SCHOLARSHIPS

In March we again set out to include some campers who might otherwise not have had a chance to experience camp. A total of 21 financial aid applicants (for both Mondamin and Green Cove) received direct grants amounting to about $40,000. The Frank D. Bell Sr. Scholarship Fund is a large part of giving kids a chance at camp when there would otherwise be little opportunity. Every year the camps receive applications for financial aid from families all over the US. It is a pleasure to be able to say yes to those applicants who truly deserve assistance with the camp fee. It is because of camp parents, alumni, and campers who give to the scholarship fund that we are able to say yes. When you donate (tax deductible), that warm fuzzy feeling spreads from your heart to the heart of a child somewhere far away who gets to attend camp.

Each spring and each fall, Gordon Grant and several others donate a weekend of time to put on our biannual Canoe Clinic, which is a fundraiser for the scholarship fund. The spring clinic is coming up very shortly, on April 29 – May 1, and it has a few spaces left. This is a great way to have fun, see some old camp friends, refresh your river skills, and give to a worthy cause all at once. Thanks again for making it possible. Call or email if you’d like to join in. It’s mainly adults, but there will be several teens here as well. Our recent rains have brought the rivers up to a great level…

BIKING!

Hardcore GC bikers get excited! We will have a brand new bikeshed by the time you get here this summer. Not only will you have a new bike shed, but there will be lots of new bikes to put in it! This past weekend a crew came up from Atlanta, GA to deliver our new bikes as well as do some work on the ones we already have! The new bikes are awesome… Trek 4500’s for all but the smallest campers, and some 20” and 16” bikes for the younger folks.

For you folks who’d like a bike or a canoe or a kayak of your own, remember that we sell all this stuff in the fall! So if you’d like to take home one of these bikes, or one of the kayaks, C-1’s or canoes which will be brand new in the spring, be on the lookout for our fall sale list. Since we can buy at a considerable discount, we can make you a great price after one summer’s use! (And there are older boats and bikes at even better prices…)

BARN LIFE

Carrie, the barn manager, is excited about you all coming to help her ride these horses. She has been living here since the first of February and is keeping things at the barn running well. In addition to taking care of all of your favorite horses from last year, she, Lee and Nancy have been buying some new horses!

You may remember the pictures from our first newsletter showing us tearing down the walls of the Little Ring. You will be happy to know that the new and improved little ring is ready to go for the summer.

Those of you who were here last summer hopefully remember Gus and Mills. They remember you and are very ready for you to come back. Nancy and I are running out of hands to pet them and they keep asking us when you are coming back. We have some new additions to our dog family as well. Carrie, the barn manager, has a big golden retriever named Tacoma who is loving life at the barn. Frances and Mills have had a new dog join their home as well. Goose is his name and, if he is good, he may be around some this summer.

OTHER NEWS

Maggie Hicks (former camper and future counselor) is finishing up her time in Zimbabwe. She has been teaching in a school there and getting to do some traveling in her free time. One of her most recent adventures was walking with the elephants.

Here is what her email said about the elephant walk: “It was absolutely amazing. First you watch them do tricks and then you start walking with them. You get to walk right beside them. Then you get to go up and pet them. As you are walking they try and touch you with their trunks. The whole time you are making your way to this lake where you watch them swim. It was one of the coolest things I have ever done. After that you get to go pet tame cheetahs.”

We received some information from Oldfields School and were excited to see Sarah Norman’s face on the front of the brochure. Smile Sarah Smile! 2004 June Camper Hannah Humphrey has been busy traveling on her school vacations. She has been to Japan, France, and England in the past 6 months. She even spent a few days in Ireland when there were some flight delays.

Tera Macias, 2004 staff member, has been in touch and is currently working 3 jobs! Talk about a working woman! She will be joining us for the whole summer and is excited about a break from all of her jobs. We have also heard from Marigny Johnson Bostock! She and her husband Jon are both about to finish grad school and she is doing lots of work with the Greater New Orleans Senior Olympics. You can check out what she’s been up to at www.gnoso.org.

Liddlell Shannon and Katie Hawkins, both on staff in 04, met up recently in New Zealand. Katie Hawkins has been studying there for the semester and getting the chance to do some awesome paddling including some heli-boating (where they fly you and your gear to and from the river). Liddell is there with some friends doing lots of hiking…and I mean lots girl! Their travels there crossed paths for a few days and Liddell was kind enough to mail us a pic of the two of them. Liddell also got to ride in Blush, Katie’s pink Honda civic.

Don’t worry… Liddell has not just been having fun! She and her singing fire man hamster were encouraged to do some research for camp while they were there. After months of work, she has finally been able to give us the secret recipe for the Kiwi’s (New Zealander’s) version of GORP. Here is her official report:

“SCROGAN: is an acronym for a New Zealand trail mix that includes Sultanas (green raisins are called sultanas for some reason), Chocolate, Raisins, (why they needed to include both types of raisins in their version of Gorp is anyone'sguess), Oranges, Ginger, Almonds, and Nuts.”

Greer Putnam Haines has been in touch to let us know that she is pregnant! There seems to be a Mondamin/Green Cove baby boom going on at the present moment. Camps future is looking bright? Alex DeLucenay Saul sends us current updates as well and is doing well in Portland. She has a new job working with a woman to open a new business…kind of a one stop for natural body wellness and fitness. I frequently get to talk to her while she is walking Marshall or taking him to the dog park. Sophie Ruppert (swimming '01, mtn '02, mtn '03) is getting married!