Over the next couple of months, we will be posting videos from last summer. Hopefully this will help you get even more excited about camp this summer, as well as give you a good laugh as you remember last summer. Who couldn’t use a good laugh, right? Well, the campers and staff from 1A 2011 would like to help you out with that. We think these girls are pretty funny (and so do they). Let us know what YOU think. This video (and the ones to come!) is sure to add a little laughter to your day!
If you came to camp after 1998, you missed out on an activity called “Camper Day”. Camper Day was a day during the session when the majority of the staff took off and the campers were in charge. Campers became counselors, skill directors, and even the Summer Director! Each cabin would vote on who they wanted as their counselor. The staff would elect campers to take the Director positions. Now I don’t want you to think that there was no supervision in camp. There were some staff who stayed like Johnnie or Marva, the Horseback, Waterfront and the Crafts Directors. If I were a camper on that day, it sounds like it would be pretty fun! But I’m not sure that it was as fun for the Directors who stayed in camp. Camper Day was an activity from 1955-1998. If any of you have Camper Day stories, we’d love to hear them!
We are excited to announce that Sarah and Caroline Knowles started as the Crestridge Interns today! They could not wait to get started! Sarah and Caroline came to camp as Chippewas in 1998. In 2007, they came on staff as JETs. Sarah was the Choctaw Village Director in 2009 and 2010. Caroline was the Cherokee Village Director in 2009 and 2010. Both Sarah and Caroline went to the University of Florida for their Undergraduate and Graduate degrees in Education. They spent this past semester in Colorado Springs at the Focus Leadership Institute. They enjoyed waking up to the view of Pikes Peak every morning. Sarah and Caroline are excited to be apart of Crestridge both in the off-season and during camp this summer!
I’m sure you all are excited to have time off from school and work for the next few days! We hope that you will find time to rest and to reflect on the year and what God has done! If you haven’t noticed, we really enjoy making videos for you. We hope you enjoy watching them as much as we enjoy making them!
Ridgecrest Summer Camps recently entered a Gingerbread House Contest that was held at the Ridgecrest Christmas Party (Conference Center and Camp staff). We also had to submit a video with our Gingerbread House. We didn’t win first place, but we did win “Most Creative”! You all should be proud!
This shouldn’t really be considered “retro” but I wanted to bring this to your attention. Have you ever wondered what our Emblem means? Why do we have a horseshoe and arrow in our Emblem? Here is the explanation:
“The horseshoe stands for the sincere best wishes that we have as the camper comes to camp to find her piercing purpose (arrow) in life. As she does this we believe that completion (circle) comes in growth in spiritual, mental, physical, and social areas of life (points).”
Now anytime you see the Emblem, you’ll know there’s a purpose for it!
***If you click on the picture, a larger image will appear.
The Beehive is a busy place right now! Construction began back in October with taking down the existing Store and Landsports Hut. Then they dug out where the Beehive was going to sit. The next step was to build the foundation. They put down the block and concrete floor for the basement. A couple weeks ago, they began framing the Beehive. I am amazed each time I go over to Crestridge and see how much the workers have accomplished! They work so fast! They are currently working on the porches and finishing the roof.
Check out our Facebook page for more pictures and updates!
When camp first began, the daily schedule was much different than it is now. As you can see in the picture, the campers had to take Bible or Drama and Choir in the morning as their skills. Then they got to choose a couple other activities to do throughout the day. The activity choices were things like Archery, Riflery, Horseback Riding, Tennis, Crafts, Swimming, etc. Later in the day the campers would go to band practice or dress for dinner. Then they would have evening activities. This is how the schedules compare:
Beginning of Camp
7:30 Reveille
8:00 Breakfast
8:30 Cabin Clean-Up/Staff Bible Hour
9:15 Senior Bible or Senior Drama, Junior Choir
10:15 Junior Bible or Junior Drama, Senior Choir
11:15 Choice of Activities
12:30 Lunch
1:15 Rest Hour
2:00 to 5:00 Choice of Activities – (Classes meet for 1 hr., 3 days a week)
5:00 Band Practice – Dress for Dinner
6:00 Dinner
7:30 Varied Evening Activities
9:30 Junior and Intermediate Village – Lights Out
10:00 Senior Village – Lights Out
Present
7:30 Wake-Up Bell
8:00 Breakfast
8:30 Chapel
9:00 Quiet Time
9:20 Cabin Clean-Up
10:10 Skills
11:05 Skills
12:00 Skills
1:05 Lunch
1:45 Rest Hour
2:45 Store
3:15 Village Activity
4:30 Free Time
6:00 Dinner
7:15 Evening Activity
9:00 Showers/Devotions
10:00 Lights Out
It’s interesting how things have changed through the years, but Christ is still the center! That’s why Crestridge is so great!
Ruthie Wofford will be able to enjoy $50 to our 2012 Clothing Store! She is our winner for Camp Crestridge Day! To celebrate Camp Crestridge Day, Ruthie did the following: Downloaded the Wake Up Bell, Sang the Good Morning Song, Dressed up like Sharon and OJ, Wore her CC4G shirt and Crestridge Sweatshirt to school, Honked twice before backing up, Sang a Village cheer at dinner, Ate a packet meal and banana boat, Built a campfire at a camp friend’s house and sang campfire songs, Did a Quiet Time, and Watched her session video from 2011. She sent pictures of all those events! Congratulations Ruthie!
Here are other pictures we received:
A special shout out goes to Lauren Barnes, Ramey and Willa Schutz, and Ginny Stevens for sending us videos! Thanks for celebrating Camp Crestridge Day with us! Go ahead and mark your calenders for next year! The 2nd Annual Camp Crestridge Day will take place on December 1, 2012!
We are declaring December 1st as the 1st Annual Camp Crestridge Day! Why? Well, it’s about half way into the year and we all need a little taste of camp, don’t you think? From this point on, every December 1st will be a day to celebrate Camp! Each year we might do a little something special. This year, we want to give you a few ways you can remember camp, even in the month of December. Here are a few ideas…
1. Before Dec. 1st, download the recording of the Crestridge Wake Up Bell and Marva’s Good Morning and be ready to wake up to this familiar sound on Dec. 1st.
2. Sing the Good Morning song at Breakfast before you head off to school.
3. Make sure you are wearing your favorite Camp Crestridge shirt to school that day!
4. Ask your parents to honk 2 times before backing up. Make sure all the other campers know you are there!
5. Dress up like a staff person of your choice.
6. Do your favorite Village Cheer at dinner! Capture it on video!
7. Have a group of your friends over and watch the new Ridgecrest Summer Camps video and even your Session Videos from this summer, or earlier summers.
8. Build a campfire with your parents in the back yard, and invite Ron over to lead you in some campfire songs.
9. Make a packet meal for dinner in your campfire or your oven and enjoy it with your family!
10. Do a Quiet Time on your own, or have cabin devotions with your family before you head off to bed.
For each thing you do, take a picture or video and send it to us. We will enter your name in a drawing for $50 to the Clothing Store! Be sure to check out our Blog for a recording of the Crestridge Wake Up Bell and Marva’s Good Morning! Enjoy Camp Crestridge Day and we can’t wait to see you next summer!
