Historic Arts and Crafts!

Here is a great picture of some guys doing basket weaving at Kern.  It’s great to see that classic crafts never go out of style!  We’re pretty sure we’re still using the same table for Arts and Crafts…or at least one that looks just like it.

You can check out this picture and many more at Camp Kern’s online photo site by clicking here.

Camp Kern Strong Kids! (complete with awesome posters!)

Camp Kern raises money for our Strong Kids “Send a kid to camp” scholarship fund each and every year.  The money goes to help make camp a possibility for all of the kids who want and need camp, but aren’t able to attend.  This year Camp Kern is raising $81,000 to support the fund, so we can send 180 campers to a week of summer camp!

There are a ton of ways to get involved, and make camp possible for needy kids and families in the Dayton area:

• You can forward a link to our form to your friends:  http://www.campkern.org/getinvolved/kern_strong_kids.pdf
• You can pledge by text – Text “camper” to 20222 to donate $10
• You can download the form and make a donation yourself.
• Kids can even earn a free week of camp when they raise money!

Thank-you to the many families and guests of Camp Kern who so generously donate their treasure, time and talents to this place.  Without volunteer support, Camp Kern couldn’t offer such a rich and engaging experience!

Also, thank-you to posterbrain.com for being our poster supplier!  Their quick turnaround and excellent quality have helped us increase the visibility of the Strong Kids Campaign all around camp!  Check them out the next time you want an awesome custom poster!

CIT Retreat was a success!

Last weekend was the first CIT retreat of Summer 2011!  The future leaders of Camp Kern gathered to bond, prepare, and practice to be counselors.  They also tested out camp’s new bows in archery….

Her is a picture of Maddie, who was the first CIT to shoot an arrow COMPLETELY THROUGH A TIN CAN!  The new bows combine power, ease of use, and safety to make archery one of the coolest places on camp!  Thanks, Maddie, for showing us how it’s done!

Check out the bow she used!  We’ve got 2 so far for camp…more to come!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter, Kern Family!
As or families gather for the holiday, we are all grateful for the support and love we receive year round from all the Kern family worldwide.
Enjoy this great weekend with your families, welcome spring with open arms, and get ready for summer!

(Shameless plug time: sessions are selling out, and this is a huge registration weekend. Don’t get shut out. Only a $75 deposit will hold your spot. http://www.mycampkern.com)

Thank You, Harvey Alston!

Today is the YMCA of Greater Dayton’s 2011 staff retreat. All of the directors from the Dayton Y are at Camp Kern, spending the day relaxing and getting rejuvenated for another year of great work at the Y.
Todays speaker was Harvey Alston, a former football coach, educator, and inspirational speaker. Harvey spoke to the ability of all people to be their “best”. Harvey’s energy and enthusiasm are infectious.
Thanks, Harvey for your time and stories.
Thank-you YMCA of Greater Dayton for being such a great place to work, and for building into your staff.

Check out http://www.harveyalston.com to learn more about Harvey.
To learn more about all of the great programs offered by the YMCA of Greater Dayton go to http://www.ymcaonline.org

Ranger’s Apprentice Book 10 Arrives Today!

We are so excited for the newest Ranger’s Apprentice book, which is being released today!  Ranger’s Apprentice, Book 10: The Emperor of Nihon-Ja, is the final book of this great young-adult series. The series follows the adventures of Will Treaty, a Ranger in training, who masters the arts of archery, horsemanship, and diplomacy.

Ranger’s Apprentice Camp will be one of Camp Kern’s two fully-themed camps.  Come join us for a week of living in the Ranger’s world of horses, forest and stealth!

The program is offered:

Session 3 – Coed – July 3-9

Session 8 – Boys Only – August 7 – 13

Camp Kern has collaborated with Penguin Publishing to create an online resource for other camps who may want to offer a similar program!  This has been a great experience for the Camp Kern team, as we are one of two official Ranger’s Apprentice camps in the nation.

Click Here to check out Camp Kern’s Ranger’s Apprentice Page

Click Here to register for Ranger’s Apprentice Camp!

New Archery Targets!

Hooray! Today, our new archery targets arrived. Purchased through money received for Camp Kern’s outstanding year in 2010, these are some greatly needed program materials.
Each year literally THOUSANDS of arrows are shot by campers, and finding good targets that can hold up to the abuse isn’t easy. These were recommended by the National Archery In The Schools program. We will experiment with some straw bale targets at our elk archery range, but the main range needs more mobile targets, and these should work great.
Keep your eyes peeled, as we have more coming (hint: it’s not more targets, but you use them for archery…)

Camp Kern broke records on Sunday! (for temperature…)

For everyone who was here to experience Ozone Zipline Adventures second weekend of the season, this past Sunday was something to remember!

Apparently, all across Ohio the weather was breaking records.  According to the AP,

The National Weather Service says Sunday’s high of 84 degrees in Dayton topped the old record for April 10 of 82 degrees, which had been on the books since 1905.

Check out the rest of the story here, and we can’t wait for more days like Sunday to show up!

More Media Center Additions!

Never say that we don’t stretch our donation dollars here at Camp Kern!  Along with the 22″ widescreen computer monitors, new keyboards and new mice…the Kesling Media Center just got some SWEET radio equipment!

The new equipment includes:

• Samson SP01 Shockmount Spider Mount for Condenser Mics
• Nady MPF-6 6-Inch Clamp On Microphone Pop Filter
• Audio-Technica AT2020 USB Condenser USB Microphone

Here are some pictures of the whole thing set up.  NOW we’re ready to make some serious radio shows!

Check out the previous blog post about the Media Center, and see pictures, HERE.

Pickleball?

So, we are considering some new program ideas…and this is one of them!

http://www.pickleball.com

It’s a mini paddle game, and we’d put it on the multi-purpose courts.

Has anyone played it?  Is it the most awesome thing ever?  Is it completely stupid?  If you’ve ever had Pickleball experience (or are a pickleball professional) let us know!