We Love Our Summer Staff, Part 2: Taylor & Gemma

It's been a week, and you guys have asked for more staff bios— so here's two ladies you will remember from last summer and the summer before! Both of these young women plan on being Ad Staff members in 2012, and we are lucky to have them back again. So, without further ado, here's Taylor and Gemma!

Taylor, age 20,  studying in San Marcos, TX

University/Job: Texas State University at San Marcos, Site Director for YMCA of Austin Afterschool

State: Texas

Noteworthy skills/hobbies/talents: Singing, improv, planning & programming

Exciting things you've done this year: Moved into my first apartment!

Favorite memory of CFA 2011: All of my awesome cabins and Raggers!

Place on camp you could always be found last year: Ragger's Point

Favorite core value: Honesty

Favorite snack: Neopolitan ice cream sandwich

Must have items for working at summer camp: Chacos, sunglasses, CamelBak, sunscreen, deodorant and bobby pins!

Advice you'd give to counselors: Sleep on your 24s!

Advice you'd give to counselors: Stick it out and become and LIT, CIT and counselor!

Looking forward to: Being on Ad Staff!!!!

Quote to live by: "Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

Gemma, age 24, from England

University attending (and current job): Studying Access to Higher Education at Warwickshire College and working as a Gym Instructor

Country I'm living in: ENGLAND!!! :)

Hobbies, skills, talents: Random skill=Touching my nose with my tongue, Hobby=LOVE working out in the gym and Talent=Being amused by the simplest things...EVER

What exciting things have I done in the past year? Been offered a place on a degree to study Sport & Fitness Management starting on my return from Texas 2012 AND being asked to be a bridesmaid with my sister at my Mum's wedding in May 

Favourite memory from CFA 2011? Leaving the humming bird feeder full of yummy food on the tree outside the cabins and getting super excited with the campers when we spotted one out there (and giving the humming birds we saw their own names...can't remember the names now though)

Place I could most often be found? In the crows nest out at high ropes (once I'd got over the height issue), ORRR....making loads of lanyards down at the arts and craft shed

Favourite core value: Caring, I think that all of the core values can fit into this one, a kind word, thought or action can have a huge impact on somebody or in a situation.

Favourite snack time ice-cream: Ice cream sandwich!!!

Must have items when working at summer camp: Got to be a smile, a camera, and a waer bottle!

Advice I'd give to other counselors: Remember the reason that you are there, be the best that you can be and be somebody that you yourself would be proud to know...and enjoy every second of it - even when you are tired!!! (summer camp goes far too quickly but the memories last forever!!!) :)

Advice I'd give to the summer campers: Don't be afraid to be true to yourself, make the most of the time that you are at camp because all of the friends that you make will be like family, and the experiences and memories that come with camp will last long after you're heading back home.

What I'm looking forward to about this summer: Meeting new and old friends, having a great time with all of the campers and attempting to break my previous photo taking record!

Quote to live by: Be the change that you want to see in the world. —Ghandi

Taking It Apart: Core Values

All YMCA programs have a strong emphasis on the values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility. Adopted formally by the YMCA of the USA in the early 1990s, the four core YMCA values were developed to help teach participants right from wrong.

Caring: To love others, to be sensitive to the well-being of others, to help others.

"Where there is love, there is life." Gandhi

Honesty: To tell the truth, to act in such a way that you are worthy of trust, to have integrity; making sure your choices match your values.

"Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom." Thomas Jefferson

Respect: To treat others as you would have them treat you; to value the worth of every person, including yourself.

"You don't have to be handicapped to be different. Everyone's different." Kim Peek

Responsibility: To do what is right, what you ought to do; to be accountable for your behavior and obligations.

"The time is always right to do what is right." Martin Luther King, Jr.

The San Antonio YMCA adds a 5th value, Faith.

Faith: To encourage people to develop their faith and to be a place where people of many different religions can come together.

“Without faith a man can do nothing; with it all things are possible.” Sir William Osler

In the Spirit of Camp,
Allison

The above information was found on the YMCA of Marquette County website.

Taking it Apart: National Day of Prayer

The National Day of Prayer is Ours

The National Day of Prayer belongs to all Americans. It is a day that transcends differences, bringing together citizens from all backgrounds. Mrs. Shirley Dobson, NDP chairman, reminds us: “We have lost many of our freedoms in America because we have been asleep. I feel if we do not become involved and support the annual National Day of Prayer, we could end up forfeiting this freedom, too.”

The National Day of Prayer is a vital part of our heritage. Since the first call to prayer in 1775, when the Continental Congress asked the colonies to pray for wisdom in forming a nation, the call to prayer has continued through our history, including President Lincoln’s proclamation of a day of “humiliation, fasting, and prayer” in 1863. In 1952, a joint resolution by Congress, signed by President Truman, declared an annual, national day of prayer. In 1988, the law was amended and signed by President Reagan, permanently setting the day as the first Thursday of every May. Each year, the president signs a proclamation, encouraging all Americans to pray on this day. Last year, all 50 state governors plus the governors of several U.S. territories signed similar proclamations.

Historical Summary

1775 – The first Continental Congress called for a National Day of Prayer
1863 – Abraham Lincoln called for such a day.
1952 – Congress established NDP as an annual event by a joint resolution, signed into law by President Truman (82-324). Harry S. Truman declares a National Day of Prayer and signs into law an annual observance there of – United States Congress passed Joint Resolution 382 on April 17, 1952/ President Truman signs Public Law 82-324 (Public Law 82-324; 66 Stat. 64—April 17, 1952).
1988 – The law was amended and signed by President Reagan, designating the NDP as the first Thursday in May (100-307). Ronald Reagan signs into law the designation of the first Thursday in May as the annual observance for the National Day of Prayer – President Reagan signs Public Law 100-307 January 25, 1988, in the Second Session of the One Hundredth Congress (Public Law 100-307—May 5, 1988).

Fun Facts

1) There have been 136 national calls to prayer, humiliation, fasting and thanksgiving by the President of the United States (1789-2010).

2) There have been 58 Presidential Proclamations for a “National Day of Prayer” (1952-2010).

3) Gerald Ford (1976) and George H. Bush (1989-91) are the only U.S. Presidents to sign two National Day of Prayer Proclamations in the same year.

4) Every President since 1952 has signed a National Day of Prayer proclamation.

5) 33 of the 44 U.S. Presidents have signed proclamations for National Prayer. Four of the Presidents who did not sign a proclamation died while serving in office.

6) Records indicate there have been 914 state and federal calls for national prayer since 1775 and counting.

We Gather as a Community May 5, 2011

YMCA Camp Flaming Arrow and the YMCA of Greater San Antonio will gather as one Y to honor this long held tradition. No matter who you pray to, what your beliefs are, or what you are doing on this day of prayer, join CFA for a moment of silence at 1 pm, May 5, 2011. In honor of this, we ask that you wear your CFA gear (shirts, hats, bracelets, etc) to show your support.

In the Spirit of Camp,

Allison
Y182?

The above information, history and facts taken directly from National Day of Prayer.

A Mustang at Camp: Indigo's Story

In the northernmost corner of Nevada, close to California, are the Calico Mountains. Named for the colorful rock formations that resembled the piebald coat of a calico cat to some pioneer eons ago, and relatively lush in grazing and water supply, these particular hills are home to a distinct subgroup of the American Mustang. The mustangs still roaming western North America are all mutts of the horse world, pieced together from old Spanish influence, Native American's unique breeding stock, and ranch horses turned lose or wandered away from settlers. Calico Mountains Mustangs are unique in that they closely resemble (and are descendants of) the ideal ranch horse of American settlers. Possessing good confirmation and hardy, because of their bountiful homeland, "Calico Complex" horses are often as colorful and varied in their patterns as the mountains that surround their home.

The Calico Mountains, north of Gerlach, NV.

In the early spring of 2008, a shaggy red-and-white colt was born in these mountains. He had a white face, one blue eye, and (one would guess, from knowing him now) a slightly quirky expression on his face. We can't know for sure if this colt's first year was lived in peace and stability along side a healthy mother and a strong family unit, or if he was plagued from the start by the drought in Western America. What we do know is that on January 29th, 2010, his life changed both dramatically and traumatically— a helicopter rounded up the colt's family and drove them to a holding pen, where agents from the Bureau of Land Management loaded them into huge stock trailers and eventually they were shipped all the way to central Colorado, to a gigantic prison complex housing over 2,000 other formerly wild mustangs and burros from all over the American West.

One of the prison facilities at Canon City, Colorado, where 2,000 wild equines are housed, in addition to inmates.

There the horses are broken into pens which often hold 30 or more horses of the same gender, age range, and capture date. This little colt didn't catch anybody's eye for eight months, at least not enough to get him a $125 ticket to a new home; the cost of an adoption fee through the BLM. He waited. And, apparently, got a little beat up in the process from his pasture-mates.

I spotted him on a trip to Canon City while searching for a new camp horse, milling around in a pen of much more boisterous 2 year old geldings. He was the object of a lot of flying hooves and bared teeth, but despite being clearly bullied, he showed a great deal of interest in me, my best friend, and my sister-in-law. We were instructed by our guide to hang at the edge of the pen in case they herd got moving quickly, and as we stood discussing the merits of various horses, a white face and blue eye kept peeking out from behind other rumps and tails. We wrote down his tag number but passed him up. I do believe we nicknamed him "Ugly," which probably wasn't the sweetest thing to do, but he was sort of a ragamuffin, covered in scratches and bites and general wear and tear.

But after a few more hours of searching among the thousands of horses, my mind kept drifting back to "Ugly." No other horse had shown so much interest us the rest of that morning. His funny face kept egging me on. And so, with a signed check and a few pieces of paperwork, Ugly belonged to camp and we were a few short weeks and a long drive back to Colorado with a trailer from picking him up. He made it to his new home at YMCA Camp Flaming Arrow in late August of 2010, just before midnight.

Within a few short days, "Ugly" had a name and was wearing a halter. Called "Indigo" for the deep, purpley-blue depths of his right eye, he proved himself to be just as calm, willing, and interested in people (and the tasty food they bring around) as he appeared on that first day back in Colorado.

Indy's first halter. Yes, it's pink!

Turns out, with a little bit of grain and a fair amount of brushing, "Ugly" really.. wasn't. He has balanced confirmation; a little on the short side, but with powerful shoulders and hindquarters and strong legs and feet that are a throwback to his great-great-great-grandparents' lives working early cattle ranches out West. Within short order, he was leading happily on adventures around camp, checking out new places and allowing new people to stroke his shoulder or offer him a bit of hay. He learned that the saddle and blanket weren't going to eat him alive, and so carried those well without much coaxing.

Indy and another young camp horse learn how to trailer and tie safely.

Be warned, though, that Indigo is probably not an average mustang. Remember, we chose him for his personality— friendly, not very scared of people, and extremely calm. Most of his brethren were wild-eyed and terrified of humans, and would probably require a great deal more patience and time before being half as gentle as little Indigo. Even as docile as he is, Indigo has never been forced, beaten, or truly threatened— there is no sense in rushing or pushing any horse, especially one that was once wild.

Right before his first ride in the roundpen.

Flash forward to seven months later, and Indy is coming along right about at the rate a normal, hand-raised domestic horse would be in their training. He has carried a rider for short periods since early October and has just begun short, easy trail rides with me on his back. Nobody else has been on him yet, but that will come in due time— possibly this summer, once he is used to the camp wrangler and trusts her, too. Letting a horse mature a bit (age four or five) is a good idea before asking it for too much difficult or fast-paced work, but at the age of three, Indy will hopefully carry a wrangler on a few trail rides with a group this summer and should be ready for more work by spring of 2012.

Turning three and still a shrimp! Tall MA (5'10") rides little Indigo last Tuesday.

Our hope is that Indigo will learn to serve children and adults at camp as he grows and matures and continues his training. The hardiness, health, intelligence, and sound build of the American Mustang make them good candidates for learning almost any equine discipline. Indigo's gentle nature and friendliness make him a great candidate for a life filled with teaching children about horsemanship and the wild, wonderful horses of the American West.

Happy trails!

A view from between Indy's ears on a pleasant spring trail ride at CFA.

For more information on mustangs, visit Wild Horses of the Calico Mountains or The Bureau of Land Management's Wild Horse & Burro Adoption. I could not have written this blog without the above two sites. The first two photos are from Wild Horses of Calico Mt. and a government website, respectively. Also, please note: This blog post is not intended in any way to serve as horse training advice. Leave that to the professionals, guys!

Stuff I Learned at Summer Camp

Whether we like it or not, when Christmas shows up, the end of the year is close at hand. Summer camp seems incredibly far away, and it really is, if you count the months— just about as far away as you could be. I don't know about you, but all of the love and togetherness of Christmas makes me miss camp and all of the CFA folks we love the most— even while I'm enjoying my family and out-of-camp friends.

Yet it seems like a wildly appropriate time to remember All The Good Stuff from summer. The lessons you learn, whether you're a counselor, camper, or even a parent on the sidelines at Closing Day, mean just as much when we sit down with friends, family, or even on your own at the holidays.

In case you've forgotten, some of those lessons include—

#1 — A good friend will always help you with your safety gear.

#2 — Take every opportunity to be a little silly in the name of fun.

#3 — Have some faith in yourself to try something new.

#4 — Love your brothers and sisters. If you don't have brothers and sisters, love the people you're with like they're family.

#5 — Music comes in many forms. It is powerful stuff, especially around a campfire.


#6 — You can make anything you want out of lanyard, beads, Popsicle sticks, and paint.

#7 — Caring about people means lending a shoulder of support whenever they need it.

#8 — Be respectful of other people, but don't be afraid to dance like nobody's watching.

#9 — Responsibility means seeking ways to take care of everyone, not just yourself.


#10— Find happiness in the simple stuff.

Happy Christmas. Happy Holidays.
Love, MaryAshley