Royal Family Kids Camp

Wow, what a week!!! I had the privilege to be a counselor at Royal Family Kids Camp. The camp is for foster children ages 7 to 11. The staff is all volunteer, but each have to be screened and trained.

Some staff went up Sunday night to prepare the camp, others registered the kids at Jefferson Baptist Church on Monday morning and rode the bus with our campers to Camp Tapawingo. Counselors are paired up and Laurie Angell, who had been our next door neighbor when Carole was a baby, was mine. We had lost track of each. What a reunion!!!

Some of the children are very excited to be going, some not so sure, and others really do not want to or are very scared. Both of my girls were first timers just like me. One was upset and did not want to come because the family had just got a horse the day before. I was not sure how to win her over, but agreed with her that it would be very hard to just get a horse and have to leave it behind. She was rather quit but, cooperative and it wasn't long before she was warming up to me and having a good time. The other girl I had was friends with the girl my partner had so they were very happy campers until they had to go to bed earlier than they were used to.

It was so cool to watch them come out of their shell as we did crafts, fished, caught salamanders and crawdads, swam, ran races, did the balance beam, archery, discus, and shot putt together. We had bible stories, puppet shows, skits, and singing all kinds of songs.

Other staff members, called grandmas and grandpas, would relieve us in the evening for a 2 hour break and get our campers to bed. They were also in charge of the fishing, and other activities, so we would just show up with our kids and enjoy the event with them.

The meals were great and on Thursday evening they had a big birthday party to celebrate every one of their birthdays. Each, even the counselors, were ushered in to their table by a staff member that was dressed in evening wear. We were made to feel very special. They each got a bag of presents. After dinner, they did a talent show. It was a riot!!!! I would not be able to do it justice if I tried to describe what all they did.

All in all, I had a great all expense paid vacation! Ha!

This is a sample of our daily schedule.