CityView Magazine - Fayetteville, NC
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/35097
Action packed | counselor Sarah Glover enjoys a canoe ride with a camper (below). Camp is a great place to meet new friends and try new things, like go-carting. beauty is a serene escape for all ages, but the camp is best known for the summer camp sessions. Whether campers are competing to prove that their gender is best during Boys vs. Girls day, trying to eat pickles soaked in V8 juice faster than their opponents, or worshiping in the chapel, they agree that Camp Dixie is an unforgettable experience. The camp hosts five summer camp sessions for children ages 4 through Grade 12. Sessions are based on the grade the camper will enter the following fall semester and are heavily influenced by a camp theme chosen by staff members. Past themes have included mystery and western, and campers, as well as parents, enjoy the fun integrated into each theme. Beginning in June, the first camp session is an overnight retreat and introduction to camp for children ages 4 through Grade 2 who are invited to experience activities with the comfort of their parents nearby. The following four sessions last for six days and are for older children and teens. Campers are able to participate in canoeing, catapulting off of the Blob, an inflatable air cushion on the water, and camping in a tent, among many other new opportunities. They may also choose one elective they would like to learn about such as jewelry making, photography, music or sports. “We think that one thing that all parents have in common is that they want good life experiences for their kids and they’re going to get that here,” said Lana Jernigan, the Director of Ministry at Camp Dixie. “They’re going to make new friendships. They’re going to try new things that they haven’t perhaps dared to try before. They’re going to learn a new skill. Their self-esteem will be built up. They’ll learn to work together with other people for a common goal. It’s just a good life experience. I think every child should have a chance to be at summer camp for a week. It’s just a really good environment for kids.” Senior campers in Grades 9 through 12 also have the option to take part in the Counselors-In-Training Program and are later given the opportunity to work alongside a camp counselor. Throughout this experience, CITs witness the significant role that counselors play in their campers’ lives as mentors and friends. As a camper, Wiggs was able to have that strong bond with her counselors and continues to turn to them for friendship and advice. “They open up to you like they’ve known you your whole life,” said Wiggs. “You can really open up to them and be real, knowing that they’re not going to CityViewNC.com | 49