What a great day to be at 4-H Camp!

Today is the perfect day at 4-H camp. It's was cool and sunny this morning and classes were in full swing. The horse basic class rode horses today. Rocketry started shooting off their rockets and the kids in canoeing are super anxious about the "flip" tomorrow. Last night we had Minute to Win It, you should have seen the kids doing those crazy games. This year our lunches are featuring local produce. Today we had the biggest blackberries I have ever seen. Looks like a great afternoon for swim and rec. Our lodges will be filled with excitement because tonight is "the dance". Our last night of campfire will help campers create memories that will last a lifetime! 444444….HHHHH!

4-H Quliting Workshop

Local youth and the Madison Quilters Guild teamed up this to help teach the art of quilting. Guild members gave one on one instruction to workshop participants. Each youth got to select their square and design the pattern; they learned how to piece their sqaures together with the sewing machine and how to finish their project. Some beautiful wall hangings were created. A big thank you to the ladies of the Madison Quilters Guild who gave their time to help our youth learn this wonderful art.

Required StatementsVirginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open to all, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disbility, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.Extension is a joint program of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and state and local governments. If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate in any of these advertised activities, please contact the Madison Extension Office at 540-948-6881/TDD* during business hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. *TDD number is 800-828-1120

What a Day!

Just as we broke for afternoon activities, some unwelcome visitors rolled into camp. Storm clouds! The first group at swimming was able to get wet in the pool, but that's about it! The storm was fast-moving, and we all took shelter, but swimming was not to be in the schedule for today. Campers received an extra hour of free time in the dorms and had a chance to get to know their new friends better.

Tonight's evening program more than made up for the loss this afternoon. Minute to Win It games were a HIT and got many, many campers involved in tasks such as stacking seven cupcakes on their forehead, resting dice on a popsicle stick held in their mouth, and knocking empty cans off a table by shooting rubber bands. Our adult volunteers served as game hosts and did a fantastic job of motivating the crowds. It's been hard to concentrate on this post because there is so much enthusiasm and cheering going on!!!

The Great Bears put together a memorable campfire experience last night and the teens had a funny house-building skit. The pack cheers have been a real hoot - especially that of the owls (pun intended) - and we're looking forward to another great event tonight.

The Sun is Shining and Fun is Everywhere!

Tuesday has started out great! The sun is shining and the heat is rising. WATER and sunscreen will be a priority today. Maybe Captain Health will visit us a lunch for an H2O reminder!! Campers are in classes and busy learning new things. Check out this photo from the Day Spa classes and their homemade pore cleaning strips.

Another Great Day of Camp Comes to an End!

The sun came out and the fun did too!!. Campers enjoyed time in the pool and on the rec fields this afternoon. After dinner, everyone headed out to the 4-H Camp Carnival! Teens and staff manned the booths and campers tried their luck at the duck pond, quarter drop, dunk booth and more. The day ended with another great campfire.

Day is Done, Gone the Sun...

The misty skies of this morning are long gone, but so is the afternoon sun for that matter. We had two great hours of swimming and recreation this afternoon, plus one of the best lunches the 4-H Center has served! Grilled chicken breast pita pockets with lettuce and tomato, herb-roasted potatoes, and fresh cherries! The Center is participating in a fresh local foods program and our campers are the ones who benefit.

Tonight's special program was a carnival, and it would have given a commercial outfit a run for its money! Lil K (Madison Extension Agent Kelly Mallory) planned a series of more than 20 carnival booths with many games and prizes. Putting a 4-H camp spin on popular games, we saw push-light bean bag tosses to mimic darts, a reverse dunk tank in which counselors received good soakings, ping pong toss to win Swedish fish instead of live goldfish, and a snack walk instead of a traditional cake walk. Other booths gave tickets as prizes, and those tickets could be turned in for a chance on bigger prizes. Brandon won $25 cold, hard cash, Hunter chose movie tickets, Josh earned a McDonalds gift card, and Zach chose to put a pie in the face of a staff member of his choosing tomorrow night. Laurel will be treated to a delivered dinner from town!

The teen counselors did an outstanding job of leading campfire, with fun, energetic songs, a wild and crazy them-thar story, and a visit from Captain Health in his stunning red cape as he reminded campers to wear sunscreen everyday and be safe around the pool. The campers pass along the message that they love you and miss you, but we are all having a great time and enjoying a great camp!

4-H Campers Have Class!

It's a "classy" bunch here at the Center. Here are some glimpses of what's been happening this morning. The woodworkers have sanded all their wooden pieces and will be ready to start building tomorrow. Day Spa participants made stress-relieving balloons and created skits about proper stress management. The cheerleaders had a cardio workout before learning their routines, and GPS students are learning to map waypoints and use their receivers.
In T-shirt art, they prepared for next week by making Independence Day celebration shirts. Throwing skills and the rules of the game were on the agenda for Ultimate Frisbee and basketball players worked hard, but fought somewhat of a losing battle due to basketballs that wouldn't hold air very long - we're working on that! Young fishermen and women had good luck (or should we say, skill) with catches, and the knitting group got started with their stitches.
The weather's cool, the skies are overcast, but the 4-H spirit is raging! We're having fun...hope you are, too! E-mails are pouring in - literally - but please remember to keep them positive and upbeat so our campers feel encouraged to be here!

A Little Rain Doesn't Dampen Our 4-H Spirit

So the rain did come, but we had a great time anyways. The campers had time for some free swim, and after a popcorn snack, they headed back to change. Great Bears Dimples and Bigfoot led a rousing campfire ceremony, including a new 4-H Camp song: Yo' Mama Don't Wear No Socks. Be sure to ask about this one when your campers return home. Check out this photo for a glimpse of the fun we are having!

Camp 2011 is in full swing! We had a great dinner of chicken tenders, mashed taters, fruit & cookies. Campers are in the midst of swim test and eagerly waiting for the pool party. The skies are a little cloudy but that won’t dampen their spirit. Looking forward to a great campfire!


Required StatementsVirginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open to all, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disbility, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.Extension is a joint program of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and state and local governments. If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate in any of these advertised activities, please contact the Madison Extension Office at 540-948-6881/TDD* during business hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. *TDD number is 800-828-1120

2011 Summer Workshops

Come check out Madison 4-H's 2011 Summer Worshops! We've just finalized our summer line-up of workshops. Our first up on is a quilting workshop on June 22. Other activities this year will include "eco-ventures", building your own camera, a canning workshop, a science and technology day, and 4th of July crafts. We're ending with a big bang this year with two back-to-back day camps on August 17-18 and 19-20. More details such as costs and workshops dates can be found online at the Madison 4-H website and our 2011 Summer Workshops brochure and registartion form is downloadable HERE. You can also always stop by the Madison Extension Office in the War Memorial Building on Main St. Madison or give us a call at 540-948-6881. Registration ends on June 17th. Check it out and don't miss the fun this summer!

Required StatementsVirginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open to all, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disbility, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.Extension is a joint program of Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and state and local governments. If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive devices, services or other accommodations to participate in any of these advertised activities, please contact the Madison Extension Office at 540-948-6881/TDD* during business hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. *TDD number is 800-828-1120