We Love Our Summer Staff, Part 4: Sava, Eve, & CiCi

We're back! Sorry for the week hiatus; I was out at two trainings that hopefully will be building an even better CFA for next year. In the interim, I had a BUNCH of our outstanding potential staff members send me their bios, so expect a few extra blog posts this week. Cool? Cool!

A fun fact about the three ladies featured today is that all of them are on deck to be new staff members for 2012! They have had some experiences out at camp and totally understand the amazing "family" feeling that is YMCA Camp Flaming Arrow. These girls bring a lot to the table and are excited to be on board for this summer!

First up is Sava, a fun San Antonio native who has been at CFA for years and years.

Sava, age 17, from San Antonio, TX

Age: 17 (18 by summer!)

College / University attending: Still in high school! Antonian College Prep.

State or country where you're living: Texas

Noteworthy Hobbies, Skills, or Talents: Knitting, baking, cartwheels, and making funny faces! 

What exciting thing(s) have you done this past year that you want campers to know about? I have joined the bowling team at my school! I’m pretty bad though… 

Favorite memory from CFA 2011: Hearing campers say that they couldn’t wait to come back next year and that they didn’t want to leave. 

Place on camp where you could most often be found last summer: Arapaho...

Favorite core value: CARING ♥

Favorite snack time ice cream: Anything chocolate! (minus the banana ones)

Must-have items while working summer camp: WATER and patience 

Advice you'd give to summer campers: You don’t need a date to the dance!

What you're looking forward to most about this upcoming summer: Getting to spend all my time at CFA! 

Quote to live by:  "There are no great acts. Only small acts done with great love." –Mother Teresa

Next up is Eve, an outstanding young woman coming to us from beautiful Northern Ireland.

Eve, age 19, from Northern Ireland

College / University attending (and/or current job): Currently waitressing three jobs before heading to uni in September to study English Literature. Busy, but happy. 

State or country where you're living: Northern Ireland – lots of green and lots of rain!

Noteworthy Hobbies, Skills, or Talents: Horse riding!

What are you looking forward to most about this upcoming summer? Meeting lots of amazing people and making memories I will have forever!

What do you normally do with your summers? I usually work to earn some money and then travel a bit. Last year I went to Majorca with my best friends, and the summer before that I visited Dicky and MA at CFA. Previous summers have been spent surrounded by horses!!

Quotes to live by: “Do what you love, work as hard as you can, and make people happy.” “Just be happy and don’t be stupid” – Adele.

Next up is CiCi, who was a CIT last year at camp and is excited to be back for what will be her first year as a counselor.

Cilaya, or "Cici" as we know her; age 18, from Texas!

College/University attending: I am a full time student, and I am currently a High-School student but next year I will be furthering my studies at Texas Tech University by majoring in Music

Noteworthy Hobbies, Skills, or Talents: I can beat box and hum at the same time, I spend most of my time in extra curricular activities, I run cross country, I am a cheerleader, I am in Band, I am in Winter Guard, and I play Quidditch. Oh and I LOVE to dance.

What exciting thing(s) have you done this past year that you want campers to know about?: I went to Disney World for the 1st time :D

Favorite memory from CFA 2011: I loved it when I got to sit at the lunch table with Anthony and Sheeba, and they ate the table-ware like barbarians.

Place on camp where you could most often be found last summer: Honestly I was running around so much, you really had to look.

Favorite core value: Caring

Favorite snack time ice cream: Ice-cream Sandwich!!!!!

Must-have items while working summer camp: Sun-screen, band-aids, comfortable shoes, bathing supplies, a smile, bug spray, a flashlight, an appetite for smores, and a caring heart.

Advice you'd give to other counselors: Put a smile on your face, because smiles are contagious, and happiness is ALWAYS a great thing to spread around. A child's laughter is the thing that will keep you going and it makes everything a bit easier so strive for a laugh from your campers at all times!!!

Advice you'd give to summer campers: Guys have a blast!!!! When you're at camp, you are bound to have fun!

What you're looking forward to most about this upcoming summer: Meeting new people and seeing how I change campers' lives for the best.

Quote to live by: "The only person that can limit me is myself."

We Love Our Summer Staff, Part 3: Joey and Rebekah

Howdy, howdy, again, CFA! Here is yet another installment of staff interviews, from two of our most charismatic, involved, and creative summer staff members of 2011. Enjoy!

Rebekah (on the right) - age 19 - living in San Antonio, TX

University attending and current job: Full Sail University and barista at Barnes & Noble Cafe 

Noteworthy Hobbies, Skills, or Talents: I'm not quite fluent, but very articulate in French.

What exciting thing have you done this past year that you want campers to know about?: I got accepted into the school of my dreams!

Favorite memory from CFA 2011: During Operation Purple week, Eskimo and Farrow had sort of a friendly rivalry going, but one night we had a joint embers. It got really deep, there wasn't a dry eye in the house, and it made everybody come together and realize that maybe we're not all that different.

Place on camp where you could most often be found last summer: High ropes course all day everyday, baby!

Favorite core value: Respect - respect yourself and others, and people will respect you back.

Favorite snack time ice cream: FUDGE BARS

Must-have items while working summer camp: Water bottle and a good attitude :)

Advice you'd give to other counselors: SAVE THE DRAMA FO' YO MAMA. The main focus at camp should be the children, not whatever's going on between the counselors. You can't have that on your mind (or other stressors outside of camp for that matter) and be able to give it your all to your campers, and they're what's most important.

Advice you'd give to summer campers: Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid to be yourself, don't be afraid of heights, don't be afraid of trying new foods or meeting new friends or doing things you haven't done before. You will change in the best way possible if you just let go of all your fears, and you're in the perfect place to do that.

What you're looking forward to most about this upcoming summer: Being an even better counselor than last year and changing even more lives for the better :)

Quote to live by: "No, it's not fair, but what makes earth feel like Hell is our expectation that it should feel like Heaven. Earth is earth."

Joey (in the middle!) - age 23 - studying in Muncie, Indiana

University/Job: Ball State University, Marketing intern at ACE

Noteworthy skills/hobbies/talents: I really enjoy taking photos of awkward moments making it into art. Photography has been a hobby of mine for 3 years and it is what makes me happy. Now, most people say that singing is a talent of mine but I just love to do it because it makes others happy. Other skills I'm known for are my abilities to sew, draw, edit, write and do computer programming.

Exciting things you've done this year: This year, I spent New Year's Eve for the first time in NYC. Amazing! Also, I am a registered reading partner where I volunteer at elementary schools and tutor kids in reading. I recently just participated in Photo Week DC where I take pictures on my iPhone of art around the city.

Favorite memory of CFA 2011: My favorite memory of camp was during operation purple week. Watching the transformation of my campers in Ottawa go from silent to crazy, wild and amazing was the best feeling ever. What I can remember most is watching Luke become a better person. They would go running early in the morning to mount vesper singing Mulan "We are Men". Loved these guys.

Place on camp you could always be found last year: You can always find me in the craft shed, singing loudly and scaring the horses. Haha.

Favorite core value: Faith. I challenged myself to face several fears of minds including horseback riding and high ropes. All I had to lean on was faith in myself.

Favorite snack: Orange and Cream Bar. Yum. I used to beg everyone for their bar.

Must-have items for working at summer camp: Water, Water and Water. Comfy shoes, swimwear, sun screen, boots for Thursday and did I say water?

Advice you'd give to counselors: Challenge yourself, be relatable, and be crazy fun. You are there to find yourself, make the best experience ever for the campers and be what you always wanted to be. Think like a kid, act like a kid, be the kid. This is a tool to motivate yourself and the campers. Have a blast!

Advice you'd give to the campers:  Be a kid and go crazy, but be respectful. Challenge yourself through Raggers and make a difference. Be a part of the LIT and CIT program.

Looking forward to: Being on Ad Staff and seeing the old and new campers.

Quote to live by: "Being different isn't a mistake or judgement. Its having a gift to express to others" — me.

Giddy Up, CFA— Your Fall Horse Update

Howdy howdy, campers, staff and families. I haven't written in a few weeks and wanted to share some of the exciting changes we are planning for the YMCA Camp Flaming Arrow's Equestrian Education program in 2012.

Three great NightRyders on Whiskers, Cash, and Rocky.

The NightRyders program was a big hit for 6 of the 8 camp weeks this year. NightRyders offered some of the more advanced teen riders one or two nights during their week to come out and try their hand at a different equine activity— some nights it was beginner jumping, sometimes trying out English or Australian riding styles and saddles, riding bareback, or trying their hand at competitive trail riding obstacles with Tiffany and myself. Some Ryders loped for the first time. This was the first year for the group and participants were chosen on a volunteer basis. Next year, due to demand, we will do our best to ensure in advance riders who are interested and eligible (must be a teen and been enrolled in Saddle Club or another year-round equine activity for at least two years) have a chance to try at least one NightRyder activity. If you have any suggestions for safe, fun, and exciting horse programming for our best riders to try, let us know in the comments section below!

Camp favorite Salty and his Saddle Club rider, Week 7.

Currently, we are in the planning stages of expanding the CFA Saddle Club from 12 to 18 members. To do this safely, we hope to have a total of four equestrian staff who can accommodate two groups of riders on two different curricula, who will rotate trail riding classes, round pen classes, and arena classes.  Each week of summer camp, we have to turn away potential Saddle Club riders who were unable to sign up in time to claim their spot. We hope to serve more horse-crazy (or at least, horse-curious!) children who want to ride.

Young campers giving horseback riding their first try.

With the potential expansion of riders, we will continue to look for quality horses who meet the high standards set for a Great Camp Horse! Not all of ours are beautiful, but it takes calm, courage, intelligence, and patience to be a camp mount and we are in the process of acquiring three new horses this fall. With spring retreats coming, we'll have a chance to see how these horses do in the high-pressure situation of camp, and they may make the cut to be part of our string for summer 2012. The camp mustang colts, Indigo and Flint, are not ready for full-time camper duties yet, but are still undergoing training and fine-tuning and we would love to see them being ridden by advanced campers in 2013.  I'll be attending clinics this fall to continue to develop my own skills, including natural horsemanship workshops and dressage lessons. Hopefully I can bring a lot of that back to CFA

As for your summer 2011 Equestrian Staff, who both love their own brand of competitive trail riding— Tiffany and her horse, Rocky, continue to compete in American Competitive Trail Horse Association (visit ACTHA.us for more information) rides and I continue my involvement with the North American Trail Ride Conference (NATRC.org.) We have facilitated several retreats this fall, with many more planned in the spring, and CFA Adopt-a-Horse riding lessons continue throughout the year. Both of us have acquired mustangs from the Bureau of Land Management and spend time on a daily or weekly basis training them to be great trail horses of the future.

Tiffany & Rocky on a competitive ride near Ingram, TX.

Bandit & I riding near Caprock Canyon.

Happy trails to all of you readers,
And hope your lives are full and happy!

— "MA"

Carry it Home

"What you do in here, fill the streets out there." - The Song "Madly"

While that is a religious song that was sung at chapel time at my previous camp I worked at, those lyrics always stuck with me. If is so hard to take we do at camp and apply it to the outside world. The lessons learned like how to care for others, being responsible, etc... I find myself taking something different home with me every year to fill the streets of me life. My first year at CFA was to work hard and set high expectations not only for others, but for myself. The second year was to love blindly. Now this year I am trying to take home the ability to let others (besides my family) love me. It is something that I learned and saw at camp, letting others love me for who I am.

Now you had to learn something while you at camp. Maybe you learned a lot. Its hard to take a lot home with you and sometimes when you try to take so much you end up carrying more than you can handle and you end up dropping everything. If you can carry everything home that is great, but if could choose one thing that you take home what would it be? The confidence you gained? The feeling of knowing that you are loved? The satisfaction of helping someone else? The ability to be yourself?

Once you make it part of your life people will see the difference in you. You won't even have to tell them about it. I tell the counselors if they complete a whole summer it will change them forever and that people will be able to tell that they are different in a good way. They have done something not many people in the world are capable of. It changes them. Camp changes them.

So what is the thing or things that camp changed in you this year?

Reminding Songs...

There are some songs out there (mainstream and camp) that remind me of camp. Here are a few and why they remind me of camp:




Yeah, it is me singing it but this was the first real camp song I ever heard when I became a counselor at Camp Grady Spruce. At my camp where I went as a kid, we didn't sing songs like this.




The first time I ever saw it done this way I couldn't stop laughing. When I hear it at retreats I just want summer to happen.



We play this song at the end of the dance while the oldest cabin help us clean up. Sometimes after they got done cleaning, they put their arms over each other in a circle and sway. Some would look at each other and cry, while other would just smile because they knew they were with family.



When I was at Camp Grady Spruce we sang this at the end of every chapel. It has an amazing messages if you just let love in your life.



When I was a camper and then counselor at Camp Pike, a hiking camp, this song was played before we went the big hike, Pikes Peak. It gives me that anxious feeling still, which is a good thing in my mind.

Hope you enjoyed my music selection. They always put me into a good mood.

Counselor Interview: Sheeba

It is time for another Counselor Interview. This time it is Sheeba. She is coming back for her third summer out at CFA and she will be helping out in the store. Check out her answer and catch up with what is going on in her life.

Sheeba

What is your favorite memory about camp last summer?
Last summer was made up of many great memories, but one that I think has been the most memorable was first week my coco, Sarah and I had an Absolutely AMAZING embers. We all told stories about ourselves and "the person we are." The girls really bonded the first night, opening up about their feelings and the things they dealt with everyday. They really got to see life from each others perspectives and I think that was what made them closer. There was no judgments, no arguments, no prejudices. It made the week awesome and I think more of a memorable week for the girls.

Anything new or big going on in your life?
Everyday is a new learning experience, but I'm in my senior year of college and taking the time to enjoy it. Soon I'll have to get a grown-up job and pay REAL bills. So, I'm trying to enjoy it while it's here. I have great roommates who inspire me and encourage me. I'm so blessed.

What does summer camp mean to you?
Camp has always been a place that allowed me to be the rawest version of me. At camp I learned just as much as the kids did. I grew, I challenged myself and faced my fears. I never thought it would change my life the way it did. Summer Camp to me means freedom to be whoever you are, and the means to getting to know who that person is.

What was your favorite activity to teach and why?
I LOVED being the crafts coordinator last summer. As a fashion major, making art has always been a passion of mine since childhood. The idea of making something out of nothing is just so exciting. I enjoyed sharing my passion for creation with the kids.

What are you looking forward to the most this upcoming summer?
I am so excited to work in the camp store for my internship for my fashion merchandising major. I'm excited to learn more about manufacturing, owning a store, merchandising and store layouts. I'm also excited to go to camp fires sing songs and make memories both the campers and I will never forget.

I Would Be Strong

The third line of the Ragger's Creed is "I would be strong, for there is much to suffer."

What does this line make you think of or feel? Does it give you a feeling of self doubt or cause you to work harder to succeed?

For me, this is not just physical strength. What this line is referring to is mental strength, having the integrity and confidence to keep trying, to keep working, to dust yourself off and move forward. For this, you need to pay attention, study hard in school, make the most of your education and learn from all kinds of life experience. The line "learn from your mistakes" fits well into this third line of the Ragger's Creed. If you just give up and do not stay strong ton try again, then life is just going to run past you. If you let your life sufferings like failing a test, getting a grade, falling off your bike, not making the A team or losing site of your goals, then you are letting your "sufferings" get the best of you. Stay strong, dig deep into yourself and keep going. Refocus on your goals, reset your self and seek advice from adults.

Remember-Youth Empowerment Retreat (click and look for tan box) is coming up December 10, 2010! Sign up today and take this time to renew your Rag goals at camp. Hey Hey CFA-stay pure, stay true, stay strong and stay CFA.

I would be true, for there are those who trust me;
I would be pure, for there are those who care;
I would be strong, for there is much to suffer...

In the Spirit of Camp,
Allison

I Would Be Pure

The second line of the Ragger's Creed is "I would be pure for there are those who care."

What is the first thing that comes to mind? What does pure mean to you? How are you prepared to be pure?

Found on Answers.com: "What is a pure heart? A heart free of possessiveness, a heart able to feel the sorrow of others, a heart that thirsts for what is right, a heart that is not vengeful. We see a pure heart in the face of any saintly person."

I love this. Working to be free of possessiveness and not vengeful or jealous - this is a daily task for me, I know. Part of YMCA Ragger's is to look with in yourself and command the best of yourself. Keeping your heart open and honest, searching for the good and loving others - that is pure of heart. Sound a little bit like I.L.L. (is it loving)?

I think this also means to be pure in the sense of drug or alcohol abuse. It doesn't lead to success in life, it doesn't keep you cool (though you may think you are cool when participating) and it doesn't help you. Keep your body pure-eat well, exercise, educate yourself and reach out to others. Be pure in what you watch on TV or read or when surf the net, don't join in on harassment or picking on of others, stand up for your convictions and strive to be better than you were yesterday.

Remember-Youth Empowerment Retreat (click and look for tan box) is coming up December 10, 2010! Sign up today and take this time to renew your Rag goals at camp. Hey Hey CFA-stay pure, stay true and stay CFA Strong!

I would be true, for there are those that trust me;
I would be pure, for there are those that care. . .

In the Spirit of Camp,

Allison