Monday Anywhere Else...

   Monday at home is just another Monday but here at Betsy Jeff Penn 4-H Camp it is the beginning of an adventure of a lifetime.

Our schedule starts with an early wake up time for these vacationing campers at 7 am.  By 7:30 groups are either in first breakfast or doing their chores.  Chores includes cleaning up their cabins, sweeping, making sure bathrooms and their own areas are neat etc.  This is exceedingly important because the campers are competing for some unusual prizes.  For example first place for the cleanest cabin receives the golden faucet, second the silver toilet seat, and the third place cabin gets the bronze toothbrush.  Now these may seem rather unique back home, but here at camp these are coveted treasures.   After that cabins who are doing chores o to second breakfast and earlier morning eaters head back to their cabins for chores.  I promise they know how to make and do make their beds while they are at camp. 

Speaking of food, in case you are concerned they might not find something to eat.  For breakfast our campers had pancakes and sausage.  They also had the opportunity to help them selves to fresh fruit and cereal as part of their morning energy refill.  After breakfast is flag raising, which our 4-H members lead.  After all this is over with its actually time to head out for activities.  

By 9 am our campers were at their first activity.  Depending on the group they might have been in line for any of their 5 activities for today.  Our groups have a variety of fun things to do everyday.  For example everyone had a chance to get in the pool.  Our trekkers spent a lot of time in canoes this morning learning how to flip them and get back in them.  Some groups were playing games, while other climbed the boulder wall.  By the time lunch rolled around our campers were already a little tired but hungry.     

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Lunch time was a crowd favorite of pizza.  Campers also had carrots and celery to chew on and cool down.  What most folks don't realize is that there is a salad bar also for those who like healthier options.  Our campers serve as waiters and set the table as well as get up and get more when the table is out of food. Today they got a work out because pizza was really a favorite of everyone.

After lunch there was some down time to rest, which was needed. Then our campers went back to activities.  This afternoon they were horseback riding,  workin  How great is it to see our campers excited about reading and getting new books?g on team building, and getting books.  Getting books you ask?  Well the camp has a partnership with the local library and they bring out the book mobile to camp and allow every child to pick out a book or two as part of their camp experience.  

During the afternoon our campers got to visit camp store.  Each day they can chose to purchase a drink and/or snack with the camp store funds we gave them.  After getting their snack they often dance in the rec hall or play games like four square, or some sat down and started reading their new books.

After finishing activities for the day our campers have a chance to go back to the cabins and rest before dinner.  Dinner was a little surprising since we were expecting this delicacy on Tuesday.  Tonight we had tacos for dinner.  Our campers were famished and could barely keep their eyes open from all the excitement and activity of the day.  After dinner is flag lowering where our campers learned who won the coveted golden faucet.  

Right after dinner we had a brief storm which knocked out the power to most of the camp.   However a few hour after the power line ell on the entrance driveway, Duke Energy was there to fix it and worked hard to get power restored to the rest of camp.  In the meantime we had water sports night.  Our campers had a chance to swim in the lake, swim in the pool, and slide down the water slide.  It was a wet and wild time for everyone.

After a quick snack and water break it was time to hit the hay.  Showers had to wait until morning due to our power outage, but our campers were so tired, I'm not sure they really minded.  Power came on about 10:30 pm and our campers were able to sleep under the cool air from their fans.  Now we just wait until tomorrow when we kick up or activities a notch.  

If you would like to see our photos from today please click this link.