This is a great idea for clubs! You can support the troops by adopting a United States soldier at http://adoptaussoldier.org/. The troops greatly appreciate your encouragement, letters, emails, and care packages.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Adopt a Soldier!
This is a great idea for clubs! You can support the troops by adopting a United States soldier at http://adoptaussoldier.org/. The troops greatly appreciate your encouragement, letters, emails, and care packages.
Knitting and Crocheting Maniacs!
Everyone at the Warm Hands Warm Hearts workshops have been working hard on their scarves. Several have already finished one scarf and have begun another project. We have had a great turnout at each workshop and I am looking forward to delivering the items on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.Teens in Action is still accepting donations for Citizens Caring for Children. If you would like to donate any lightly used clothes, coats, shoes, NEW underwear, books, toys, and school supplies contact Dace at 478-5646 by January 16th.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Happy Holidays!
The Heart of Oklahoma Council office and store will be closing on Friday, December 19th at 12pm and won't reopen until January 5th at 8am. We hope you all have a wonderful holiday and we will see you in the new year.
Friday, December 5, 2008
From Boring to Beautiful!!! Area 3 Horizon Club tackles Camp DaKaNi bathhouses...
Joella Bell-White's Horizon club took on the big (but FUN) task of beautifying the Camp DaKaNi bathhouses (both the women's AND men's)! The girls made 2 trips to DaKaNi to complete their project. The colors and creativity started to fly as soon as they arrived, and because of their hard work, Camp DaKaNi now has some great murals in the bathhouses that are very impressive! Our restrooms have definitely gone from boring to beautiful!
So the next time you're out at Camp DaKaNi, come take a look in the bathhouses. You'll love what you see.....
Jingle Bell Jamboree.....December 13, 2008!!!
All registered members of Camp Fire USA are invited to the Jingle Bell Jamboree at Camp DaKaNi......sponsored by Area 3! The date for this incredibly fun council-wide event is December 13th from 4pm-6pm. Admission is only $3/person (for those people who RSVP by Monday, December 8th) or $5/person if you pay at the door. The cost includes all activities AND the Winter Wonder emblem! (Pictures with Santa and items at the Santa Shop are optional, and therefore extra).
We have lots of FUN Holiday activities planned, including "Name That Holiday Tune" trail, holiday-themed carnival-style games, and much more! Come and make a Holiday card for the troops AND one to take with you! Most importantly, don't forget that Santa Claus will be making a special visit to Camp DaKaNi!!! Avoid the long lines at the mall and get your child's picture taken with Santa for only $3.00. Children will also have the opportunity to do some "shopping" at our Santa Shop, where nothing costs over $3.00.
Those of you who bring a new, unwrapped toy OR a bag of individually wrapped candy for the Red Andrews Christmas Dinner will get a FREE treat! Come help make this year's Holiday Season one to remember by celebrating with us at Camp DaKaNi!
Hope to see everyone there!!!
We have lots of FUN Holiday activities planned, including "Name That Holiday Tune" trail, holiday-themed carnival-style games, and much more! Come and make a Holiday card for the troops AND one to take with you! Most importantly, don't forget that Santa Claus will be making a special visit to Camp DaKaNi!!! Avoid the long lines at the mall and get your child's picture taken with Santa for only $3.00. Children will also have the opportunity to do some "shopping" at our Santa Shop, where nothing costs over $3.00.
Those of you who bring a new, unwrapped toy OR a bag of individually wrapped candy for the Red Andrews Christmas Dinner will get a FREE treat! Come help make this year's Holiday Season one to remember by celebrating with us at Camp DaKaNi!
Hope to see everyone there!!!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
High Adventure Outdoor Club
Hi Everybody,
We will be having our next High Adventure Outdoor Club meeting on Dec. 18th at 6:00pm in the Yordi Training Center here at Camp DaKaNi 3309 E. Hefner Rd. We will be discussing future campouts and activities that we all would like to organize for spring and summer. This will be a good opportunity to get to know each other and get a direction of where we would like the group to go. Please invite anybody you think would enjoy being in a club like this (Grades 6-12th). I would also like parents to be involved as well, and participate in our future activities. It should be a lot of fun for everybody. I had planned an overnight in January, but due to scheduling difficulties with camp that will have to be postponed. I look forward to seeing you all at our next meeting, and hearing some of you ideas for our club.
Ranger Terry
We will be having our next High Adventure Outdoor Club meeting on Dec. 18th at 6:00pm in the Yordi Training Center here at Camp DaKaNi 3309 E. Hefner Rd. We will be discussing future campouts and activities that we all would like to organize for spring and summer. This will be a good opportunity to get to know each other and get a direction of where we would like the group to go. Please invite anybody you think would enjoy being in a club like this (Grades 6-12th). I would also like parents to be involved as well, and participate in our future activities. It should be a lot of fun for everybody. I had planned an overnight in January, but due to scheduling difficulties with camp that will have to be postponed. I look forward to seeing you all at our next meeting, and hearing some of you ideas for our club.
Ranger Terry
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Warm Hands Warm Hearts
Teens in Action is hosting the second Warm Hands, Warm Hearts workshop this December! These workshops are to teach you some basic crocheting or knitting skills. Warm Hands, Warm Hearts is also a warm clothing drive for children in the foster system. Donations of lightly used clothes, coats, shoes, NEW underwear, books and other supplies will be given to Citizens Caring for Children organization, a non-profit that provides assistance to foster families.WHO: 3rd grade and above! This isn't just for kids, adults are encouraged to come and learn too!
WHEN: December 14th, 2008, 2 pm - 4 pm
WHERE: Yordi Training Center, CFUSA Main Office
BRING: Crocheting and/or knitting needles and yarn. Also bring any clothes that you want to donate to the clothing drive.
RSVP: December 11th, to Dace or London, at the Camp Fire Office, (405)478-5646.
l The first workshop was a success! Teens in Action had a big turnout, of both youth and adults, that came to learn how to knit and crochet. We have already received some donations of knitted scarves and clothing for Citizens Caring for Children. Make sure to RSVP for the next workshop, you don't want to miss out on this great opportunity to learn a new skill!
Monday, November 10, 2008
CHECK OUT THE CAMP FIRE USA STORE!
The store has gotten in their special winter line that is only available to the Heart of Oklahoma Council! We have red long sleeve shirts and navy hoodies in youth small, medium, and large and adult small, medium, large, x-large, and xx-large. If you sell 2 cases of camper mix you get a free red long sleeve shirt! But if you sell 4 cases you get a free navy hoodie! Call London @ (405)478-5646 for more information!
Put the Camp Fire USA store on your list of places to shop during the holiday season! We have lots of stocking stuffers and great leader gifts. Come into the store to see all our ideas! Everyone that mentions this blog will get a free license plate cover when they come into the store!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Teens in Action Spook House
After all the hard work that the teens put into the Spook House, we are all happy that it went great! We expected to have at least one slow night but we were so busy. All of the teens were exhausted by the end of the night, they worked so hard! Even though a few kids were quite scared, I think everyone had fun going through it. Several people went through twice! Teens in Action has a lot of new ideas for next year. We can't wait to do it again!
High Adventure Club
We had our first meeting this last Tuesday night, and started laying out the foundations for our club.
We have decided our next meeting time and date will be on December 18th (Thursday) at 6:00 p.m. At this meeting we will be planning our first activity which will be an overnight on January 16th here at Camp DaKaNi. Most likely we will sleep indoors, but we will have fun outdoor activities. This will be a good chance to assess our outdoor skills, plan future outings, nail down times for future meetings, and most importantly get to know each other.
Feel free to bring ideas and information to our next meeting on December 18th for things to do and places you would like the group to visit in the near future.
Look forward to seeing you all at our next meeting,
Ranger Terry
We have decided our next meeting time and date will be on December 18th (Thursday) at 6:00 p.m. At this meeting we will be planning our first activity which will be an overnight on January 16th here at Camp DaKaNi. Most likely we will sleep indoors, but we will have fun outdoor activities. This will be a good chance to assess our outdoor skills, plan future outings, nail down times for future meetings, and most importantly get to know each other.
Feel free to bring ideas and information to our next meeting on December 18th for things to do and places you would like the group to visit in the near future.
Look forward to seeing you all at our next meeting,
Ranger Terry
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Haunted Forest A Big Success!
Well the 2008 Haunted Forest is over and our bodies are healing after back-breaking hours of taking down decorations and scenes, putting away leftover concession stand supplies, and organizing the storage sheds and closets to make things easier to find next year.
A big sincere “thank you”, goes to everyone on the Camp Fire staff that made this event a huge success – there’s no doubt it was way better than last year! And, thanks to the club leaders who had Carnival Booths, and the Klown Train Ride. They added a lot to the atmosphere of family fun.
As a staff, we are especially thankful for this year’s outstanding group of volunteers. Many people do not realize that it takes an army of volunteers to put on an event like this. Raymond and Jessica’s family and friends built and staffed the Moonlight Trail and served as trailer monitors on the hayride for safety. Cheryl and her three daughters created the Mummy scene and performed in it. Staff member’s families were everywhere, staffing scenes, selling tickets, showing people where to park, passing out treats and in the background making sure everything went smoothly. Board members pitched in as bridge monitors, and volunteered in the S’Mores booth, plus Scott was the scariest grim reaper in the cemetery. Board members, like Scott, even talked their friends into participating. That’s how we were able to enjoy watching Matt carve some beautiful and elaborate jack-o-lanterns.
Another amazing group of volunteers were the DaKaNi alums. Miss Gwen, Miss Vi and Miss Nancy rounded up a crew of former campers (who are now parents), and former counselors (who are now grandparents), to staff the Concession Stand and S’Mores Booth. Not only did they do a first rate job of serving Haunted Forest customers; it was fun for everyone to reunite with friends from their younger days.
I would also like to personally thank Rachel, one of our own WoHeLo Award alums, who rounded up a dynamite bunch of friends from her service fraternity at OU. These 14 young men and women were a lot of fun to work with. One young man told me he had been looking forward to helping in the same way a child can’t wait to go trick or treating. Half-way through he told the aliens in the next scene, “this is more fun than a barrel of monkeys!”
Another group of friends that helped all three nights was from the Society for Creative Anachronisms, or SCA. These men and women re-create the Middle Ages most weekends for fun – but they donated their time and talent to Camp Fire for the Haunted Forest, and did a scary, realistic job at scenes like the executioner and asylum all for a hug and a S’More.
Last, but certainly not least, I would like to thank the Teens In Action who staffed the Children’s Spooky House. By counting tickets we found out that even though it was designed for younger children, almost everyone who attended the Haunted Forest went through the Spooky House. There were no complaints this year, and everyone seemed to enjoy the experience.
To sum it up, Carolyn, our Board President, got to visit with people as they were leaving on Thursday night. She said she wished she had been able to write down the comments, but one of her favorites was a little boy who told her, “oh please, please have this again next year!”
A big sincere “thank you”, goes to everyone on the Camp Fire staff that made this event a huge success – there’s no doubt it was way better than last year! And, thanks to the club leaders who had Carnival Booths, and the Klown Train Ride. They added a lot to the atmosphere of family fun.
As a staff, we are especially thankful for this year’s outstanding group of volunteers. Many people do not realize that it takes an army of volunteers to put on an event like this. Raymond and Jessica’s family and friends built and staffed the Moonlight Trail and served as trailer monitors on the hayride for safety. Cheryl and her three daughters created the Mummy scene and performed in it. Staff member’s families were everywhere, staffing scenes, selling tickets, showing people where to park, passing out treats and in the background making sure everything went smoothly. Board members pitched in as bridge monitors, and volunteered in the S’Mores booth, plus Scott was the scariest grim reaper in the cemetery. Board members, like Scott, even talked their friends into participating. That’s how we were able to enjoy watching Matt carve some beautiful and elaborate jack-o-lanterns.
Another amazing group of volunteers were the DaKaNi alums. Miss Gwen, Miss Vi and Miss Nancy rounded up a crew of former campers (who are now parents), and former counselors (who are now grandparents), to staff the Concession Stand and S’Mores Booth. Not only did they do a first rate job of serving Haunted Forest customers; it was fun for everyone to reunite with friends from their younger days.
I would also like to personally thank Rachel, one of our own WoHeLo Award alums, who rounded up a dynamite bunch of friends from her service fraternity at OU. These 14 young men and women were a lot of fun to work with. One young man told me he had been looking forward to helping in the same way a child can’t wait to go trick or treating. Half-way through he told the aliens in the next scene, “this is more fun than a barrel of monkeys!”
Another group of friends that helped all three nights was from the Society for Creative Anachronisms, or SCA. These men and women re-create the Middle Ages most weekends for fun – but they donated their time and talent to Camp Fire for the Haunted Forest, and did a scary, realistic job at scenes like the executioner and asylum all for a hug and a S’More.
Last, but certainly not least, I would like to thank the Teens In Action who staffed the Children’s Spooky House. By counting tickets we found out that even though it was designed for younger children, almost everyone who attended the Haunted Forest went through the Spooky House. There were no complaints this year, and everyone seemed to enjoy the experience.
To sum it up, Carolyn, our Board President, got to visit with people as they were leaving on Thursday night. She said she wished she had been able to write down the comments, but one of her favorites was a little boy who told her, “oh please, please have this again next year!”
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Haunted Forest Fun
Haunted Forest was a blast. Using my chainsaws for something other than cutting trees at camp was a nice change, sorry if I scared you too much! My friends who volunteered also had a great time, and I have a feeling they will recruit more next year. I am looking forward to building new scenes for next year, and making it better than it already is. If you have a chance to come next year or even volunteer in some aspect please do so it's worth it.
Ranger Terry
Ranger Terry
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Heritage Hall Second Graders Visit The Fountains at Canterbury
Look at one of our awesome 2nd grade clubs joining in at the Halloween party at The Fountains at Canterbury last week. Thanks to Liz Sutton, her other volunteer moms, and her club members, the residents of Canterbury had a fun afternoon playing games with the girls, as well as watching a short performance the girls created especially for them. Each club member choose a resident to "interview" to learn about their life, their hobbies, and just to chat! The girls had such a good time that they plan on returning next month to celebrate Thanksgiving with the residents!
Camp Fire is all about experiences - both inside the club with members working together to discover new things, and outside of the club meeting others and learning from their experiences as well. I'm so proud of our members throughout our Council and look forward to hearing more stories and seeing more pictures as the year progresses!
Monday, October 20, 2008
Come to Camp Fire's Haunted Forest Hayride!
Make sure to bring your whole family to the Haunted Forest Hayride at Camp DaKaNi!
The change in the weather really makes me start thinking about the Haunted Forest Hayride Event here at Camp DaKaNi. My parents brought our whole family to this event (before I started working here), and I think the one who screamed the most was my mother. A couple of years later when I was working here, my parents volunteered to be the ticket sellers each night and I had fun being the one who actually scared my mother. (Good thing for me she is a good sport and loves Halloween.) As soon as I started dating my husband, he became involved in the event, and eventually evolved to being a “parker”, something he felt more comfortable with than being a character in a scene. However, my son, who is getting ready to graduate from college, was my “victim” for probably 8-10 years, and then in his own scene with friends for several years after that.
These days I love being a witch out in the forest and watching all the children and parents go by, all bundled up together on the hay, cuddling for warmth and courage. The Haunted Forest Hayride will be something your children remember and talk about every year about this time. It is so much fun to be a part of an event that brings families together just for FUN. The smell of wood smoke, the hooting of owls and scratching around of armadillos – we’ve got it all + Dracula and Frankenstein lurking along the Moonlight Trail. Don’t miss out – Join us on Saturday, October 25th (7:30 to 9:30 pm); Tuesday, October 28th (7 to 9 pm), and Thursday, October 30th (7 to 9 pm). It’s still the best Halloween event for the money, at $5 per person. You can even top the evening off with a hotdog and a S’More. Call me at 478-5646, if you have questions.
The change in the weather really makes me start thinking about the Haunted Forest Hayride Event here at Camp DaKaNi. My parents brought our whole family to this event (before I started working here), and I think the one who screamed the most was my mother. A couple of years later when I was working here, my parents volunteered to be the ticket sellers each night and I had fun being the one who actually scared my mother. (Good thing for me she is a good sport and loves Halloween.) As soon as I started dating my husband, he became involved in the event, and eventually evolved to being a “parker”, something he felt more comfortable with than being a character in a scene. However, my son, who is getting ready to graduate from college, was my “victim” for probably 8-10 years, and then in his own scene with friends for several years after that.
These days I love being a witch out in the forest and watching all the children and parents go by, all bundled up together on the hay, cuddling for warmth and courage. The Haunted Forest Hayride will be something your children remember and talk about every year about this time. It is so much fun to be a part of an event that brings families together just for FUN. The smell of wood smoke, the hooting of owls and scratching around of armadillos – we’ve got it all + Dracula and Frankenstein lurking along the Moonlight Trail. Don’t miss out – Join us on Saturday, October 25th (7:30 to 9:30 pm); Tuesday, October 28th (7 to 9 pm), and Thursday, October 30th (7 to 9 pm). It’s still the best Halloween event for the money, at $5 per person. You can even top the evening off with a hotdog and a S’More. Call me at 478-5646, if you have questions.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Check it out -
Well I've been busy today - check out the slideshow of what Camp Fire USA Heart of Oklahoma Council is all about! There are so many photos I could use and will use in the future. But for now, watch some scenes from Camp DaKaNi this summer and some other fun stuff!!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
New High Adventure Outdoor Club
Our first meeting for the new High Adventure Club will be November 4th at 6:00 p.m. in the Yordi Training Center here at Camp Dakani 3309 E. Hefner Rd. in OKC. Please come in gate 1
(To join High Adventure you must be in 6th-12th grade and be a member of Campfire)
Hope to see you there,
Ranger Terry
(To join High Adventure you must be in 6th-12th grade and be a member of Campfire)
Hope to see you there,
Ranger Terry
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
In the news...
Last night I was reading my USA Today newspaper and found 2 great editorials about post-secondary admittance standards. Some of the Ivy League schools have determined that SAT and ACT scores are not always indicative of how a student will perform in college or a university, and that by primarily relying on these test scores colleges and universities have created non-diverse communities of students.
As a result of research done about this problem, there is movement away from putting the greatest amount of emphasis on standardized testing. What does this mean? It means that even though a high level of importance will still be given to grades, admittance counselors will also very strongly consider a student's overall high school experience, including extra-curricular activities such as music, art, and sports, as well as community service and volunteer experience, when making admittance decisions.
Camp Fire has always known that service-learning is an important part to a youth's overall development and level of maturity. Developing empathy and compassion for others, gaining leadership skills, and cultivating community awareness are some of the key components to the Camp Fire program. Youth who have participated in our programs have skills and knowledge that cannot be measured adequately through standardized testing. The exposure to a wide variety of experiences and people, as well as the self-confidence acheived by taking part in Camp Fire activites provides our youth with the tools needed to be successful later in life - whether as a college, vo-tech, or trade school student.
As a result of research done about this problem, there is movement away from putting the greatest amount of emphasis on standardized testing. What does this mean? It means that even though a high level of importance will still be given to grades, admittance counselors will also very strongly consider a student's overall high school experience, including extra-curricular activities such as music, art, and sports, as well as community service and volunteer experience, when making admittance decisions.
Camp Fire has always known that service-learning is an important part to a youth's overall development and level of maturity. Developing empathy and compassion for others, gaining leadership skills, and cultivating community awareness are some of the key components to the Camp Fire program. Youth who have participated in our programs have skills and knowledge that cannot be measured adequately through standardized testing. The exposure to a wide variety of experiences and people, as well as the self-confidence acheived by taking part in Camp Fire activites provides our youth with the tools needed to be successful later in life - whether as a college, vo-tech, or trade school student.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
HIGH ADVENTURE OUTDOOR CLUB
We are starting a NEW High Adventure Outdoor Club at Camp Dakani, and would like to invite boys and girls 6th -12th Grade to participate. This group will be participant driven, meaning YOU will decide the majority of our activities. This will ensure you are having fun and learning what is important to you. We are going to learn camping, practice outdoor safety, and have fun in the outdoors. If you are interested e-mail Ranger Terry for details for our first planning meeting at dakani.ranger@campfireusa-ok.org or call 478-5686 ext 11. Please leave message, and I’ll get back with you.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Yes, we ARE having a big, super-fun recruitment event at Andrews Park in Norman on October 9th! We are going to have hot dogs, chips, drinks & s'mores up for grabs! We will also have craft areas set up for the kiddos. The MOST exciting part is....THE NORMAN FIRE DEPARTMENT is going to be there! They will talk to everyone about fire safety and show us their fire trucks....fun!!! We are asking all who attend to bring at least one 9V battery to donate to the firemen (to use in smoke-detectors). If you can't tell, I'm beyond excited! I know Area 2 has the potential to really grow, and I look forward to the challenge of making it happen!
Welcome to our blog!
I can't believe that September is almost over! This month has flown by and I still have a ton of things on my "to do" list. Oh well, at least I can mark off one thing by starting this blog!!
I've been at Heart of Oklahoma for over a year now - I'm excited by all of the things we have done and all that we have on our big "to do" list for the future.
We had a great summer at DaKaNi - so great that we are going to add at least one more week next year. We are really busy recruiting new clubs and new members AND keeping up with all of our loyal members and clubs. Michaelanne has done a great job in bringing Camp Fire back to Moore and Norman - we are having a big recruiting meeting in Norman next weekend, I think! Michaelanne will let you know more about that in her post. We are really excited to welcome Duncan to the Camp Fire family too!!!
I'm leaving for Las Vegas on Thursday for another Camp Fire USA meeting. I enjoyed meeting other Executive Directors at our meeting in September and look forward to 3 more days together as we plan for the future of Camp Fire on a national level.
October is going to be busy - it's almost time for Haunted Forest. We've already starting planning what we will do to turn Camp DaKaNi into a spooky, kinda creepy forest with lots for the kids to do while they are here! It's really fun and I think I'm going to dress up this year.... we'll see. Mark your calendar now for Saturday, October 25th, Tuesday, October 28th and Thursday, October 30th to come out and visit the forest!!!!
Well I guess I'll get back to work - I'll give you an update of Las Vegas when I get back!
Kim
I've been at Heart of Oklahoma for over a year now - I'm excited by all of the things we have done and all that we have on our big "to do" list for the future.
We had a great summer at DaKaNi - so great that we are going to add at least one more week next year. We are really busy recruiting new clubs and new members AND keeping up with all of our loyal members and clubs. Michaelanne has done a great job in bringing Camp Fire back to Moore and Norman - we are having a big recruiting meeting in Norman next weekend, I think! Michaelanne will let you know more about that in her post. We are really excited to welcome Duncan to the Camp Fire family too!!!
I'm leaving for Las Vegas on Thursday for another Camp Fire USA meeting. I enjoyed meeting other Executive Directors at our meeting in September and look forward to 3 more days together as we plan for the future of Camp Fire on a national level.
October is going to be busy - it's almost time for Haunted Forest. We've already starting planning what we will do to turn Camp DaKaNi into a spooky, kinda creepy forest with lots for the kids to do while they are here! It's really fun and I think I'm going to dress up this year.... we'll see. Mark your calendar now for Saturday, October 25th, Tuesday, October 28th and Thursday, October 30th to come out and visit the forest!!!!
Well I guess I'll get back to work - I'll give you an update of Las Vegas when I get back!
Kim
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