Area campers ŒSurfed the Wavesı

By KIRSTEN HEITKE
4-H Summer Intern
Posted 6/26/03

Seventy-nine campers from six counties enjoyed three days of fun and learning new things at the "Surf the Waves Through Hawaii" 4-H Summer Camp held June 10-12, at St. Croix State Park near Hinckley.

Camp is for 4th-8th graders, but once at camp they are divided into two separate age groups. Both groups spend time at camp learning leadership and team building skills, all while making new friends. The 4th-6th graders spent time doing crafts, such as making grass skirts, and games; while the 7th-8th graders were doing team challenge activities that included building boats out of cardboard boxes, duct tape and plastic wrap, that actually floated.

Other camp highlights included swimming, water and recreational games, skits by counselors, evening campfire programs, a luau, learning about flag ceremonies and having reflection time. Campers had the opportunity to have lots of fun and meet other kids from Pine, Isanti, Chisago, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, and Aitkin counties, all while learning new skills.

4-H Camp is planned and facilitated by Extension Educators, adult volunteers, and state trained teen counselors from Pine, Isanti, Chisago, Kanabec, Aitkin and Mille Lacs Counties. They met several times over the spring months to plan camp. 4-H Camp is a great leadership building experience for teens. They serve as counselors, mentors, and teachers during camp, building their communication, teamwork, and organization skills. They learned to work as a team with 28 other counselors plus the adult staff.

Campers from this area were: Morgan Burns, Nicki Scheef, Meghan Davis, Megan DeHart, Sheila DeHart, Caitlin Drayna, Heather Hamers, Jennifer Hible, Mitchell Kephart, Vaughn Malchow, Kathy Nystrom, and Brandi Szanay.

Counselors from Mille Lacs County were: Pete Beckstrom, Milaca; Rosalie and Shauna Jensen, Zimmerman; Kaitlyn Smith, Princeton; and Daniel DeHart, Milaca.

For more information about 4-H camping programs or other 4-H Youth Development opportunities, contact the University of Minnesota Extension Service in Mille Lacs County at 888-680-8317 or 320-983-8317.