Holiday Lake 4-H

Winter Happenings at HL-4H

Holiday Lake 4-H — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 16:58:19 GMT

We like to stay busy here at the 4-H Center and the winter is no exception. Below is a list of things we have coming up.

January

Summer prep- the interview process for summer staff hiring has already started. Most of the interviews will be January 4 & 5th. We have 8 returners this year!
Numia, Search & Rescue and the Natural Resource Weekend are keeping our weekends busy in January.
Part of our winter we spend planning, we have already started planning our 3rd Blue & Brew Festival and will have our second planning session on the 27th.

February

Weekends are packed!

Feb. 11~2012 Holiday Lake 50K
Feb 17~Mini Teen Retreat
Feb 18-19~Teen & Adult Leader Training, Feb 18-19
Feb 24-26~Winter Cloverbud

March

We start to pick up! Trainings like TALT, Basic and Advanced Instructor book three of the 5 weekends
Feb 4-8 is our Decoy Carving Workshop and still has spaces available.
Feb 4-9's Traditional Flintlock Rifle Building Workshop is already full but be on the look out for the next event.
Our Annual Raffle will be the 10th so if you want a chance to win $5,000 contact the center!

For more information about any of the programs listed above feel free to contact the 4-H Center.

Dexter Hurt ~ Tell us your story

Holiday Lake 4-H — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 18:43:26 GMT

I still remember my visits to 4-H camp as if is was yesterday. A dear friend of mine recently passed away and we attended together each of our years. Some of the greatest summers of my life were spent at camp. I looked forward each summer to being able to attend 4-H camp. 4-H camp was where I learned to swim my first year and passed the swimming test the next year. The many other activities provided me a chance to do some things that I had never done before. I am certain that my 4-H experience contributed to the outdoor enthusiast I have become. My family and I go camping several time a year during the summers and as often as we can bring along other to share the experience. I would love to see any pictures from that time if they are around. Thank you for all the work that is done through this program.

If you'd like to share you story, click here.

Heather Rogers ~ Tell us your story

Holiday Lake 4-H — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 18:39:21 GMT

I went the first time when I was 9 years old and every summer after that until I was 16. I LOVED this camp and now MY 9 year old daughter, Haley, is going to this same camp for her first year and I am so jealous! I am thrilled that she is going somewhere I know is safe and fun! I

If you want to share your story, Click Here

Alyce Brotherton -Tell Us your Story

Holiday Lake 4-H — Mon, 02 May 2011 14:24:00 GMT

Camps with Fluvanna/Greene Counties

Here is here story....

Before I went to camp I was extremely shy, and would not talk to people I did not know. Now if you look at me you see what the power of 4-H has and can do to people. I believe that this is definitely the best camp in the world.

Tell Us Your Story~ Amanda Graham

Holiday Lake 4-H — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 15:52:00 GMT

I never had the opportunity to go to camp as a kid, but through a series of very fortunate events, I ended up on the 2010 camp staff. I spent the best summer of my life at Holiday Lake and made tons of friends, and a lot of memories that I will cherish forever. Big Foot Tribe 2010 forever!!

Amanda's Favorite Camp Picture

Tell us your story at www.holidaylake4h.com/tellusyourstory

Cumberland, Amelia, and Nottoway ~ 4-H Circus

Holiday Lake 4-H — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 15:04:00 GMT

Cumberland, Nottaway and Amelia Counties arrived around 10 this morning. They have had their camp tours and are now unpacking all their belongings. Thankfully they boys in the bunkhouse above my office are not jumping off the top bunks and making a big ruckus!

They have a jam-packed schedule. At 11:30 they have their opening assembly and then lunch. After lunch they have Swim test and health check, then its on to group meetings and store time. They will get a little free time before dinner and after dinner evening programs will begin.

Evening Programs for the week

Monday - Night Swim & Campfire
Tuesday- Clown Hunt & Mr. and Mrs. Circus Pagent
Wednesday - Carnifield & Pool Party (Music by DJ Waldo)
Thursday- Talent Show & Campfire with Candle Lighting

Tues- Thur they will have afternoon programs while the teens and adults are in their meeting.
Tuesday- Counter Drug Task Force will be speaking with them
Wednesday - Mike Clifford is doing a snake show
Thursday- They are changing the schedule a little bit and having a group meeting to get ready for the Circus that will follow.

Its time for the opening assemblye but no worries there will be more fun highlights to come during the week.

Family Camp 2010

Holiday Lake 4-H — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 14:12:00 GMT

Family Camp!!!!!!! A great start to the summer. The whole family attends and its was so great to see all the returners as well as the new families! Words cannot describe how exciting it is to see all the families pull in.

Highlights

Seeing all the retunring families was AWESOME and so was meeting all the new families. ~ Salmon
Erin taught me a part of an irish dance, i think it was part of the jig! I was so excited. I love to watch the Deighans perform! ~ Salmon
Mrs. Fornshill taught me a lot of leather craft tricks. ~ Sunshine
Many of the parents praised my efforts and enthusiasm in the nature class which gave me confidence for the rest of the summer. ~ Jukebox
Mr. & Mrs Magnicolda made me feel really great about the campfire on Thursday night. ~Appleseed
Seeing the teens performance at the closing assembly was great! ~Appleseed ( They created a song to thank us to the tune of Tik Tok by Ke$ha)
Having the campers come up and tell me jokes and riddles. ~ Showtime
At the campfire, the campers were asking for me....DOC!!! Also they thank yous from them at the closing assembly for all of our hard work. ~Doc
I loved watching the kids really put themselves out there in the talent show. also the teens really blew me away with all the thought and planning they put into the teen suprise. ~ Sandy (Staff olympics, including song competition, piggy back race, and limbo contest)
Two of the mothers accidentally flipped their canoes during a game, even though they were doing everything they could all week to stay dry. The best part was the son of one of the mothers having to "rescue" the women. The son didn't let them live it down for the rest of the week. ~Sizzle
One of the children in my class got over a fear of the water when he swam by himself with a lifejacket. ~ Froggie
Badge pouring apple juice on a camper instead of water during a skit. ~ Froggie

These are just a few highlights. Family camp was a great way to start the summer and got the staff prepared for the rest of the summer. They got to teach their classes for the first time and get a feel for what camp is really like. Most of the families ( if not all) pre-registered for next year! It will be awesome to see all of them pull up next year!

Going Green Christmas Camp

Holiday Lake 4-H — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:54:00 GMT

    Christmas Camp was held last weekend, December 5-6. The campers arrived at 9 am Saturday morning. As soon as they arrived and unpacked a little they headed to the dining hall to make there mugs. Instead of using Styrofoam for hot chocolate the campers used these mugs. They were 7oz ceramic mugs that they painted with acrylic paint. When they were finished painting them we put them in the oven on 350 to bake for 30 minutes. Then we jumped right into making cookie dough, wild life treats, and ornaments.
    Cecillia Taylor is the Recycling Queen! She brought so many things that most people would just throw away, to be used to make ornaments, games and many other things. The campers used lids to peanut butter jars and old Christmas cards to make ornaments for the tree and toilet paper rolls, old wrapping paper and tissue paper to make candles for the windows. She also was in charge of the Trash Toys class. The campers played games with old buttons, egg crates, lids, bleach bottles and so much more. They learned about what could be recycled and what can be reused, and she gave them very creative ways to reuse things that would normally just end up in a landfill somewhere.
    The students all made dough that they would use later to make Christmas cookies to be served at the Christmas Party. The dough had to chill before they could roll it out and cut it out. They also made treats for the birds out of cheerios, peanut butter, and bird seed. They hung them up on Sunday during their Winter Wonderland Hike. On their way back from the hike they noticed that many of the treats had already been eatin, they assumed by the birds until they saw Hershey eating one! Well they did make them for the wildlife!
    After lunch, the rest of the classes were held. There was a gift bag class, where campers made reusable tote bags for gift bags. They decorated them with paint and stencils. They learned that gift bags are better because you can reuse them, instead of just throwing away wrapping paper. There was also a Christmas Conservation class where campers learned about conserving things like water and energy. They also learned about there impact on the earth and had a pollution demonstration.
    The campers and adults, I think, really learned a lot about recycling, reusing, and conservation. They were given chores after every meal that included things like composting, laundry, turning off all lights, and cleaning up after the meals. Because they had to do it themselves they really appreciated what it takes, they all worked really well together and they all did their part. We used cloth napkins and towels instead of using paper napkins and paper towels so the campers helped us do all the laundry.
    This was a really successful camp, the participants learned while having fun and thats really what we are all about here! This program was a success because of all the planning that went into it (Thanks Terry, Jinx and Tamara) and for all of the adults and teen leaders that volunteered their time (you know who you are).

Amherst County~British Invasion

Holiday Lake 4-H — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:17:00 GMT

Amherst County's British Invasion

Group Names
Def Leppard
The Police
The Yardbirds
The Beatles
The Who
The Rolling Stones

Highlights of the Week

Meeting the girl from Finland was cool. She taught me how to say "I love camp" in Finnish ~Freak Show
Battle of the Bands totally Rocked on Friday. Each group performed a song from their band. The Rolling Stones won! The staff rocked out to AC DC Back in Black ~Freak Show
There was an intense game of "Bring Me" on Monday. The kids chased on adult around trying to get a hair from his leg. And they had to find someone with fangs. All the campers tried to get Hampster to smile because they saw his fangs.
The baby opossums are growing! ~Salmon, Freak Show, Chicken Little
All of the campers in our class climbed! And they did an AWESOME job, even Deputy Dogg! climbed! ~Salmon & Hampster

Campbell County ~Journey to the Ancient World

Holiday Lake 4-H — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:50:00 GMT

Theme for the week Journey to the Ancient World

Group Names
Mayans
Romans
Vikings
Indians
Spartans
Aborigines
Persians
Egyptians

Highlights of the Week

Between classes I was walking to my office and a little girl had a rabbit skin with like 6 holes in it and she pointed to it and said, "Dang rabbit just wouldn't die!". I thought it was really funny. ~Salmon
It was awesome having Smalls for a TAP! ~Freak Show
The tie-breaker chant off for the spirit stick on Friday between the Vikings and Indians. Vikings Won! ~ Suga
Campbell County is an awesome camp. They really know how to have fun. ~Freak Show
Campbell County Parks & Rec brought rock band and guitar hero and it was AWESOME and the kids had a lot of fun. (I think they missed technology) ~ Salmon
Taking care of the baby opossums was so much fun and amazing! They are just so cute. Its cool to watch them play and grow! ~Salmon, Chicken Little, Mayo, Freak Show
The whole week was awesome. the enthusiasm was great and overall the campers were great.~Feats
I came in nervous to this experience but was welcomed with open arms at the door. ~Smalls

Brunswick, Mecklenburg, Lunenburg~Mythology

Holiday Lake 4-H — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:11:00 GMT

Mythology Theme

Group Names
Athena
Zeus
Herceles
Mecury
Mars
Neptune

Highlights of the Week!

During the talent show some members of the drumline class performed. Pretty sweet! ~Hampster
A teen leader sang the National Anthem during a flag ceremony and I thought he did a really good job!
Many of my beginning swimmers jumped off the high diving board for the first time and swam to the ladder by themselves. ~Wall*e
The talent show went over great.
I got to know some of the campers really well and we got to hang out all week. ~Freakshow
One little girl made a thank you card for the staff because she had such a great time at camp. ~Freakshow
The staff all taking part in the talent show.
Once again, the "clap-slap" game that I brought to the Holla Holla was a hit! ~Badge
They played a lot of different types of music at the dance and it was fun dancing with all the campers. ~Salmon

Fluvanna/Greene ~ The Greatest Camp on Earth

Holiday Lake 4-H — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:33:00 GMT

Highlights of the Week! Circus Theme!!

The talent show was full of very interesting talents. Spiderman and Colleen (teen) did an awesome step routine.
There was a dance off between Wall*e and her sister Colleen...Wall*e Won!
The carnival was very exciting. There was popcorn, lemonade, watermelon, and snow cones for sale while the campers played various games.
The Dining Hall was the most exciting place at camp. Rusty and Hampster usually lead the entire camp in an energetic song or beat.
Wednesday night campfire was led by the teens, and they did an awesome job keeping the campers involved and entertained.
By the last day of camp the kids were leading songs on their own and singing until many lost their voices. (~Freakshow)

Appomattox/Lynchburg~Disney

Holiday Lake 4-H — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:29:00 GMT

Appomattox County and Lynchburg City arrived Monday at around 10 am. The have a Disney theme!
Group names are:

Incredibles
Goof Troop
House of Mouse
Pirates of the Caribbean
Lion King
Toy Story

Some highlights so far :

On the first day of climbing wall class we played a name game to get to know the campers in our class. One girl asked if that included nicknames that they had, we said, "of course!" (thinking nicknames like CJ or Chris would be said.) We went through the names and had the basics and then a girl said her name and then said,"I want to be called Simply Salad." It was really funny. (~Salmon & Hampster)
To try and ease the fear of heights we tell the campers the max weight the harnesses can hold, which is 5,000 lbs, well when Hampster said this, without missing a beat, Simply Salad said, "Well darn I weigh 5,001 lbs." She is so quirky and funny and I don't even think she realizes. (~Salmon & Hampster)
The low ropes class was playing "Steal the Bacon" and one kids took the pool noodle and started hitting me with it. (~Freak Show)
One camper stood next to me just because he wanted to be next to me! (~Freak Show)
Wednesday we made recycled paper with wildflowers in them in Nature Crafts Class. In nature class we caught 3 baby catfish in the stream with the dip nets. (~Chicklen Little)

Prince Edward, Buckingham, Charlotte ~Going Green

Holiday Lake 4-H — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:03:00 GMT

Prince Edward, Buckingham and Charlotte counties arrived last Monday! The theme was "Going Green" They had a fashion show where only duct (duck) tape and recyclables were used. The kids also decorated their cabins in the "Going Green" Theme, the winners recieved a suprise. It was pretty awesome! There was a sports tournament, a ice cream social, campfires and pool parties!

Here are some highlights of the week; (from the staff)

During low ropes class the kids sliding on the ground playing Red Light, Green Light. (got a little intense!)
In the performing arts class kids wanted to sing Miley Cyrus's "The Climb" and were really good!
Two of the beginning swimming participants learned how to swim extremely well, jump off the diving board and also dive. At the beginning of the week they couldn't swim at all.
The staff dominated the teens during a Staff vs. Teen Volleyball challenge. These staff members included Badge, Rusty, Wall*e, Waldo, Mayo, Freak Show, and Zing!
Seeing the kids singing songs they were taught all on their own.
Both campfires! It didn't rain at all, like weeks previous, so we got to have both scheduled campfires!
The dairy delight class was awesome, the delievered home-made ice cream to all the staff members.
The duck tape creations class was full of very creative creations! I saw a ninja, bat and ball, wallets, purses, someone even made a sling!
It was cool to so the Soil and Water Conservation District come out and teach the campers about composting. They even gave us our own compost bin.

The teens, campers, and adults were ALL AWESOME! This week was a lot of fun.

Louisa County

Holiday Lake 4-H — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:09:00 GMT

Monday morning the buses rolled down the hill! Campers from Louisa were sent to the amphitheater and from there sent to their cabins. The theme this week was 4-H Friends with groups like Batman and Robin, Lilo & Stitch, Tom & Jerry.
Lilo & Stitch won the spirit stick!

After everyone was moved in the campers came back to the amphitheater for the opening assembly. The staff intro is awesome and fun, each staff member has a 30 second clip of a song that they dance to and then introduce themselves. Then the staff went over the rules while the teen and adult letters met with Nate and Spiderman in the dining hall.

The new dining procedure is still taking some getting used to but it seems to be getting better. We were running a little behind on Monday but we got back on schedule after the health checks, swim test, and watermelon break.

They brought this huge water slide!!! It was awesome! They set it up right beside the pool and campers went back and forth between the pool and water slide during free recreation.

The rain held off until Thursday afternoon, so it didn't interrupt any of the classes. We had to have an indoor campfire, but because everyone was enthusiastic it was still a great campfire.

The teens, campers, and adults were awesome this week and Jenny Thompson did an awesome job. The staff did a good job by being flexible and working together with each other and Jenny to make sure that this week was a good week for the kids.

Family Camp 2009

Holiday Lake 4-H — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:48:00 GMT

Family Camp arrived last Monday! It was really nice to see familiar faces!

Family camp is unlike junior camp in many ways. Instead of having a camp full of kids we have a camp full of families, from Mom & Dads to children & babies we even had a Grandma here this week (and if I do say myself did an AWESOME job on the high ropes course). Because most public schools are still in school most of the kids are home schoolers. The families have more free time then junior campers and only three classes instead of four. These families come from all over Virginia from Charlottesville to Fairfax. In past summers we have had families from Florida, however those 2 families were unable to come this summer and they were definitely missed.

The week started out with a registration and check in, the cabins are for the most part, first come first serve, so families start lining up at the gate hours before it was time to check in, just to get the cabin of their choice! Then the usual camp things happened like health check and swim test.

The early evening program was class sign ups. Each family picked a number out of a hat and were called into the dining hall to pick their classes. While the other families were picking classes the rest were enjoying some watermelon. The late evening program was carnival. During training week the staff revamped carnival and came up with a bunch of new games and were definitely prepared to lead them. Then it was time for bed.

Tuesday through Thursday there were classes in the morning and then free rec and more programs.

Other activities that campers participated in included;
Night swim
Campfire
Dance
Teen Surprise (Game show, are you smarter than a staff member! It was awesome!)
Talent Show
Lake Canoeing
James River Trip
Climbing Tower
3D Archery
Land & Water Olympics
and tons more!

Everyone had so much fun with the family campers. There were a lot of crazy characters who we cannot wait to see next year. It was a good learning experience for all the new staff members and even the returners. It was really sad to see them all leave but 24 out of the 25 families paid their deposit to be back next year!

Nicknames!!!

Holiday Lake 4-H — Sun, 24 May 2009 17:08:00 GMT

Well Thursday night all the new staff were given their new names for the summer! As part of their emergency procedure training they all participated in a scavenger hunt that hopefuuly helped them remeber where all the severe storm locations are.

Their reward was their nickname. The rerturning staff pay close attention to the new staff and watch for little quirks or funny mistakes and "BOOM" nickname. All the staff have a story to go along with their nickname and no one will mind telling you it! All are funny! All you have to do is ask.Returners included: Gadget, Salmon, Spiderman, Chicken Little

We now have:
Cobbler
Badge
Waldo
Wall*e
Freakshow
Rusty
Feat
Zing!
Mayo
Hamster
Feat
Suga

Everyone was worried about what their new name might be, but all were embraced immediately! As soon as everyone recieved there name it was like they had been called that for years, responding quickly on the radio to their new name and using it when they introduced their selves!

Camp is in the air!

Holiday Lake 4-H — Wed, 20 May 2009 17:16:00 GMT

    The weather is starting to get warmer, the flowers are bloomed, the trees are covered with leaves, and the pool is a pretty blue. Camp is in the air! Shortly the sounds of laughing, singing, and cheering will be filling the air and speaking for everyone at the center we are excited!

    The staff arrived last Monday and headed off to state-staff training. State staff training is an event that happens every year where all the summer staffs from all six centers get together to share ideas and learn all the important parts of camp. This year state-wide training was held at Jamestown 4-H Center. The staff came back with new songs, new ideas for programs, and a bunch of new friends

    This week is our center training where the staff learns all the ins and outs of the center, from procedures to where the light switches are. So far they have been creating lesson plans, practicing skits and coming up with new program ideas! This is also the week where they earn their nicknames, but that information will have to wait for another entry, because it must remain a secret until Thursday night.

    Friday is when the staff usually goes to the James River for a canoe trip, however with all the rain recently we are not sure how possible that trip will be this year, the water is really high, but who knows what could happen by then.

    Even though the staff has only really know each other for a few weeks, they seem to be getting along like old friends. It will definitely be a rock awesome summer! There are only 2 returning staff, Spiderman and Packet (who skipped 2 years but is back), 2 used to work at the South West 4-H center and the rest are teens who have been to camp before, so everyone already know what camp is about and are here for the right reasons...the kids!

    Camp officially kicks off Monday morning with the arrival of Family Campers! Family Camp is a prety unique camp, instead of just sending the kids, the WHOLE family comes, from grandmas to baby brothers. It is a lot of fun, pretty laid back, and a great way to start the summer by giving the summer staff practice for when junior camp starts!

Here is the schedule for the summer:

May 25-29    Family Camp
June 1-5        Louisa
June 8-12        Albermarle/Nelson
June 12-14    Cloverbud Camp
June 15-20    Forestry Camp
June 22-26    Prince Edward/Buckingham/Charlotte
June 29-July3    Appomattox/Lynchburg
July 6-10        Fluvanna/Greene
July 13-17    Brunswick/Lunenburg/Mecklenburg
July 20-24    Campbell
July 27-31    Amherst
Aug 3-7        Amelia/Cumberland/Nottoway
Aug 9-13    4-H & NRA Shooting Education Camp

A Typical field Trip

Holiday Lake 4-H — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 20:02:00 GMT

    April is the busy season for the Natural Resource Education Department. New Vista, Brunswick, Fluvanna, Prince Edward and Amherst students have visited the center this month. Fuqua's kindergarten is scheduled to visit next month. A field trip day goes as follows;
    The buses roll down the hill anywhere between 9:00-10:00 o'clock and the amphitheater is quickly filled with students. After a quick orientation and a pre-test (for grant schools) the students are split into groups and sent their separate ways for classes. There are usually 3 classes, 2 before lunch and then 1 to follow. At the end of each class, students gather in the amphitheater to regroup and head out to there next class.
    Classes vary for each group, depending on interest and what the students are learning. All of the classes offered are hands on and are correlated with the VA SOL's. Some classes students have taken so far this season are; aquatic ecology, herpetology, wildlife ecology, water chemistry, orienteering, soil studies, meteorology, entomology, mammalogy, and geology.
    After all three classes the students once again gather in the amphitheater and a post test and evaluation are given and goodbyes are said. The students load onto the bus and head back to school.
    New groups are always welcome and so are volunteers who would be interested in teaching classes. If you would like to volunteer or plan a field trip please contact Tamara Arrington, the Natural Resource Education Coordinator by phone (434) 248-5444 or by email tamaraa@vt.edu

NRE Fluvanna Middle School

Holiday Lake 4-H — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:56:00 GMT

Today Fluvanna Middle School 6th graders came to camp for a NRE (Natural Resource Education) Program. The 7th graders came yesterday and more will be here tomorrow.
So far both groups arrived late so we had to shorten classes a little but we still had fun.
They were split into 3 groups Alligators, Bats, and Coyotes. Tomorrow we will add the Deer. They are attending 3 different classes; Soil Studies, Aquatic Ecology, and Water Chemistry.

So far everyone seems to be having fun. Every class some of the kids seem to hesitate when it comes to getting in the water and search for invertebrates (Aquatic Ecology) and dig through the soil to look for insects(Soil Studies) at the beginning of class. It takes a few minutes and by the end of it, its hard to get them to stop. In my soil studies class, the girls today were screaming every time they saw a bug (we even had some boys do the same) but by the end of it they were asking to keep the worms and beetles they found.

In Water Chemistry the students learned that our lake is pretty healthy and about conserving the fresh water that we have available to us. My biggest worry for that class was something or someone falling in. Yesterday the wind was blowing pretty hard and a couple of the station sign fell into the water, we saved one, but we lost one, its new home is the bottom of the lake. Other than that nothing, or noone fell in to the lake!

It has been raining and pretty cold but the students don't seem to mind which is good to see!