Pine Cove Base Camp

Well...not only have I been busy with my art retreat work, but this week I'm at Pine Cove Base Camp all week!

Base Camp is Pine Cove's newest summer day camp they bring right to your neighborhood!

Most Base Camps are hosted by churches, however the McKinney Base Camp is sponsored by 3e McKinney.  We scholarship all 140+ kids that go to camp.  We also require the kids to come from our 10 Title 1 Schools.  These are children that would not be normally be involved in a summer camp experience.

Pine Cove sends about 30 counselors for the week and all the fun equipment you need to run a camp!

Monday morning, bright and early, the counselors are reved up and ready to welcome the buses filled with campers.

The counselors already had the equipment set up and ready for the day to begin long before the campers arrive!

Inside the recreating center they have tents for each of the individual "huddles" the kids have with their small group and their counselor.

The full group has a "Power Hour" to kick off their day of activities.

This is my favorite.  I can see the kids...so timid at first, but as their courage builds up and they feel more comfortable in the harness, they think they're acrobats!

The rock climbing wall is also a favorite with all the kids.  If you don't want to walk up the wall, you can climb up the inside then slide down once you reach the top.

The rest of the activities have to do with water...lots of cool water!

Slipping, sliding, and getting really muddy in some spots.

But on a really hot day the kids can't think of anything they like better!

Our camp is run totally with volunteers.  Local restaurants supply our lunches, and local churches send volunteers to help serve lunch and provide snacks for the afternoon.

We have a mom and her two children who serve the kids breakfast each morning, knowing that some of the children will show up not having eaten.  (She and her kids count this as loving on their community!)

This year we are also offering a morning class for the mom's that show up to bring their kids to camp.  A local restaurant is supplying coffee and sweets for the mom's to so they will feel welcome enough to stay for a Bible study and an informational talk on various topics.  The local Hispanic churches have jumped in with volunteers to translate the morning activities, and youth babysit the younger children so the moms can have a little break!

By 4:00 pm we're all ready to go home. The buses arrive to take the children back home...to come back rested for another day!

All in all it has been a fun week.  Hot, but it is Texas!!!

My only question is..."How many staff does it take to change a trash liner?"

Tomorrow I leave for Waxahachie and the Paper Cowgirl's Altered Art Retreat!

Should be lots to report the next couple of days, so stay tuned.  I have all my projects complete and ready to swap!  I'm looking forward to this "mini" vacation with my sister and we plan to learn a new skill, relax and laugh a lot!!!

Till tomorrow...

debi