HOME OF THE HAPPY CAMPER! Spring 2012 is past summer, I received an email that any camp director would love to receive. A mother wrote to say that her daughter brought home a glowing report about camp. Her daughter had informed her that Camp Woodhaven was “better than Disney World AND Chuck E. Cheese.” Although I was astounded at first at the camp being compared to such royalty of entertainment as Disney, on further thought I realized that even Walt Disney himself would approve of the imaginative play that takes place at camp. I am often amazed at what campers consider the highlight of camp. Many times, their activity of choice is not something that is part of formal programming. On my office door there are hand drawn pictures from campers. Among them, there is a declaration of the “Sandpit” being a favorite part of camp. e “Sandpit” fills time if campers end an activity early. Every summer, my husband George waits until camp begins to have the big dump truck pull up to empty a new load of sand. e campers have so much fun climbing the pile, and then, the grand movement of sand begins as tunnels are dug, roads are marked, and buildings began to form. Sticks and rocks join the mix to add the details to their creations. I will never forget the time that George had crushed stone delivered for a maintenance project during vacation camp. e campers asked me if they could play on the small pile. As they were working together to create a pass in the top of the pile, one little boy looked up at me with large, serious eyes and wistfully said, “I wish I could take this pile home with me.” It was a reminder to me that though we entertain our children with the stimulating world of expensive technological toys, there is still a void that can only be filled in the wonder of nature and the great outdoors where activity is not all “programmed” for them. Last summer, I noticed an interesting development next to the archery range where the campers wait for their turn at archery. e older campers constructed a garden of rock formations. e dark towers stood against the bright green foliage at the edge of the woods, adding an air of ancient mystery. I hope that they have birthed a new tradition, and that this masterpiece will develop over the years to come. ~continued on page 2 Welcome to Camp Woodhaven!
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open HouseOurannualopenhousewillbeheld April28,2012from10am-2pm. ThisoccurspriortotheMay1stearlybirddiscount.Inviteyourfriendstocome. TheinvitationisreadytoshareontheCampWoodhavenfacebookpage.