Day Five- Good Bye Campers

2017 Counselors and Staff

Counselors and staff praying for safe travels

It was a joy to see the campers' smiles and hear them singing the loudest they could for their foster families; They did a great job.  It was a fantastic camp and a blessing for everyone who worked at our camp this year.

Now begins the debriefs for this camp and starting to prepare for next year.

Day Four- Queue Pomp and Circumstance

As a camp tradition, the Polar Bear swim is held early in the morning on Day Four.  The counselors and campers who are brave enough to take on the challenge of the early morning swim, are deemed Polar Bears and receive an award commemorating the achievement. They must swim from the far dock to the sandy beach to earn this award.   For those who can't muster up the courage or maybe, the desire to take the early morning plunge, there are other options. Wading into the water up to our knees will earn the title of penguin and for those who remain mainly on the sand with a brief encounter with the waters' edge will be titled ducks.  

Another waterfront activity includes riding the camp speedboat. Campers
were treated to a fast ride around the lake. which resulted in a lot
of camper smiles and laughter.  When not on the boat, the campers
take advantage of the paddle boards and kayaks to maneuver around
the camp swimming area. 

Boise's Royal Family Kids has their own camp drama troupe. This
team used their acting skills to provide life lessons. While it's
not likely the team will not be up for a Tony award anytime soon,
the campers seemed to enjoy the play the team provided. 

Day four also includes a graduation ceremony for those campers
who exceeds the maximum age limit for next year's camp. Some
of these graduating campers have attended the RFK Boise camp for
several years and it brings us a bit of sadness knowing this will
likely be the last time we we'll get to work with these children.

Best wishes for these campers as they continue down life's path.
We're praying for blessings and guidance for them. 

Day Three- A Day of Sun, Fun, and Talent

Today was jam packed with events. It's a tradition for our campers to go sailing on the third day.   Sailing is so peaceful and calming no sounds other than the wind in the sail and the splashing of water against the boat as it glides across the lake. After every camper was given a turn to go sailing and were back on dry land, our attention turned to celebrating birthdays.

We celebrate everyone's birthday with a big birthday party. Campers are called to the front, according the their birth month and given a birthday box filled with gifts chosen by their counselors. Once everyone has their box and the birthday song has been sung, it's a free-for-all of flying wrapping paper, laughter and cupcakes.

One of the new woodworking activities introduced this year is wood turning.  Campers were able to turn pens like the one pictured above.  One of our campers has created a pen, which he has decided to donate to the Black and White Ball silent auction, which benefits this camp. More information about this year's Black and White Ball can be found here.

Tonight's final event was the Give It a Go Show.  Campers demonstrated many unique talents. All were encouraged to" give it a go" and many did.  Campers seem to feel comfortable, safe and willing to try something new like sharing their talent in front of a group. 

It was a very fun and heartwarming experience. 

Day Two - Who Is Your Favorite Super Hero?

The campers are settled in and ready for some fun.  The activities center was buzzing with campers moving from station to station, doing everything from making bead gecko key rings to painting faces and ceramics.

Some campers preferred tossing a line into the pond to see if this was a good day for catching fish. And for many of our campers, the fish were definitely biting.  Fishing is another good activity for our counselors and campers to build their friendship and have a good talk. 

This evening, camp was filled with super heroes who had come to camp to participate in the first ever RFK Boise Hero Olympics.There were several events this year. The Hulk Squeeze,
Spider Man Maze,  and the Wonder Woman Ladder Loop were just a few of the contests used to sort out the bronze, silver and gold medal winners. 

Spider Man Maze

Hulk Squeeze 

One of our many super hero contestants. 

The medal ceremony was definitely an exciting end to our day. We're looking forward to our next big adventure. 

Day One - Off to a Great Start

For a number of years, our camp grandma and grandpa have traveled from Australia to our camp to participate. Grandma and grandpa spend time reading bedtime stories, playing games, and teaching life lessons. Returning campers are quick to recognize grandma and grandpa and are quick to give them hug.  These two hold a special place in all of our hearts. 

The first day is always a special time for the counselors and campers. This is their chance  to get to know one another. A lot of time is spent at the water front and activity center just hanging out and having a good time.  This is when true friendships are forms.

One of our Day One activities includes our campers are being able to pick a new stuffed animal- you know someone to hold onto when you're trying to fall asleep in a new place. RFK Boise is thankful for the many donations  we received to bring a smile to our campers' faces as they circle the room looking for just the right one to take home.

One of our little campers had a really hard time making up his mind
regarding which animal to take home. There were the runners up. He
asked me to take a photo of each one to help him remember them. 

RFK Boise is adding a new event this year. Think of it as
superheros meet the Olympics. Coach Dave and Coach
Carmenn are firing up the crowd in anticipation of the big event.
We'll definitely be hearing more about this one in the days to come. 

Three More Sleeps Until Camp

We're packing our bags and it won't be long before RFK camp 2017 will be underway. As our theme songs says, we're

"Heading for the Royal Family Kids' camp

Heading for a lot of fun" 

Be sure to check this blog for an daily updates of camp happenings and fun.