Second Annual Alumni Day at Camp Timpoochee, Saturday, March 14, 2020
It’s the smell of burning wood and sound of laughter as sweet, sticky s’mores are being enjoyed by hundreds of campers. Singing, dancing, games, friendships and memories made – summer camp! The highlight of many youths’ summer that they do not soon forget! What many former campers would do to go back and relive some of those precious memories…
“I won’t never forget it,” Mr. Amos Morris said. “You won’t ever forget Camp Timpoochee.” Morris, who attended 4-H Camp Timpoochee as a camper in 1947, took a trip down memory lane during camp’s first Alumni Day in 2019, describing his attendance at camp as “a good education. Get away from home, get away from the parents, and meet somebody else.” When describing camps today, he shared, “It’s just good for them (campers). They ought to have more camps than what they have.” With a need to celebrate Timpoochee’s long, rich history, there is no better way to do so than by bringing together campers, new and old.
During this event, multiple opportunities are offered to explore the campgrounds, play games, fellowship with others while making a delicious s’more. A special station is set up where attendees are encouraged to fill out cards completing the statement “Because of camp…”. Some of last year’s responses include “Because of Camp I found a place where I will always belong,” “I had the confidence to grow and learn and believe in myself,” “I can be myself for a week,” and “I found a home, a family, and a future I’d never dreamed of.”
4-H Camp Timpoochee has set their Second Annual Alumni Day on Saturday, March 14, 2020 from 10 AM – 4 PM CST to celebrate 93 years of camp. This free event will be open to all who wish to come out and enjoy playing camp games and fellowship with other alumni.
4-H Camp Timpoochee is the oldest continually operating 4-H camp in Florida.
Many never dreamed that Timpoochee would be going strong as long as it has. Established in 1926, 4-H Camp Timpoochee is the oldest continually operating 4-H camp in Florida. It sits along the shore of the Choctwhatchee Bay, providing the perfect outdoor living classroom. With more than a third of a mile of shoreline, it has become the perfect escape from the hustle of the outside world offering a place to disconnect from technology and reconnect with people. Serving more than 800 campers each summer, Timpoochee provides multiple opportunities for youth to experience new adventures, step outside their box and make life-long friends and memories.
Open year round, 4-H Camp Timpoochee is more than just a summer camp. It offers opportunities for rental groups to enjoy its tranquil and multi-purpose facility through retreats, weddings, reunions and more! Offering lodging spaces, meal service, and meeting spaces, it has quickly become a unique location for various youth and adult organizations far and wide to enjoy.
A Timpoochee T-shirt Quilt Drawing to raise funds for our 4-H summer program will be held – Tickets are $5 donation and will be available soon.
Whether you attended as a camper, participated in a rental group retreat or just love summer camp, 4-H Camp Timpoochee’s Second Annual Alumni Day is open to you! We encourage you to bring any pictures you may have of Camp Timpoochee and your best memories and stories to share! We do ask all those wishing to attend to register online so we will have an accurate count of who will be celebrating with us. This year, there will even be a special drawing for a Timpoochee T-shirt quilt to raise funds for our summer program! Tickets are a $5 donation and will be available soon.
Oh, the distress and worry that begins the feverish panic of the homesickness bug! It typically bites the week before camp for most parents and campers and hits its highest peak by day two of camp. Unless quarantined, the homesick bug runs rampant and causes quite a disturbance during camp week. There is good news: homesickness is like most any other mild allergy or summer cold; it can be prevented with the right measures. If it does appear, it can be handled quickly so campers are on the mend and back to enjoying the fantastic summer activities of camp life with little disruption!
Campers who overcome homesickness and finish the entire week of summer camp successfully feel a sense of accomplishment and can also be praised for their demonstrating independence and problem solving abilities. These are life skills that 4-H residential summer camp strives to teach our youth so they can grow into successful leaders of tomorrow!
Homesickness is a normal part of overnight camp. Here are a few suggestions on how you can help manage homesickness to keep your children healthy and happy this summer!
PREPARATION IS PREVENTATIVE
By going to camp orientations, meeting with camp staff, reviewing the camp schedule, and answering questions can help your child prepare for what to expect at camp. If possible, meet with the staff in charge to discuss any issues that may be giving your child anxiety about camp, or let us know of any issues at home that may be stressing your child. This might include include being assigned to a cabin with a friend, needing a nightlight when sleeping, etc. Having children involved in these discussions with staff in private will eliminate a lot of the anxiety, and in turn, reduce the chances and/or intensity of homesickness.
You can also allow your child to demonstrate independence early by letting them pack their own camp suitcase. This will allow them to feel more in control of their situation and the decisions they are going to make for a week, boosting their confidence. (Of course, you will want to check the bag for items they may have forgotten.)
POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT IS REASSURANCE
Parents can unwittingly set their children up for homesickness failure before camp even begins with just a few simple negative statements. Statements from parents expressing their anxiety or sadness about their children leaving home can be damaging and ultimately lay a foundation homesickness. Please don’t be this parent. Instead, reassure your child they’ll do great at camp, and reinforce that they will learn new things and become more independent.
CONFIDENCE IS CONTAGIOUS
Parents, remain confident from the time you sign your child up for camp until his/her children return home. Emphasize the positives of the camping experience such as making new friends, learning new activities, swimming, etc. Keep your camper excited about the experience to help diminish the anxiety associated with the week.
Avoid giving your child the option of going home early from summer camp if he/she gets upset, sad, or homesick. Instead, speak with the 4-H agent to discuss possible actions that can be taken to remedy the emotions that the camper is feeling. Only as a very last resort should the parent speak with the child when a child is homesick; more often than not, it makes the homesickness worse.
TRUST YOUR 4-H STAFF
One of the hardest things to do may be one of the most important aspects of a successful summer camp for your child: trust your camping staff. From the beginning of the camp sign-up process, you can meet with your 4-H Agent or person overseeing the camping week. This will help you and your child feel more comfortable in their camp week. It will also help your 4-H Agent or lead staffer know more about their campers!
4-H residential summer camps are designed to support positive youth development to develop independence, promote a sense of belonging in a group setting, encourage generosity, and facilitate the mastery of targeted life skills. Programs at camp teach 4-H’s fundamental approach of “learn by doing” through safe, fun, educational environments.
4-H summer programs allow youth to explore a variety of topics- from animal science to robotics! Photo credit: Heather Kent, UF IFAS Extension
With the end of the school year approaching, many parents are puzzling over what to do with their children during the 8-10 weeks of summer vacation. Fortunately, 4-H has the solution to bust summertime boredom and extend learning while exploring a variety of topics- such as sewing, gardening, culinary arts or even robotics and engineering. 4-H camps are different from most other camping programs because they are framed around the essential elements of positive youth development and are intentionally structured to promote the development of life and workforce skills such as communication, decision-making and appreciation of differences. 4-H camps are staffed by caring teen and adult volunteers who have been screened, oriented and trained according to federal and state law, and incorporate best practices for risk management to insure a physically and emotionally safe environment. The connection of 4-H to land grant universities like the University of Florida also means that camp curriculum is based on the best knowledge available about any given project utilizing inquiry and learn-by-doing methods.
Below you can find a list of day camps that will be offered throughout the Florida panhandle. Counties also offer week long overnight camps at Camp Timpoochee or Camp Cherry Lake. In addition to camp, 4-H offers overnight leadership experiences for middle school and high school youth, such as Intermediate State (June 2-4th), 4-H Legislature (June 26-30th), and 4-H University (July 31-August 3rd). Click on the county links below for more information or contact your local UF IFAS County Extension Office.
21st Century 4-H Day Camps- a variety of topics taught over the summer for youth enrolled in the 21st Century Learning programs at Tolar and Hosford schools
