Austin Summer Camp Blog

Last night was a very special event for Carter and Trudy and the rest of the Doublecreek family as they were honored for Camp Doublecreek. Carter and Trudy showed up to a City Council meeting for the city of Round Rock under the pretenses that they were going to be discussing water. They were greatly surprised to hear the official proclamation of Camp Doublecreek Day.  April 27 has been declared, by Mayor Alan McGraw, Camp Doublecreek Day. What an INCREDIBLE honor. When the camp first started in 1970, Carter would drive to Austin to pick up campers who were excited for camp. In 1972 he and Trudy were able to purchase two new busses, and 1974 was the first year that the camp had a profit averaging 100 campers per week. Now, there are nearly 325 campers per week and we couldn’t be more proud of the legacy that Carter and Trudy have established. Doublecreek is a place where campers can come and be themselves… and have a blast doing it. Thank you, Carter and Trudy, for Camp Doublecreek.

Well folks, it’s finally happened. The Camp Doublecreek attire has spoken up, and Sir T-shirt will be going on an adventure. Where, you may ask? Well, that’s the fun of it…no one knows exactly. The only information he has given us is that he will be travelling by bus and horseback surprising friends with a “Generations of Fun” visit. Following Sir T-shirt is a synch. Just check the Camp Doublecreek facebook page, and you can stay informed on his exciting escapade. What to do in the meantime? I’ll let you in on a little secret. Sir-T-shirt said, once he’s done with his adventure, he would like to know where your Camp Doublecreek T-shirt has been. So, as you wait in suspense for his next appearance, start taking your own adventures. Pictures at the beach, the park, birthday parties, even in the mud, that’s what he’s looking for. Once his journey is over, you’ll be able to share your photos on the facebook page, and he’s excited to see where they’ve been! No Camp Doublecreek shirt? No worries! We’ll be selling some for the month of April, so be sure and join the fun! Until then…stay tuned…Sir T-shirt promises entertainment for all.

This last Monday (April 18th) I had the opportunity to participate for a fourth year in the Children at Heart Golf Marathon.  This event is very unique in nature.  Just placing the words golf (Fun) and marathon (Work) side by side makes one scratch their head on how this could play out.  The easiest way to explain the Golf Marathon is to say we (my team) played 100 holes of golf in one day!  Yes one day! Starting at 7:00am and finishing at 8:02pm this momentous achievement was completed for the great cause of raising money for the families and children at the Texas Baptist Childrens Home.  We at Camp Doublecreek were glad to be a hole sponsor and contributor towards this great event.  As the soreness in my muscles reminds me of this accomplishment both monetarily and physically I am proud to say the cause is worth it.

http://weareaustin.com/austinlive-story/?nxd_id=138497

Right outside my office we have planted several flowers that have recently bloomed some beautiful red and white colors.  When this happens it is a vivid reminder for me that Spring time is here.  I know that this means parents across the Austin area are starting come to the realization that in about two months the children will be released from the schools and free to roam into situations that give parents gray hairs.  This is why for peace of mind it is important for Spring, and all the beauty that comes with it, to be a visual that summer can be joyous time of year with the right summer program in place.  In looking for summer program keep this in mind that everyone can say they have the perfect summer program but it may not be right for your child.  We all have tried in one situation or another to cram the square peg in the round hole.  I has been my experience as a camp director that parents not taking the time to find the right fit sell themselves on the fact that the square peg will fit this time.  If you were to be interviewed on your child and asked "what are his/hers best traits?" what would you say?  Starting with this question you can direct yourself towards which programs might work best.  For example, if your child loves archery.  Then progressing his skill in archery  means that summer program has to provide this activity on a consistent enough basis to develop your child's interest.  In addition, if your camper enjoys archery then more than likely they will like BB Guns also.  You now may have not only found the right for his/her interest today but also given them the opportunity to gain new interests.  Summer programs (camps) that offer a variety of activities can help round out your child's learning outside the classroom.

Two years ago I had the opportunity to have a random conversation with a vendor at a business conference.  After only a couple of minutes that vendor mentioned a name that I had not heard in years.  It was the name of a long-ago friend and mentor, Doug, from a camp that was a large part of my life as both a camper and counselor.  It is located in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri.   Immediately I was taken back to my days of working at that camp.  I remembered the early- morning runs Doug & I would take before the campers were awake.  Each morning of that 26 day term I would take the opportunity to pick Doug's brain to see what wisdom he could offer to help me sort through my limited life experience as a 20 year old.  Reflecting now on that summer it hit me that camp, both as a camper and counselor, was a major building block of my life.  Why? I think camping is uniquely powerful because it offers what other areas of life cannot.  Counselors have a unique opportunity to interact with campers in a casual, fun setting on a daily basis.  Unlike the education setting, for the most part, campers are at camp because they want to be and they are participating in activities they enjoy.  This gives multiple opportunities for role-modeling, life-skills teaching as well as conventional athletic and recreational coaching opportunities. If I were to start to list all the “Dougs” that impacted my life, it might begin to sound like a bad thank-you speech at the Grammy's.  The reason the camping experience is so powerful is because individuals involved in camping enjoy children and genuinely care about helping those they come in contact with.  This is  our staff’s specialty at Camp Doublecreek.