Cheri: Is there anyway we can do Archery at camp?

Camp Shalom - very beautiful, very peaceful, very clean

What worked: Crafts, Hidden Talent Show, YCL's teaching certification with poster visuals I made and laminated, Canoes, Confidence, encouraging girls to memorize a daily scripture pertaining to theme (reward given afterwards), Parent letters to girls (given after testimony mtg), Lunch/Activity by Relief Society, Makeover Time (lots of nail polish and head bands), Secret Sisters, Waterbottle holders (ribbon with o-ring sewn at ends - slips over waterbottles), Name tags above girls beds (Cami strung string through holes above shelves and name tags clipped with clothes pins, pockets for secret sister notes, help getting equipment up, set up and taken down with priesthood help, great support from ward YW leaders, Testimony talk and time with Bishopric, "All" the Stake Workshops were excellent.

What didn't work: Ugh! Don't like to think about that one but....overplanned with large amount of girls and fleeting time. First day count on late start to everything - maybe make journals before coming to camp, more journal/scripture time needed, don't wake up Laurels or leaders with Laugh Yoga, more pre-camp certification, oops - missed star observation - miscommunication, canopies not working and using duct tape with creativity, forgot snack box but girls survived, forgot to make special treats for priesthood 'guards', tooo exhausted for bedtime stories for girls (6-11pm sends me snoring :) More lanterns for night, Count on buses arriving late to camp on Saturday, more time for the girls to just hang out and PLAY!

All in all it was a fun first time camp experience for me. My favorite....the secret sister reveal (hugs all around) and testimony meeting! Although being ambushed by the girls for their parent letter was amazing - they really do care!

Ideas: I will post places where I found ideas and crafts off the internet another time.

I hope you have received some ideas...I look forward to seeing your ideas :)

1) Girls all seated for testimony meeting

2) Bishopric playing along with our Alice "Curiouser" theme at our Unbirthday Party where the girls ended up playing 3 legged croquet with the Bishopric and their wives. Cami made their hats - seamstresses can do that kind of thing!

3) The girls in a spontaneous game which I will make more time for their year. Play!

Another look at the pots on Friday after they have "bloomed. Friday they were able to decorate their pots with colorful $1.00 store stones and cement grout.

Some Fun Ideas We Did:
Ty-Dye Shirts were so successful

Hidden Talent Time was hilarious

Making modge podge lanterns that

lite up our night with battery

$1.00 store lights was exciting

We also made the girls grown in their pots and added inserts like "temple, scriptures, Christ, etc on how they are growing each day

The relief society came up on Thursday for a "tea party" for the girls following our Alice theme. Afterwards they taught napkin folding and gave the girls a thought. They even brought up real "tea" cups and the finger foods were inventive and fun.

Having an organized kitchen area setup and shade for coolers/kitchen area was so wonderful. Colleen was a fantastic in helping the girls prepare ziplock fudge, dutch oven cheesecake, ad baggie omelets to name a few fun items. We also did cookies in a pizza box oven (which worked so-so).

If you have cabins in 18,19,20, you will need shade. We used 3 pop up shade canopies and used a tarp to make a 4th. We could have probably used a 5th. Used two and tarp over eating areas, one over cooking area.

The girls really enjoyed the confidence course by the lake...working together and taking turns. Successful!

The girls loved the canoes and didn't like the hike to the lake. We all survived. (Hint: Don't wear jeans or your only pair of sneakers to the lake - you WILL get wet). Successful! Except next year I will wear scrub bottoms and water shoes. The girls love their leaders.....wet!

The girls decorated Journals with scrapbook paper with Sis. Kimball's great crafting skills and they also made flower pens (hint: baby powder on the floral tape make pens less sticky). Successful! Cute girls :) We also made pockets hanging up in the background where the secret sisters could put notes in or we put a thought for the day they could paste in their journals. The girls decorated their pockets made of foam crafting stuff which were sewn with rope for handle. Successful when the girls checked their pockets. I also got tablecloths at close out at Walmart for $3.00 which added fun color in our camp.

We purchased canvas bags for $1.00 each from CheapTotes.com and decorated them with the theme and design was by Sydnie Stillwell our YCL. The girls had a place for their scriptures, journals and pens. They was a peg by each bed they could hang up their bags! Successful!

Theme for 2009 was Grow to Know then Show, so we selected a sub-theme "Curiouser and Curiouser" from Alice In Wonderland - getting "curiouser" about how we are growing. Awesome group of girls! These hats were made with love by their YW President Cami Kern. Cami's little flower blossoms.