Rock Talk - Our Cairn Newsletter

Rock Talk - February 2007

Here it is!  The entire February edition of Rock Talk for your reading pleasure.

Download rock_talk_february_2007.pdf

If you wish to be added to the e-mail list (and get Rock Talk in your inbox automatically), please e-mail zoic@ilovecamp.org

Summer Session Highlights

It’s time to get ready for the summer! Here’s a quick rundown of some of the unique and exciting programmes we’re offering this year. 

Wilderness Specialty – This Iona Programme (1-week, ages 9-14) will offer the campers a chance to get up-close-and-personal with God’s creation. There will be an emphasis placed on outdoor living skills, nature education and environmental protection. Campers will learn how to make shelters, build fires, and cook food using solar power and many more wilderness tricks. There will also be an opportunity to try “all the other” camp activities during this week long session.

White Water Canoe Trips – There are 2 White Water trips offered this year! The first trip, aimed at beginner and intermediate-level canoers, will follow the French River. The second trip, for experienced and advanced canoers, will follow the mighty Magnetawan River. Each trip will be led by experienced Cairn Trippers who will challenge, inspire and encourage campers along the river. Cairn uses White Water Canoes (specially outfitted), helmets and lifejackets for these trips.

Music and Arts Camp – This camp is open to campers ages 9-12 and runs for 1 week. In the course of that week, campers will choose a “major” (music or art) and a “minor” (dance, vocal music, fine art, drama, etc.). All the “majors” work towards a large camp-wide Broadway Production. In past years we have done “The Wizard of Oz”, “Joseph” and “Promise U”. It is amazing to see an entire show come together in 6 days. Campers will participate by performing, creating costumes, creating props and decorating sets. The Music and Arts Show is always a highlight of the summer.

Adventure Camp – This is a 2-week Glen Mhor programme for Teens that is designed to teach basic skills (in canoeing, kayaking, belaying, etc.) as well as teamwork, communication, leadership and self-esteem. Campers will have the opportunity to take a 3-day canoe trip, learn to belay using a rope safety system, rappel, paddle a kayak and master many other “adventure” skills. Many Adventure Campers go on to be staff members at Cairn and they are well-equipped for the job. 

Intro. To Tripping – This short (5-day) Iona programme is for campers ages 11-13. Intro. To Tripping is designed to be a fun introduction to both canoe tripping and hiking. Campers will take short trips using both canoes and hiking boots and they will learn how to set-up tents, basic stove operation, how to pump and purify water and how to enjoy themselves “on trip”. This programme will be led by an experienced Cairn Tripper and is a great way to get ready for longer trips in the following summers (maybe in Algonquin, Killarney, French River…lots of adventures!).

Killarney Canoe Trip – This 1 week canoe trip will explore Killarney Provincial Park. It is a trip for teens (3-16) and will be “gorgeous, beautiful and amazing”, according to our Trippers. Killarney is a premiere destination for canoe trips and we are thrilled to provide our campers with this opportunity for the second year in a row.

There are many, many more programme opportunities at Cairn this summer. There are standard on-site programmes at both Glen Mhor and Iona as well as other trips and special programmes not highlighted above.

For a complete list of programmes, and to register (spots fill quickly, so please hurry), visit www.ilovecamp.org and click on “Summer Schedule”.

Summer Camp Memories - National Post

(from the National Post – January 27, 2007)

“She had the rubber boots and the kerchief around her head and the woodsy look…She was in charge of a little hut filled with worms and toads and frogs and stuff. I was 16 and she was 19. One day, she called me over because she had these kids sitting at her feet in the middle of a little wet field. She asked me to stroke a toad in front of the kids to prove that I wouldn't get warts. And all the kids exclaimed, "Eeeeew!" And we've been friends ever since. That's what camp is all about -- making those friendships.  I think it's something about being in the woods.”

We all have two kinds of camp memories. One is the stock footage – swimming in the lake, meal-time announcements, campfire stories, kitchen raids. The stock footage is full of sunny skies, blue water, smiling children and leafy, green trees. It’s what you see on the camp brochures, it’s the imagery that comes to mind when someone mentions “camp”. This type of memory is important - it allows us to share our summer memories with those who weren’t there. 

The second type of camp memory, however, is much more important. This is the behind-the-scenes footage (to stay with the film metaphor), the Director’s cut, the stuff no one else sees. We all have these memories too, but they’re harder to share. These memories, like the one quoted above, are nearly meaningless to other people: being asked to perform at campfire; having your counselor give you the last dry lifejacket; talking to a friend about God; finding a “thank you” note from the camper who just left; being told you’d make a great staff member by your favourite counselor. These memories, while personal and hard to explain, are life-changing.

It is our job, as camp staff, to create the second type of camp memories. It is our job to make those special moments happen. It is our job to create connections and change lives.

Resource Day Recap

January 27^th was “Resource Day” at Morningside – High Park Presbyterian Church. It was an opportunity for Resource and Facility staff applicants to spend the day together and “show their stuff” in their quest for summer positions.

The day was full of games, tin foil sculptures, impromptu song-singing, avalanche escapes, paper plates and group challenges. All the applicants did very well, and the staff for this summer holds great promise.

The day ended with “Portmanteau Words” (words made by combining two or more other words…like sitcom, pictionary and avionics). We asked the applicants (in teams) to create new camp words out of two (or more) other camp words. 

Here’s what we got:

• Wellness + Partners = Wellners
• Counselling + Partner = Counter
• May + Weekend + Staff + Training = Maykend Straining
• Staff + Lounge = S’lounge
• Manual + Paper + Pen (staff training tools) = Mandaren

If you would like to add your own portmanteau words to the camp lexicon, please e-mail them to taps@ilovecamp.org.

Iona Yurts - Winter Rentals

Our Iona Yurts are available for Winter Rental. Each Yurt has a built-in wood stove and sleeps up to 4 people in comfort. The Yurts are perfect as a “home base” for snowshoeing, snowmobiling, tobogganing, cross-country skiing and skating on the lake. We would love to see active families, Youth Groups and Church groups spend part of their winter with us. Camp can also help you find equipment rentals.

The cost of Yurt Rentals is $45.00 per night.

For more information, please e-mail zoic@ilovecamp.org, or call the Cairn Office.

To see a photo album of the Yurts in winter, click here.

Great Moments - February

Great Moments for this month:

• Aloe has been hired as the Assistant Director at Camp Pine Crest (YMCA) for the spring and summer.  Congratulations Aloe!
• Judd has been featured online for her small business: Valley Cloth Diaper Company. Congratulations Judd!
• Taps has been selected to judge a contest for camp websites being held by UltimateCampResource.com
• Hallah is having twin boys in April.
• Spark is getting married in October.
• Jo’s article on camp is in this month’s edition of The Presbyterian Record.
• Zoic won 1^st Place in a photo contest held by OurKids Magazine. His picture can be seen here.
• Match, and her fellow University of Waterloo Dons, won the Julienne Pedigree Award at the annual Residence Life Conference (held in North Bay).  They presented on "Empowering Staff" and "Life After Donning" and received a standing ovation.

Send your Great Moments to: taps@ilovecamp.org

Church Visits

Cairn has many Church visits booked for 2007. To see a calendar of Church Visits, click here. We’d love to see you at our services!

To book a visit for your Church, or for more information, contact Taps: taps@ilovecamp.org.

Flickr Pic of the Month - February

Each month, Rock Talk will feature a great picture from the Cairn Flickr Group.

The Finger Line is the winner! The photo was taken at the Teen Week Reunion in December.  We don't know who the photographer was, but it's a great shot!

Join the Cairn Flickr Group – and be eligible to win the Flickr Pic of the Month

Facebook

If you have a Facebook account, come and join the Cairn group. There are discussion threads, pictures and a chance to interact with camp people across the world.

If you don’t have a Facebook account, that’s OK too. You can always join us in the Cairn Crossroads Online Forum. Facebook is a social networking site (like My Space, but with better privacy features).