BAGHS Private family camp at Camp August
Here is a copy of the letter I sent to Camp Augusta with attendee feedback:
Hello Camp Augusta,
It was such a great privilege to get to share a Betts-LaCroix cherished place with our amazing homeschooling group. I was very worried that the rain would kill the experience but apparently it was zero issue and everyone was utterly thrilled.
A couple of lovely staff members mentioned that they really enjoyed our group, which warmed my heart because I do believe that Camp Augusta and BAGHS families share many values! Homeschooling tends to attract people who are a willing to explore the world outside of the box and BAGHS families in particular tend to cherish challenge and unusual experiences. As a result, our progressive-minded, unconventional community felt accepted, appreciated and a ton of love for the positive, encouraging progressive and unconventional Augusta community. Besides simply having a ton of fun, BAGHS families definitely resonated with the known, and behind the scenes, ethos of the Camp Augusta spirit!
I know that many of us filled out evaluations for the camp but they were kind of rushed because we were all eating or heading off to another clinic. I've compiled excerpts from some of the more detailed responses and thank you’s which I've received since returning and have attached it.
Thanks so much and know that everyone is already looking forward to next year!
-Lisa
***
I can't tell you how much FUN we had this weekend. It was so awesome and I know I want to go back.
Please pass along this link to the photos I shot to the Camp A Krewe, BAGHS, etc. The rain on Saturday only made me appreciate the sun on SUNday even more.
***
K had a FABULOUS time and could hardly stop talking about all the various activities after I picked him up. And, he says the food was really good and he had second helpings at every meal. Sounds like all went smoothly and the weather didn't stop anyone from having a good time.
***
On our way home from Camp Augusta; Let's just say everyone in the car is pretty subdued (or asleep!) from all the activities. I think the parents had as much fun as the kids. It was especially cool how interested in homeschooling a lot of the counselors seemed to be, and how patient with our quirky group.
***
Our whole family had a blast. Everyone is already asking when we can go back. It was truly a treasured time for our family beyond expectation.
***
What a great weekend. Much like in Debbie's car, our car also made the journey home with sleeping, happy, kids. C is already asking whether we can go back next year. M is still on cloud 9 having successfully completed the high wire zipline.
***
This was really something special! Our daughter was comfortable running along vast swaths of camp between parents, and even more amazing, letting OTHER PARENTS help her with the rope swing, which completely captivated her. For those who don't know her well, this is nothing short of astonishing. Our son challenged himself physically to no end, trying every weapon he could get his hands on and sticking with it even when he was exhausted and hungry and fell down or got nailed by someone swordfighting etc. What's more, he didn't retreat into a book until bedtime! He has absolutely never done that before (not that I'm complaining about his constant reading; it's just that he was having SO much fun that he spent all his time doing other things).
The counselors and staff were wonderful. No one blinked an eyelash, not even once, at any quirky kid (or parent) behaviors or the (extremely) few kid meltdowns we saw the entire weekend. They all seemed very interested in hearing about homeschooling, etc. Better yet, they were unanimously supportive, gentle, encouraging, and overall just somehow "right" for us. Several different counselors managed to talk E down from a perfectionist cliff in the myriad art/craft projects she selected, when she wasn't satisfied with her work, encouraging her without being pushy to reinterpret what she had done or view it as an opportunity to build upon, or completely rolling with it when she had a near-meltdown a couple times from getting chemicals inside her gloves or on her hands -- and their completely mellow and accepting reactions helped her steer herself back on course on her own.
They also accommodated our extremely specific food needs-- I think in the whole 80-person crowd of people with special food needs of some kind or another, their group meals and a few tailored meals met everyone's needs but G's, and by on-the-spot arrangement they let me cook lunches and dinners for him with supplies we had brought, welcoming me into the kitchen with no grumpy glares, "you can't be here"'s or any other message that didn't make me feel anything other than just as welcome as anyone else.
Their perfect balance of encouragement and acceptance somehow managed even to get my very height-phobic husband to climb 30 feet up a tree! He was extremely proud of his achievement, as were we, of course.
And I should mention that it rained ALL of Saturday and sprinkled/was cloudy/dreary most of Friday afternoon and on and off Sunday. The rain cancelled exactly zero activities. I heard nary a whimper from any kid about the wet and cold, and very few from any adults (LOL, but lots of appreciation for all the hot tea and coffee served up until dinner, including from kids drinking warm or hot water to warm up!).
They had moved all of us erstwhile tenters to cabins without our asking for it, which turned out to be great - our kids were enchanted with our own little house and bunks and mattresses. I found the mattress more comfortable than my bed at home, which is a comment admittedly about how bad my mattress is at home, but still... 3" foam mattresses on a wood platform can make for fine sleeping after a day full of battles, ropes, weapons, slogging back and forth across the large camp through mud, rain and obstacles, ample wonderful conversations, quite good food, and general outdoor fresh-air wonderfulness.
I'm done gushing now... I just wanted you all to know. :-)
***
We had a blast. The combo of the challenging physical activities and the thoughtful people really made it a unique weekend. We felt so welcomed and included and had many great conversations with parents and kids who loved life and paused from time to time to really think about it. This was a magical weekend and you are an amazing magnet in organizing this much good
energy.
***
There was an evening campfire Saturday with skits by the staff, after dark. My kids were enchanted, and not at all put out by the noise, since it was outdoors (they both avoided the contra dancing, since that was loud and indoors).
But there was one skit called "Marco, Polo," or at least that's how it started out. It quickly evolved (devolved?) into "Marco, polio" and then "polio, polio." For those of you who were there... yes, that was my DD6, laughing hysterically over "polio, polio!" She repeated it endlessly, chortling, for the next 24 hours.
Worth its weight in gold!
Hello Camp Augusta,
It was such a great privilege to get to share a Betts-LaCroix cherished place with our amazing homeschooling group. I was very worried that the rain would kill the experience but apparently it was zero issue and everyone was utterly thrilled.
A couple of lovely staff members mentioned that they really enjoyed our group, which warmed my heart because I do believe that Camp Augusta and BAGHS families share many values! Homeschooling tends to attract people who are a willing to explore the world outside of the box and BAGHS families in particular tend to cherish challenge and unusual experiences. As a result, our progressive-minded, unconventional community felt accepted, appreciated and a ton of love for the positive, encouraging progressive and unconventional Augusta community. Besides simply having a ton of fun, BAGHS families definitely resonated with the known, and behind the scenes, ethos of the Camp Augusta spirit!
I know that many of us filled out evaluations for the camp but they were kind of rushed because we were all eating or heading off to another clinic. I've compiled excerpts from some of the more detailed responses and thank you’s which I've received since returning and have attached it.
Thanks so much and know that everyone is already looking forward to next year!
-Lisa
***
I can't tell you how much FUN we had this weekend. It was so awesome and I know I want to go back.
Please pass along this link to the photos I shot to the Camp A Krewe, BAGHS, etc. The rain on Saturday only made me appreciate the sun on SUNday even more.
***
K had a FABULOUS time and could hardly stop talking about all the various activities after I picked him up. And, he says the food was really good and he had second helpings at every meal. Sounds like all went smoothly and the weather didn't stop anyone from having a good time.
***
On our way home from Camp Augusta; Let's just say everyone in the car is pretty subdued (or asleep!) from all the activities. I think the parents had as much fun as the kids. It was especially cool how interested in homeschooling a lot of the counselors seemed to be, and how patient with our quirky group.
***
Our whole family had a blast. Everyone is already asking when we can go back. It was truly a treasured time for our family beyond expectation.
***
What a great weekend. Much like in Debbie's car, our car also made the journey home with sleeping, happy, kids. C is already asking whether we can go back next year. M is still on cloud 9 having successfully completed the high wire zipline.
***
This was really something special! Our daughter was comfortable running along vast swaths of camp between parents, and even more amazing, letting OTHER PARENTS help her with the rope swing, which completely captivated her. For those who don't know her well, this is nothing short of astonishing. Our son challenged himself physically to no end, trying every weapon he could get his hands on and sticking with it even when he was exhausted and hungry and fell down or got nailed by someone swordfighting etc. What's more, he didn't retreat into a book until bedtime! He has absolutely never done that before (not that I'm complaining about his constant reading; it's just that he was having SO much fun that he spent all his time doing other things).
The counselors and staff were wonderful. No one blinked an eyelash, not even once, at any quirky kid (or parent) behaviors or the (extremely) few kid meltdowns we saw the entire weekend. They all seemed very interested in hearing about homeschooling, etc. Better yet, they were unanimously supportive, gentle, encouraging, and overall just somehow "right" for us. Several different counselors managed to talk E down from a perfectionist cliff in the myriad art/craft projects she selected, when she wasn't satisfied with her work, encouraging her without being pushy to reinterpret what she had done or view it as an opportunity to build upon, or completely rolling with it when she had a near-meltdown a couple times from getting chemicals inside her gloves or on her hands -- and their completely mellow and accepting reactions helped her steer herself back on course on her own.
They also accommodated our extremely specific food needs-- I think in the whole 80-person crowd of people with special food needs of some kind or another, their group meals and a few tailored meals met everyone's needs but G's, and by on-the-spot arrangement they let me cook lunches and dinners for him with supplies we had brought, welcoming me into the kitchen with no grumpy glares, "you can't be here"'s or any other message that didn't make me feel anything other than just as welcome as anyone else.
Their perfect balance of encouragement and acceptance somehow managed even to get my very height-phobic husband to climb 30 feet up a tree! He was extremely proud of his achievement, as were we, of course.
And I should mention that it rained ALL of Saturday and sprinkled/was cloudy/dreary most of Friday afternoon and on and off Sunday. The rain cancelled exactly zero activities. I heard nary a whimper from any kid about the wet and cold, and very few from any adults (LOL, but lots of appreciation for all the hot tea and coffee served up until dinner, including from kids drinking warm or hot water to warm up!).
They had moved all of us erstwhile tenters to cabins without our asking for it, which turned out to be great - our kids were enchanted with our own little house and bunks and mattresses. I found the mattress more comfortable than my bed at home, which is a comment admittedly about how bad my mattress is at home, but still... 3" foam mattresses on a wood platform can make for fine sleeping after a day full of battles, ropes, weapons, slogging back and forth across the large camp through mud, rain and obstacles, ample wonderful conversations, quite good food, and general outdoor fresh-air wonderfulness.
I'm done gushing now... I just wanted you all to know. :-)
***
We had a blast. The combo of the challenging physical activities and the thoughtful people really made it a unique weekend. We felt so welcomed and included and had many great conversations with parents and kids who loved life and paused from time to time to really think about it. This was a magical weekend and you are an amazing magnet in organizing this much good
energy.
***
There was an evening campfire Saturday with skits by the staff, after dark. My kids were enchanted, and not at all put out by the noise, since it was outdoors (they both avoided the contra dancing, since that was loud and indoors).
But there was one skit called "Marco, Polo," or at least that's how it started out. It quickly evolved (devolved?) into "Marco, polio" and then "polio, polio." For those of you who were there... yes, that was my DD6, laughing hysterically over "polio, polio!" She repeated it endlessly, chortling, for the next 24 hours.
Worth its weight in gold!
posted by LisaBL at 5:14 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home