4-H Camp (Tawasentha) Visit and Three Seniors

4-H Camp (Tawasentha) Visit and Three Seniors

Pretext

I very much appreciated when Sam, my close choir friend, and an unwavering 20-year dedicated 4-H Club volunteer suggested the visit to the camp on 7/16/2015.   Why?  We both love this club that provides youth development and mentoring program in the U.S. and around the world.  But, he missed it this year.   Jen-Jen, my grandnephew, Eric, and I unfortunately did not even make it in 2013 because of me.

Sam – A Seasoned Marksmanship Counselor

  Sam’s mother, 93-year-old, has been in and out of the hospital with health issues since December.  Juggling with care-giving responsibilities and work, he’s all drained physically and mentally.  He did not participate the camp as the regular marksmanship counselor this year.  His left knee has also been troubling him that forces him to walk with the cane when he tried desperately not to.  I sometimes conceal the heartache feelings about the reality of aged wear and tear to his body.  A strong sense of longing to see his campers on the day of the campfire night seemed to be logical.

Janice – Meant to be the Origami Art Counselor

  Much to my surprise, Sam also noticed how much this 4 – H camp meant to my grandnephew, and me in the summer of 2013.  I was going to be one of the counselors as I had promised to my grandnephew, a 14-year-old rambunctious and fluent English-speaking teenager.  I had to cancel the program due to my failed physical check-up on TB skin test.  It’s a requirement for all camp counselors and the campers.  Before I was ready to turn in my own physical form on the deadline 3/15/2013, Eric’s registration was already halfway done, partially deposited, in the office of University of Maryland’s 4-H Youth Development Office.  I know Eric was very anxious to start his solo trip adventure to America for his grandaunt’s class – Origami (The ancient art of Japanese paper folding) in the camp. 

Jen-Jen – Meant to be the Registered Nurse Counselor

Well, everything happens for a reason.  I had the thoracic suction on my left lung on 4/2/2013 at Johns Hopkins Hospital.  My life was left at the doctor’s miracle surgical scalpel.  Luckily, it’s a negative mass.  During these three years, Jen-Jen and I have become the closest friends, almost like sisters.  I vividly remember the day when I was out of the hospital with the bandaged dressing on one of the three surgical incisions located at my left chest.  She mercilessly yanked the Gauze off for me.  I let out a shrill cry with my husband’s wide-eyes open unbelievably.  Jen-Jen was surprised that he did not kick her out of the house.  Her instruction carried the force of authority,  “The cut needs to stay clean and air-dry, please take one of the 200 Oxycodones (strong pain killer) that Doctor prescribed for you!”  Jen-Jen is a retired registered nurse from U.S Air Force.

Eric – My Grandnephew

A Missed Opportunity, But No Regrets

Eric was a 14-year-old junior high school student then.  I realized that the 4-H summer camp door closed for him because of me.  What was behind it wasn’t actually meant for him.  He must slug it out the next three years in senior high school to survive the cutthroat competition for the limited slots in the toughest college entrance exam in Taiwan.  Three years later, he was accepted into National PingTung University of Science and Technology.  On the eve of his college registration day last week, he hinted to me that “when one door closes, another opens.”  I appreciated his open-minded attitude that somehow obliviates my guilt-stricken trip for the past three years.

4-H Camp Tawasentha


This camp Tawasentha is located in Garrett County, Swanton, Maryland.  It’s about 150 miles away from my house in Gaithersburg; with the population of 58 according to census count in 2010.  The campsite is a part of University of Maryland Extension of Garrett County, a non-formal education system within the College of Agriculture and Natural Resource.  It’s in a heavily wooded dense forest of land and the famous Cunningham Lake.  This remote region used to be a logging and coal mining community that turned into a popular modern vacation destination – Deep Creek Lake State Park. 

If I tell my grandnephew to memorize 4-H motto and pledge, it probably won’t mean anything to him.  He really needs to do it himself in order to learn the real meaning. 

I still remember visiting a student from Taiwan Provincial Pingtung Institute of Agriculture (臺灣省立屏東農業專科學校) on a 4-H international exchange program with the host family in 1973.  We, the graduate students from Virginia Tech visited him at the outskirt town at Blacksburg, Virginia.  We were concerned for how a lonely college student would have survived the homesickness during the winter holiday season.  We saw him dressed up with heavy drab coat, probably the charity from the host family, hands in grimy gloves with the heavy-duty pitchfork sorting out the big piles of cow manures in the freezing cold and smelly barn.  It was about 35 degree.  I was shivering, and my teeth chattered.  If he ever learned anything about how to operate the big farm equipments placed outside the small farm, we would not know about it from a one-day visit.

       

We exchanged stories of graduate students’ suffering and hardship.  It was probably the same with only different kinds of pains that would help us turn around to reach the ultimate goals of learning something we couldn’t get from Taiwan.  What we earned with hard labor either mentally or physically was always sweet.  No matter how difficult it is to get what we want, it will certainly help us move to a better life.

We left him with bags of home-cooked holiday meals and goodies for him.

Note – 4-H pledges

1.  I pledge my head to clearer thinking 2. I pledge my heart to greater loyalty 3. I pledge my hands to larger services 4. I pledge my health to better living, for my club, my community, my country and my world.

Note – Tawasentha, is the alliance treaty signed between the Indians and Hollanders in 1617.

Note – National PingTung University of Science and Technology (國立屏東科技大學)was upgraded from Taiwan Provincial Pingtung Institute of Agriculture (臺灣省立屏東農業專科學校) in 1997.

Sideling Hill

You can’t miss this 340-foot deep cut hill on the way from Maryland to West Virginia border.  It’ s a spectacular view all year around.  I kept the winter picture when we had the family ski trip in West Virginia. 

Tom’s Leatherwork Class

These youngsters made beautiful badges with creative shape and designs.  Tom is the senior counselor.  He started when he was a 5-year-old with his counselor mother.  Lucky him!

Craftwork Class at Lodge Hall

The hall can be used as the site for rainy day activities.  All the campers are busy with their crafts making.

Cabin B – Sam and Patrick O’Handard

Sam spent his good time here for the past 20 years.  It’s a small world to bump into his nephew, Kai’s old camp pal, Patrick O’Handard.  He is homeschooled, a bright junior working at 4-H as a junior Counselor now.
See the shoes drying up on the tin roof and the towels hanging up on the tree branches?

Up the Hill - Trails to Sam’s Rifle Shooting Range

Warning – Rifle Range Area – Do Not Enter.  I can see why Sam’s knees wore out from 20 years’ uphill treading 5 times a day on this rocky trail.  We saw the shooting targets, markers, and the spent brass shells and casings.

Beach Volleyball Field

It’s situated at the remote mountain site away from the ocean to test the campers’ athletic abilities.  

Cunningham Lake

This is a clearly see-through lake deposited the soft clay and sandstone, iron sulfate from the old coal mining.  We can see the tiny fish swarming around waiting for us to feed them lunch.  The lake offers the campers swimming, boating, canoeing, and hiking fun adventures.

Camp Fire Building

Tom and Fritz already piled up the logs for tonight’s campfire.  In a few hours, all the campers will gather around here to celebrate the end-of-camp award ceremony.   The campers I saw huddling around in the circle to hone their creative skills in acting, singing and skits.  They will be ready for their special 4-H camp night.  I am not sure if they will roast the marshmallows or not.

Tribe Meeting & Outdoor Assembly

Each group practices the special program for the big night ‘s talent shows

4-H Kitchen & Eating Hall

Granddad Ed Hogan Senior holds the fort where the hundreds of hungry campers would chow down on pizza, macaroni, hamburgers and all other delicious meals prepared by the kitchen staff.

SYSCO Delivery Truck

The main pipeline of food supply makes the weekly delivery ranging from water to any food products according to federal food safety.

Mini Bell Tower Site

The campers take turn to pull the rope for around the clock camp sessions – They learn the basic rules about the responsibilities and following the orders.  It’s a small task to inspire the children to become deeply invested in the camp experience.

Natural Center

The campsite – the forest is full of wildlife habitats – snakes, animals, game birds, little mice, butterfly, wild rabbits and different living things.

My innate fear reaction to the snakes is to hold both my thumbs hidden inside my fingers.  But, both the counselors, Jen-Jen and Sam are all fearless. 

Infirmary

Jen-Jen visits the infirmary to get acquainted with the head nurse.  One sick camper was being taken care of with the 100-degree temperature.

4-H Environmental Education & Camp Center

When we stepped outside to take the pictures, I heard the babbling creek around the low-hanging thick groves.  This idyllic country setting is for all the lucky campers.  We made it at least for visiting.  I will probably wait for my grandson, Forest, in another three years to attend the 4-H camp somewhere in America if Tom was here when he was 5 years old.

The whole link for this 4-H camp visit is the following:

https://picasaweb.google.com/112480790564624696310/July222015?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCPmVqaiUlqLObA&feat=directlink