Let's Get Gathering!

 Yes, it is that time of year again...

When we add just a little bit of extra decorative green...

To the Dining Hall Porch, because Saturday happens to be...

Our Winter Gathering!

(We've even installed just a few seasonal splotches of snow...

As extra Winter Gathering decorations as well.)

They're still time to join us if you haven't let us know you're planning on attending yet!

If you HAVE let us know you're joining us, then we can't wait to see you at our little afternoon wintertime Summer Camp reunion!

And if you're unfortunately not able to join us, then it's still worth mentioned that one of the many occasions that Winter Gathering celebrates is the opening of registration for Summer 2019. So, yes - that means you can start signing up for Summer Camp the day after tomorrow!

Happy Thanksgiving from 4-H Camp

As we hope you all get a chance to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal gathered around a table with some family or friends...  

We wanted to let you know that at 4-H Camp we're thinking about how thankful we are...

 For all the meals we were lucky enough to share together around the table this year with our Camp Family. 

Yes, while there are many varieties...

Of festive table set-ups...

To celebrate around...

We're sure it comes as no surprise...

That the simple Camp style...

Is our personal favorite.

If you happen to find a spare moment this weekend, we encourage you to look back and recall a few of your favorite meals gathered around the 4-H Camp table - you just might find yourself thankful too.

And, if you happen to find TWO spare moments this long weekend, go ahead and let your mind wander a bit toward next summer and all the meals ahead of us! If you need to catch up on the Camp news, we've got developments for you to review! Developments like...

Our Themes for Summer 2019!

Our new classes!

More new classes!

And of course, when registration opens a week from Saturday, we mark the occasion with Winter Gathering! Come spend the afternoon with us for a little wintertime Summer Camp reunion.

Summer 2019: New Classes - Part II

We're kicking off Thanksgiving week by announcing three more brand new classes (from even more course areas) to be thankful for! We've got new stuff for everyone in Summer 2019 - and first on the list is class that fits the Thanksgiving feast theme nicely:

Canoe-nity Cooking

One of Camp’s ol’ favorite retired classes is making a triumphant return: yes, Outdoor Cooking is BACK and better than ever as Canoe-nity Cooking. The class will focus not just on the basics of preparing a delicious meal over the campfire, but on using our Canoe-nity Garden as one of the primary sources for our ingredients. Canoe-nity Cooking will feature a crash course in firebuilding, an introduction to some basic principles of cooking, recipe, ingredient preparation, and build to a team iron chef challenge - with bonus points for every ingredient used from our garden.

Team Sports Roulette

(Ages 12 and up.)

An active class for some of our older campers! (Why roulette? Anytime have an activity where we all rotate around and try a bunch of things, we call it a roulette. Why? Because we do!) Some fun in the sun (or light rain), as campers get to enjoy themselves outside playing some classics like volleyball, wiffle ball, badminton, kickball, as well as some not-so-classic, Camp-only team games. We’re thrilled to introduce this new option for our campers who just can’t get enough of running around and playing outside.

Lake Shawanni Adventure

Experience our waterfront in a brand-new way with Lake Shawanni Adventure! What’s involved? A little bit of everything! There will be swimming, jumping, and boating, there will be explorations of every hidden cove and missions dispatched to distant shores, there will be utilization of some water-gear exclusive to Lake Shawanni Adventure. In short, it includes everything our campers love about our 4-H Camp waterfront and more they haven’t even imagined yet.  

This class will be a little different each and every session, ‘cause as our campers know so well, no 4-H Camp adventure is ever quite the same twice.

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December 1st is quickly approaching, the date of WINTER GATHERING and the kick-off of Polar Bear Registration. Sign up early in December to get a spot in these exciting new classes!

Snowvember

Yes, it may be silly to feature snow pictures only a week after autumn pictures went up...

But just because it's silly...

Doesn't mean it's not...

What's happening. 

The downside of the snow...

Is that it's already snow.

The upside of the snow...

Is that it's a great segue...

To remind you that WINTER GATHERING is coming up Saturday, December 1st!

We've already got a bunch of the Camp Family looking forward to joining us: let us know if you can be there too!

And of course, snow means it's basically winter, and winter is when we sign up for summer...

So the snow is another excuse (like we needed one) to start getting excited about new themes and new classes for Summer 2019!

All right, thanks snow. You've served your purpose. You can melt now.

Summer 2019: New Classes - Part I

Every summer at Camp we attempt to accomplish two directly opposite goals: both keep 4-H Camp the same great experience it's been since 1951
and find brand-new ways to improve our program each and every summer. It is with both of those missions in mind that we are excited to introduce our new classes for Summer 2019!

ULTRA Ranger

(BOTH Periods 1 and 2. Ages 12 and up.)

One of L.G. Cook 4-H Camp’s greatest attributes is the acres upon acres and miles upon miles of beautiful forest surrounding us all in directions. In our brand-new Ultra-Ranger double-period course, campers will explore those forests more thoroughly than ever before. For the vast majority of three of their camp mornings, participants will get to enjoy some great walks in the woods only available to campers in our Ultra-Ranger class. These hikes include: a loop both on the trail and off the beaten path through Stokes State Forest, a trip along the Appalachian Trail to one of the most stunning overlooks in the state, and a pack-your-lunch journey following Lake Shawanni’s spillway out of Camp, down to a hidden gem in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, and back home via Tillman’s Ravine.

(Campers who sign up for this class should be prepared to do a good deal of walking on moderate-to-difficult wooded and rocky terrain, and must sign up for the class both periods 1 and 2.)

Movers and Groovers

For campers who like to move, campers who like to groove, and campers who wait all week long for the Camp Schmance...wait no longer! One of the most requested classes over the last few seasons has been a dance class - and we’re happy to deliver with Movers and Groovers. Of course, this will be a Camp style class - meaning if you’ve never considered taking a dance class before, this campy class might be right up your alley, and if you’ve enjoyed dance previously, you’ve never taken a dance class quite like this. We’ll explore the great outdoors through site-specific body and mind connectivity, and campers will join all movement forms to represent their enthusiasm for nature, creativity, and the camp community. And chances are, there just might be an opportunity to show off some of these new moves by leading the Camp in some original choreography at the Friday night Camp Schmance...

Long Range Archery

(Ages 12 and up.)

We’ve found a Camp law that is a constant, true 100% of the time: you can never have too much archery! Which is why we’re thrilled to introduce a third archery class to the 4-H Camp curriculum. This class (as you may have guessed from the title), will utilize our Long Range, and will allow archers to try their skills at advanced distances, building all the way up to shooting from one hundred feet away from the target. These distances will allow campers to adjust tactics to overcome the expanse, hone their accuracy with various kinds of targets, participate in some unique new archery challenges, and height will even be brought into the equation when we bring out our flu-flu arrows. Here at 4-H Camp, we’re all about finding ways to make great ol’ things new again, and Long Range Archery will be doing just that by taking this classic camp favorite to a whole new level.

--

Stay tuned, we've still got three more brand-new classes headed your way!

Fall Walk/Fall Reminders/Fall Rainbow

It is clearly stated...

 In the official charter...

Of this Camp Blog...

That I am OBLIGATED...

To present to you scenic...

Seasonal 4-H Camp photos!

Well, consider that obligation for autumn 2018....

Fulfilled!

And while we're at it, let's accompany them with some...

Seasonal reminders! Reminders like:

Winter Gathering is just over three weeks away! Join us for our afternoon December reunion by RSVPing here! 

That means the opening Polar Bear Registration is ALSO just over three weeks away! Check out our  schedule of Themes for 2019, and plan your Camp weeks!

And stay tuned to this very blog, because we'll be announcing some exciting new classes as additions to our course offerings before then!

But the astute blog reader will now say...

"Wait a second! I was promised a fall rainbow in the title of this post. Where's my fall rainbow!?"

HERE'S your fall rainbow.

As promised.

We wouldn't leave you hanging. 

All blog obligations successfully fulfilled.

So yes. Come to Winter Gathering! Check out our themes!

And look at this rainbow!

As I keep trying to find better and different ways to photograph it.

If only I could only figure out how my phone works.

That's the real reason we're a tech-free Camp. Because I don't know how my phone works.

Kidding! We're a tech free camp for many, many, many, WAY better reasons than that.

But seriously. One reason way down the list is because I can't quite figure out how to work my phone.

This blog post was brought to you by Woodrow, The Camp Dog, The Good Boy.

And by an autumn sunset reflecting off Founder's Rock.