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Pat Impiccini
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| Joined: | Mon Jun 1st, 2009 |
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Posted: Mon Jun 1st, 2009 11:43 pm |
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For some kids, it’s their first time to really see the night sky lit up with a million stars, or to wake to the sound of giant Ponderosa pines swaying in the breeze.
And without iPods, cell phones and other electronics (campers are discouraged from bringing them), the kids at St. Joseph’s Youth Camp at Mormon Lake are in for an eventful week of fun, trying new things and making friends.
With sessions starting July 5, the camp near Flagstaff offers kids 8 through 15 dozens of activities — such as archery, horseback riding, kayaking, rock climbing and arts and crafts — at an all-inclusive rate. That means parents and grandparents sending kids to St. Joseph’s Youth Camp don’t need to worry about extra charges, which can add up well beyond the basic fee some camps charge, and all kids can take part in the same activities.
The rate for the 2009 season has been reduced to $400, from $450 in previous years, to allow more kids to attend in these tough economic times. Businesses, groups or individuals sponsor children and teens whose families would not be able to afford sending them to camp. Often, grandparents send their grandchildren to camp as a birthday or other special gift.
The week also includes a generous dose of friendship and loving care from the couple who take care of the camp during the summer months and live in Chandler the rest of the year. Jim Goodall maintains the facility and his wife JoAnn cooks. Jim remembers a camper a couple of years ago who told him how much he loved camp because “you get three meals a day here.” He and his family had been living in their car.
Another husband-wife team is the Camp Director, Chris Giannola, and his wife Mary, Program Director, who have worked at the camp for more than 10 years. Chris and Mary, who work in the Flagstaff Unified School District the rest of the year, have triplets who grew up attending the camp, became counselors, and are now on staff. Joel Giannola helps with the kids' and teens' programs, his brother William assists with maintaining the facilities and sister Regina produces DVDs for campers
Based in Tempe, St. Joseph's Youth Camp has been operated and sponsored in part by the Knights of Columbus since 1949. However, the camp is nondenominational and does not promote a particular religious view. It does build character and responsibility with games and activities that teach kids to work together and appreciate the natural world. One of the activities is building a “lean-to” in the woods as a group, then sleeping out under the stars. Those stars really do seem within reach as campers experience space through telescopes on star-gazing night.
Many come away with newfound confidence and lessons of a lifetime, whether it’s acquiring a love for astronomy or hiking, or learning to extend a hand to another camper. Some find out that they can do things like rock climbing or kayaking that they never thought they could.
Teen week, a week set aside for campers 13 through 15, includes additional activities that build team work and leadership skills. Confident and experienced, many of the kids who have attended camp apply to be counselors when they are 15 to 17 years old.
With only 80 campers at a time, staff can offer individual attention. The camp includes 12 cabins that each house eight campers and two counselors/staff. A nurse is available on site 24 hours.
St. Joseph’s Youth Camp offers four sessions beginning in July:
· July 5 – 11, ages 8 through 12
· July 12 – 18, Teen Week, ages 13 through 15
· July 19 – 25, ages 8 through 12
· July 26 – August 1, ages 8 through 12
To learn more or to register for camp, go to http://www.saintjosephyouthcamp.com or call (480) 449-0848.[size=]
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