I am pleased to say this is my fourth year being involved at Peace Village. Every year I am full of excitement to meet new campers, and other counselors as well. This year I was given the privilege to work with the younger kids; ages five and below. They have done nothing but bring my inner child in me and allowed me to fully see what goes through a toddlers mind. As a teen we get distracted by other priorities and forget to truly enjoy the wonderful creations god has enabled us to enjoy, but at Peace Village it allows me to take a break from the real world and enjoy peace among each other and myself.
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The beaming and giggling campers return for another day, at this point their energy and copious amounts of coffee is what keeps me going. This week so far has been amazing in the fact that all the campers and especially the staff wants to be here and manage to make each day better than the last. From being a "witness" and answering campers questions about local food, to charging around the field to loosely refereed game of cops and robbers, this week has been peaceful, but not in the calm meditating way. I can barely contain my giddiness for what can only be a wonderfabulous conclusion to the final day of the week tomorrow! Nothing but positive things to report from me, The Salamander Counselor Chris, or Chrissy as my campers call me.
I am a happy addition to the counselors at peace village this year and now that we are on our fourth day here, I hope that next year I can join again. I have to say I was a little nervous being in charge of a group of kids but I knew after the first day that it was nothing at all to be sweating about. I saw more smiles and laughs that I had in a while. I could say every thing we do all day, but that would take a while and I know I wouldn't get it exactly right, but what I will say is that at peace village we really do all work together to make fun activities for all the kids to enjoy. They get to learn something new, create art, act out in theater and run around on the field during games. it's all really fun, and they love it.
- Frog Counselor Alisha Day Four of Peace Village,
This year, I've gotten to work with the oldest group of campers. By now, most of them know know the generals of what Peace Village entails, and they're still excited. While not the jovial shrieks and cries of the Salamanders or Squirrels, smiles and laughter still grace the whiskers of the Mountain Lions. Schedules, volunteers, and activities change each year within our village, but only to refine ways of exploring individual interests and respectively sharing them. Or, at least to have fun. One of the most powerful manifestations of this growth this year has been seeing previous campers enlisted as junior counselors. Tempering? Maybe that describes the growth. The villagers fold back in on themselves, from camper to junior to counselor--each fold strengthening the village. Now that we're on day four, some of my group eyes the possibility of joining the folds. The village grows. With ideals like this, I can only be optimistic. Thank you, ~Patrick Sadil Peace Village..The Place To Be! This is my first year at Peace Village. I was very excited to be apart of such a great camp. It has been a blast being here, the kids are amazing troopers and are very lucky to come here every day and learn new things. It has been quite a journey, and I can't wait for the next few days! Peace Village makes it so the campers can have fun and learn new things at the same time, which is wonderful. I really think this camp is very peace full and free spirited. I hope I can come back next year! Remember, PV is the place to be. :) -Monica(Salamanders Counselor) It seems that as each year goes by the campers get more accustomed to the happenings at Peace Village, making it run more smoothly than ever. Going back to year one, which was hosted in Lyle, it really is incredible to see how much this day camp has grown and evolved over the years. This may also be the first year that the Frog campers— at a ripe age of 6—have all managed to keep their wood cookie name tags on their necks or at least near their bodies throughout the entirety of the first day. I’ve got to say though, day 2 of Peace Village was definitely an eventful one. Things for the Frog group started out with an exciting turn of events for one camper, yet slightly scary for us counselors when we heard one camper yell out that another camper was bleeding! Luckily for us, this was referring to a loose tooth that had made an exit only moments earlier, turning the situation into a much less scary one. While there were many joyful moments, there were also a few tears involved during a session of Earth Connections where a couple campers may have connected a little too closely with some hornets. Again, luckily for us, we have very resilient campers and great staff ready to, literally, swoop into action and get campers to the nurse. Overall, I think the campers all having a blast and I think I speak for all of us counselors when I say that it is a great experience to work with all these amazing kids and volunteers! On to day 3 to see what excitement it brings us! -Vanessa, Frog counselor The second day of Peace Village has just a few hours left. Yesterday's first burst of excitement and heat has given way to a calmer atmosphere today. The camp is dropping into its rhythm, and the summer sun is tempered by a cool breeze.
This is my first time as a counselor here, and I've really been enjoying it. I'm constantly impressed with how bright all the kids are, and how naturally they take to the activities. My Mountain Lions are mostly veterans of the camp, and most already know each other, and it's been a blast getting to know them. I'm already looking forward to the rest of the week - hanging out with the awesome kids, working with the wonderful staff and taking part in the fun activities! -Noah This fifth year of Peace Village is the best yet! It is amazing how much this camp has grown since that first year in Lyle. In my group, we have campers who have been with us nearly every year, and campers who are experiencing the joys of Peace Village for the first time. I love sharing this time with my campers and seeing them come together, regardless of whether they are veterans or first timers!
Though I am a veteran counselor, this is my first year with the 9-10 year-old age group (go Coyotes! Owooo!) and I love hearing their ideas and feedback. They are bringing such creativity and maturity to every activity. Yesterday was a wonderful start, with my campers all being very receptive to all of our activities, whether in required core curriculum or chosen by the kids for Village Fair. Today, we started out as a group at Movement, and I continue to be impressed at their level of enthusiasm. Now, my coyotes are snacking and thinking about what new activities they want to try for Village Fair this morning. Can't wait to hear what their favorites are at the end of the week! ~Coyote Counselor Sullivan The weather was hot and the sun a bit relentless for the first day of camp, but it's August in Mosier so a nice breeze kept us all going along.
The first day of any adventure can bring nervous jitters, wide-eyed amazement, and excited jumpiness for kids and adults alike. By tomorrow the kinks in the systems smooth away and campers will act like they are ready to be the counselors themselves. As camp director I tend to move from one spot to another without a chance to settle in and stay for any deep length of time, but it gives me wonderful impressions to carry home with me. A few of Day 1 are:
On this fine August morning, Peace Village fired up once again! It's my first time being involved in Peace Village, and immediately, I was surprised as to the vibrant energy that started up as the Village participants and counselors settled into their respective groups. Everyone arrived excited. There were hardly any awkward silences. From the get go, we were learning each others names, their favorite colors and their hobbies of choice. It was surprising how we all seemed to be comfortable with on another almost immediately! Though it's only Monday, and my first time being a part of this program, I can tell that this is going to be a memorable and very fun week :)
That's all for now from me! - Finley, Junior Counselor |
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August 2018
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