobel’s theories of effective environmental education into classes at MTOS. The presentation will include a description of the MAP program, an overview of the aims, methodology, results, and conclusions from the practicum experience, and time devoted to practice designing lessons that incorporate Sobel’s theories.

Survival Situations

Abel Odom, Program Facilitator, YMCA Camp Greenville

This workshop is for all those who wonder about what it takes to mentally survive in a dangerous situation. Inspired by the writer Laurence Gonzales and his book Deep Survival, this session aims at taking a deeper look at the underlying skills that can be taught in a survival class. Let’s look at how transfer of learning can give confidence to those who face life’s most difficult struggles.

Writing and photography for publication

L. Woodrow Ross, Freelance Writer/Photographer

This session discusses how to develop writing and photography skills and how to get published. Topics will include writing and photography for newspaper, blogs, websites, and magazines. Discussion will cover tips on good work habits, productive research and rules for skillful and entertaining writing.

OPEN SPACE DISCUSSION

Ali Lien, Director, Mountain Roots

Open Space is a forum for discussion where everyone’s voice is heard. The workshop begins with a sharing of “Hot Topics” in the outdoor and experiential education fields. What do participants want to talk about? From there (depending on group size), individuals may choose what topic they would like to discuss with a small group for 20-30 minutes. Two of these break-out sessions will occur over the workshop block. Notes are taken in each discussion group and will be shared with all participants via email following the PEAK Conference. Possible topics could include anything from families in the field, to risk management, to facilitation ideas. So, what do you want to talk about? Come share with us…

Bootcamp for new nonprofits

Kelley Clifford, Executive Director, Ravenstar

A session for anyone thinking about starting a nonprofit organization, taking the next step with an existing organization or who would like to learn more. We will cover the basics including: 501(c) (3) – Do I need it?, I Have a Dream – Mission Statement, Visioning & Strategic Planning, It takes a Village – Building successful Boards, Putting Your Money Where Your Mouth Is – Fundraising.

Recyclers USE it twice

Dave Hart, Recycle Coordinator, Town of Blythewood

All you have ever wanted to know about recycling presented in a powerful 60 minute session. We will start by exploring how recycling works as an industry and how you can utilize this information in the field. Then we will look at ways to present recycling to a student audience who will not only retain information but enjoy it. Recycling doesn’t just stop at curbside pickup; it’s an ever changing cyclical process that will dominate the future.

Improving Success in Securing External Funding

Dr. Robert A. Sweeney, President, R.A. Sweeney and Associates

Dr. Sweeney has a success ratio of over 92% while securing more than $50 million in external funding. He will provide practical advice regarding how to identify funding sources, apply and manage awards.

Earthshine Nature Programs: unique wildlife conservation and nature education

Steve O'Neill, Naturalist, Earthshine Nature Programs

An overview of the unique hands-on programs being offered by Earthshine Nature Programs. The primary focus will be on our premier program: Turtle Tracks--an Eastern Box Turtle Conservation, Rescue and Rehabilitation Program. Turtle Tacks is not only a monitoring and census study of Eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina) using mark-recapture census and radio telemetry, it is also a hands-on environmental education program offering exciting wildlife conservation themed outdoor experiential learning.

Earthshine Nature Programs is based at Earthshine Mountain Lodge in Lake Toxaway, North Carolina USA and is open to guests of Earthshine Mountain lodge and anyone interested in learning more about the wonderful world of the Eastern box turtle, nature and wildlife study and conservation. For more information on Turtle Tracks and the other nature programs we offer just check out the Earthshine Nature website.

THE Art of debriefing

Josh Rood, Assistant Summer Camp Director, YMCA Camp Greenville

The power of our position extends long after our group leaves camp. Soft skills are every bit as important as safety and how awesome you are. So come participate in sharpening the skills you have or gain some new ones. Do you know when your group is just skimming the surface of their potential, or when you are? Can you tell when they are ready to dive in the deep end, are you? This will be a back to basics approach to create and hopefully expand your bag of tricks for the powerful practitioner of participant processing to get everyone involved to dig a little deeper within themselves in order to maximize the quality of your teambuilding time for a bigger take away of skill building, for life.

introduction to primitive crafts

L. Woodrow Ross, Freelance Writer/Photographer

Ross will provide a broad overview of primitive skills and crafts. These include: flint-knapping, bamboo and wooden arrow making, fire starting and building, cordage making, hide tanning and other essential primitive skills. Pursuing these interests in the interest of developing them to pursue outdoor activities will be emphasized.

Keys to Group Development

Spike Martinez, Student, Montreat College

Implementing full-value contracts is essential to group development and cohesion. By exploring the importance of full-value contracts, we can see how they support “challenge by choice” and successful group development. This session will allow you to explore new ideas, share what works for you, and create a plan that will aid you in helping kids challenge themselves and each other to do the impossible.

As lovely as a tree

Rich Bowerman, Lead Instructor, Mountain Trail Outdoor School

Release your inner CIS investigator and learn the clues to identifying local trees. We will go beyond the leaves just in time for the late winter and spring seasons.