| Hear Ye! Hear Ye! To all 4th through 6th graders and their parents, prepare to be surely, certainly, and straight out stunned as you hear about the spectacularly astounding place called Sherwood Forest. You will experience the fullness of God's creation while you're introduced to Robin Hood and Maid Marian who are the protectors and guardians of the forest. Those campers who come to Sherwood Forest are welcome to become part of Robin Hood's "Merry Men and Maids". They will dress in green tunics and hats to be able to hide and move through the forest with stealth just like Robin Hood, and will be asked to take on special names that they choose, in order to disguise their old identity. For instance if your name is Kerry your "Sherwood Name" might be "Keri-aki Chicken Bowl" or if it is Jon it may be "Obi-Jon-Kenobi." But most important, Sherwood Forest is a place where all will learn about Jesus Christ, experience His love, and learn to draw closer to Him. How is the program geared toward the age group? In Sherwood we know how to have a good time. Maybe it means playing a giant water game with a hundred and fifty other campers. It could mean going on a hike to a waterfall or climbing to the top of a twenty-foot stump of a Giant Sequoia tree. Or perhaps it is being able to hand make your own custom candle is the shape and colors of your choosing. No matter who you are we have something for you. Our goal is to also help each and every camper experience and draw closer to the Lord. Whether they grew up in the church or this is their first experience with God. Of course we're not just talking about felt board lessons, we seek to use many different means to communicate God's messages to us. This could be through different games and activities to actively engage the campers in the learning process, teaching using the amazing creation around us, or through Bible stories and teaching from our speaker (the "Friar") at campfire. Who is the Staff? So who are the people that run this fabulous program? I'm glad you asked. We call them the "Fine Feathered Friends" because Robin Hood gave them special feathers to wear in their hats. There are many such Fine Feathered Friends that have a variety of jobs. The "Bowman" (or woman) of the forest is in charge of the program as well as very close to Robin Hood himself, so he keeps an eye on and supervises everything that goes on in the forest. The "Fun Gal of the Forest" runs the games and activities and makes sure that everyone is having fun. The "Medicine Maiden" is trained in first aid and is able to deal with any accidents or injuries that may occur during the week, whether a scraped knee or a stomachache. The "Craftiest Lady in the Land" is just that - crafty. She plans and runs the crafts that are available at free time, the best of which and most unique to Sherwood is candle making. The people that the campers get to know the best are the "Squires" or Lead Counselors. These are wonderful men and women hand selected by Robin Hood to lead their campers through all kinds of fun and adventures during the week. Whether cooking a meal over an open fire, leading games, or teaching about Jesus, the Squires seek to serve and love each and every camper in their group. Who are the Counselors? The volunteer counselors are perhaps the most important position we have. They give up a week of their summer to spend all their time with the campers. Throughout each day they build relationships with the kids as they lead morning devotions, go on all the hikes, and play all the exciting games. Our program could not happen without the volunteer counselors. In most cases, counselors are parents or volunteers who have come up with a church. But in some cases, Calvin Crest relies on outside volunteers to fill these positions for the week. Learn more about Volunteer Counseling. What happens on a typical day? What is a typical Day for a camper in Sherwood Forest? We wake up around 7:30 and have breakfast. Sometimes it is food that is delivered from the kitchen, but we also cook some meals such as breakfast burritos over an open fire too. After breakfast you will have time with your counselor and cabin and do a morning devotional Bible Study. Then it's time to go on an adventure with your Squire (Lead Counselor). This could be hiking to a waterfall, playing on the boats, going off a zip line, doing some arts and crafts, or one of many other exciting activities. It is during this time that your Squire will teach and lead in a lesson about God, teaching about Him through the Bible as well as his creation around us. After having so much fun on your adventure it's time for some lunch so you have some energy for the afternoon. Later will be some fun afternoon activities like playing in the pool or a camp-wide game such as "capture the flag" or a water competition. For when you're all tired out from all these activities we have "R&R" or "rest and relaxation" time in the afternoon where you just rest in your hut for a while, because you'll need to be ready for FREE TIME! For two hours every afternoon we have free time. During this time you can do whatever activities you want. You can shoot bows and arrows, make candles or other crafts, swim in or slide down into the "Loch" (a pond down in Sherwood), buy candy from the store, go up to the lake and play on the boats, and more! If you are in sixth grade you can also sign up to go on the ropes course. After all this fun it's time to get clean which means that after free time it's shower time and then dinner. Then in the evening we play some games on the green like "the blob" or "ultimate duck duck goose." After games we have a "Town Meeting" where all of Sherwood Forest gets together for fun and good times. We do some cheering, some giving of awards, some mail distribution, and a lot of craziness. You'll often see Robin Hood or Maid Marian stop by. Then it's off to campfire where we'll sing some songs about God and hear the "Friar" who is the speaker for the week talk more about God, expanding on the lessons earlier in the day. Then you'll head back to your hut to discuss with your counselor about all that you learned and what the Friar talked about. Finally, after all that excitement, all that adventure, and all that FUN, it's off to bed so you can do more tomorrow. |