I wanted to share a recent email message that I received from Dawn Ewing, a longtime dear friend and also the Executive Director of Project Morry. All of us at Camp Twin Creeks support Project Morry in a number of ways year round and campers and families have been a fantastic support too. Please read what Dawn sent to us and know that they are always open to any kind of donation.
It’s the time of the year to think about being thankful. And, at Project Morry, we have so much to be thankful for. As we look back on the past 20 years, we recognize the impact Project Morry has had. We also recognize that it has come with the help of wonderful partners like you.
We have been able to make a difference in so many lives and for that WE are thankful. How have you helped our kids? Just look below to see the impact you are having on us.
95% graduate high school, 85% attend college or university, 91% secure a degree and a 81% retention rate over our 9-year program
We are so grateful for your camp’s support of Project Morry.
Tuesday, December 1st is Giving Tuesday! So, in the spirit of giving, I would like to ask for your help in reaching out to your camp families to ask them to share the “Gift of Camp” to make a difference in someone’s life. If you could post these statistics on your Facebook page and ask your camp community to support Project Morry on this day of giving, their donations will help us continue to make a difference in so many lives. Please post a link to our donation page http://www.projectmorry.org/donate/.
We’re back from camp, Chloë and myself, and we had a great trip! It was so impressive so see what has been going since we all left in August AND what is planned for the rest of the year. Thomas, Josh and JD are almost ready to finish the roof of our new cabin on Girls Main Village, they have also started to brighten up our Theater interior with pine paneling throughout. That addition will make a breathtaking difference to the look and feel of that grand old building!
Dirt and rock are in place in the Shire to start the foundation for the new shower house, and an additional water tank will be added to make sure our plumbing infrastructure can handle the new facilities. There is also already a new split-rail fence by the Dining Hall making that area more attractive and safer too.
Needless to say, it’s going to be a busy winter for everybody down at camp and I look forward to sharing more news and pictures with you as the months go by and the summer gets closer! For now, from Chloë and myself, stay warm and have a great day!
It sounds like the title of a children’s book doesn’t it? Maybe that’s a 2016 writing masterclass! What this actually means is that Chloë and I are heading to camp this weekend for a couple of days. This made me think and realize that a camp visit during the off-season brings about a whole different set of emotions and sensations from the typical summer experience.
The first one is peace and quiet quiet – it really is the most peaceful place most of the time. Obviously not in the middle of a meal, or Olympics during the summer. Right now though, camp is an oasis of no noise.
The second is the great feeling of being in open space, this is Chloë’s favorite aspect I think. You should see how she runs and runs and runs when we visit. Anybody that has seen her trail a mountain bike class during the summer knows exactly what I’m talking about!
The third is excitement, and I know that this is very similar to the summer. Excitement to be in a place that we all know and love; excitement to see what has already been built and improved upon just since we left in August; excitement to see the people of Pocahontas Co. that we love and respect; and finally an excitement in knowing that the planning for the 2016 summer is well underway and this planning will make this summer the best yet. Hard to imagine I know but we’ll try!
After this visit be on the lookout for pictures and updates from everything that has been happening at Camp. Stay tuned and count down the days until YOU’RE back at Camp!
Have a safe and happy Halloween weekend everybody!
October is Bullying Prevention Month and as the month ends I wanted to find a connection with campers or Twin Creeks, anything to make the post a little more interesting. Well I now have that connection…
When Amy and I return to the Philadelphia area after the summer I resume a part-time position as a High School Freshman Soccer Coach. I love the work, love the kids and being on the soccer pitch every day for a few hours. Yesterday a parent reached out to me with information concerning a video of her son being bullied and physically assaulted. This had been happening on my team for the last 4 or 5 weeks and I was unaware. The act itself caught on video was sickening, a cold-blooded punch to the head of a teammate. It was edited and set to music, then probably shared with many of their 30 teammates. Teammates and bystanders.
This incident took place over 3 weeks ago and nobody on the team brought it to my attention nor to the attention of a parent or teacher. There will always be a bully, there will always be a victim. What does need to change and be reinforced is that those watching need to intervene, or ask for help.
This is what I will talk to my team about this afternoon as we prepare for the final game of our freshman season. I also fully expect to be without several players that participated in this bullying, or were content to stand off to the side and do nothing.
When campers arrive at Camp Twin Creeks on the first day of a session we remind them that we are a Ridicule Free Zone and bullying of any kind will not be tolerated. Our hope is that all campers learn to tolerate each other while at camp; not easy when you consider they live, sleep, eat, play and so much more together. But get along they do and our hope and aim is that they depart Twin Creeks after 2 weeks a little better prepared to intervene should they need to.
I hope that is the case and the next time a bully tries to make a victim of a teammate there is somebody there to stop them or, at the very least, ask for help.
For more information from the ACA and articles about Bullying Prevention visit their website.
Watch the video 
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