4-H Camp: Intern Style

            I’ve gone to 4-H camp for 7 years, but this year’s camp week as an intern has by far been the best yet. I didn’t expect camp to be that different from the intern perspective: just pack your bags and get on the bus, right? But was I ever wrong. Our preparation for camp at the office started when I was just starting my internship in May. It seemed like there was a constant stream of paperwork coming to the office, and when we had collected all of it there was still more that needed to be sent out. We also had to prepare for our classes we would teach. This was my first camp teaching a class on my own. My class was called “Fun with Water” where we played water games with water balloons and water guns. I had to plan out all the activities we were going to do each day, how many kids we could have and get all the supplies. It was very instructive to see what all preparation had to go into teaching a class and how I needed to plan out every detail for the class to run smoothly.

            Finally the day arrived, and with registration complete we were on the bus headed to West Kentucky 4-H Camp. Once we settled into our cabins, the real fun began. The first day of classes we played different relay races and games with water balloons and the kids had a blast. That night was the Mega Relay, where our cabin teams compete in one giant relay race. The second day it rained the whole day, so my classes had lots of “Fun with Water.” However, it did clear up enough that everyone had fun at the Carnival, where the kids got to play games for prizes. And of course every night we Sallyed down the alley, everyone’s favorite part of camp. While I had fun at all this events, I learned that there is more behind-the-scenes work that goes on to make them happen. In a way, the hard work we put into preparing activities made it more gratifying to see the campers enjoying the things we had planned.

            What made this camp experience the best was the incredible group of teen and adult volunteers that I had the pleasure of working with, fun-packed activities all week and the spectacular, positive attitudes of all the campers. Even though the weather was less than cooperative all week, volunteers and campers alike all kept a sunny outlook and made the week a bright experience for everyone. This was truly a 4-H camp experience that I will measure all future weeks against and I will not soon forget.