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.

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: John 17:21 Emblem

With the great history in mind and ministry outreach focus, lets take a look at how the YMCA emblem represents this organization’s history and purpose. Few organizations have as meaningful and rich an emblem as the YMCA. These are all of the parts:

THE DOUBLE CIRCLE: One circle symbolizes the completeness and unity of the total of life and God’s created order. The other symbolizes a wedding ring, friendship and love without end, among individuals. Within these circles or rings, the rest of the emblem is placed.


THE GREEK LETTERS CHI & RHO (XP): The first two letters of the word Christos - meaning Christ - and in themselves the emblem of early Christianity.



THE TWO TRIANGLES: One standing for the trinity within the Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The other, the trinity within man, that of the spirit, the mind and the body.


THE BIBLE: It is opened to Jesus’ intercessory prayer for his followers in the Gospel of John, chapter 17, verse 21. This text was set forth as the foundation of the YMCA:

“That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me
and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world
may believe that you have sent me.” John 17:21

The context of this passage was emphasizing that the followers of Christ should have such love and care for one another and for those around them that the rest of the world would believe, because of this genuine love.

Therefore the complete assembly of all these component parts gives this great organization the emblem.

In the Spirit of Camp,
Allison

The above information was found at http://www.ymcamacon.org/YMCA%20Emblem.htm

Food for thought — camp style

Dear camp friends and families,

*Almost* wherever you are, if you are in the 'States today, it is c-o-l-d. Camp is drastically cold; pipes are freezing to buildings we didn't think they would (good thing Joseph is a call away to fix things as best he can.) While we go about our work, planning for both summer camp and the many groups who visit CFA and grow in our outdoors experience, the weather can be a nuisance and a distraction and it is sometimes hard to envision the lush green trees of summer and the shrieks and laughter of a hundred kids in motion. With that in mind, here's three little thoughts to share and some memories of seven months ago, in the spirit of camp.

I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.

—Pablo Picasso

It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference.
—Tom Brokaw

The most I can do for my friend is simply be his friend.
— Henry David Thoreau

Stay warm, keep loving those around you, and see you next time!

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