Our First Ceramics Master

One of our two ceramics instructors, Ali Mayer, is here today to share some exciting news about the Ceramics studio! Ali has a deep connection with the program, as she was an Assistant Counselor the summer we began Ceramics. She shares how the studio has not only shaped her story, but a glimpse into how it is impacting others.

"Hello! My name is Alison Mayer and I am one of the ceramics instructors this summer. 

Ceramics was added to the activity roster in 2010 in an effort to expand the arts at HoneyRock. When I was an Assistant Counselor, I had the opportunity to be in the studio. My experience working with the clay that summer shaped the path of my lif, giving me a vision for the direction that God was leading me. Creating art became passion which has continued to grow since that summer. In order to fulfill my calling, I am pursuing a degree of Fine Art at Emily Carr University of Art and Design. My desire is to become an art professor at a small college or art school.

I am very pleased to introduce the very first ceramics masters student at HoneyRock, Jacob Fisco! Jacob participated in Advance Camp this summer and has been coming to HoneyRock for several years. He has participated in the ceramics program since it’s beginning. As a Masters student, Jacob created a tea set including a teapot, saucers, and tea cups. He also created a series of five mugs, learned how to load and fire the kiln, made glazes and slips, plates, lidded jars, and the list goes on. Another important part of all Masters awards at HoneyRock is the service and assisting hours that the student completes, giving back to the activity area. Jacob served all areas of the studio for a total of six hours in order to receive his Masters. It was a great joy to work with Jacob and share in something we have both come to love so much at HoneyRock!"

The Ceramics studio serves more than our camper programs. During the spring, Professor Hooker runs a Woodfire class, where Wheaton students come to HoneyRock for two weeks to create pieces, firing them in our wood kiln. The studio will also play an incredible role in Vanguard year, coming September 2015.

{Recipe} Oatmeal Bake

Over the summer, a couple people have asked us for our Oatmeal Bake Recipe. While we keep our bread recipes under wraps, the Oatmeal Bake is fair game. From Res campers to staff, it's a loved meal around here - love to eat or love to...well, pass up. One way to start a lively breakfast discussion is debate whether OB really is the best breakfast or not. Anyway, eat it plain, top it with applesauce, vanilla or plain yogurt or maybe a combination of all three. Any way you top it, it's guarenteed to bring back those camp vibes. 

We assumed you probably won't want to manage 3 gallons of oatmeal and 48 eggs, so we've cut down our recipe from twelve oatmeal bake casseroles to one. Depending on age and size of the cabin, a little more than one casserole can feed about eight hungry Res campers and their two counselors. We would venture a guess of two casseroles for a hearty breaksfast for 10 of our Activity Staff - but those are just guesses!

The things you'll need are pretty basic: two bowls, a mixer, measuring cups/spoons, casserole dish (9x11?), cooking spray. As for ingredients:

4 cups oatmeal
1 cups brown sugar
1/3 T salt
1 & 1/3 t baking powder

4 eggs
1 1/2 cup oil
2 cups milk
3.5 T vanilla

1. Mix your dry ingredients in mixer, add wet and mix well; 4-5 minutes on 2nd speed.
2. Spray casserole dish & pour in mixture.
3. Bake 300F for about 45 minutes, rotating dish half way through.
4. Cool oatmeal bake before serving.

As far as toppings go - we've seen a lot. Chocolate chips, plain yogurt, vanilla yogurt, brown sugar, honey, apple slices or apple sauce. We could even imagine a good strawberry or blueberry topping... any way you have it, Oatmeal Bake is the best!

Saturday Snapshot

It's been a busy couple of days around here! There are so many moving parts of camp at this point that we thought giving a brief snapshot of each program would be a good catch-up.

Intro Camp

We just said goodbye to our Intro campers this morning. It was a crazy fun-filled week of experiencing new things with our 3-5th grade campers: eating yummy meals in Chrouser, singing at Zacco, buying candy from the BeeHive, diving into the Word in Cabin Impacts, sitting around a campfire telling stories...not to mention the time visiting all the activities HoneyRock has to offer! Talk about a busy week!

Make sure to see Monday's post about how to unpack your camper's week at HoneyRock!

Strutting their stuff during this year's Olympic Fest

Res Camp

To all of our Res Campers out there, we are SO pumped for you to be up at camp and finally meet you! Our first session begins this Monday (click for drop-off details). The counselors are busy this weekend resting up, planning, and doing the much needed laundry-run into town.

Camper Worship - looking forward to do the same with this year's campers!

Advance Camp

The boys have been out on trip since Tuesday afternoon and will arrive back at camp sometime today! They will spend the next two weeks in camp where daily bible studies, activity time, group worship, campfires and more occupies their time.

Yesterday, the girls went rafting on the Wolf River! They made it back in time for the ski show and the cook-out on the lawn. They are busy today doing laundry before they go on trip this Monday. After a busy week of being in camp, they are ready to get out into the wilderness to experience creation and all God has to teach them there.

The "Protons" make a rainy day bright with their colorful jackets.

2:22

2:22's counselors just returned from their final training trip! This Monday about 60 2:22ers come to camp, ready to engage in activity areas, a wilderness trip, service opportunities, and delve deeper into their faith through daily group bible study, evening hot topic discussions, and guided personal quiet times. 

Service Team

Service Team spent their first days at camp doing get-to-know-you type initiatives with their cabins. They have also made the Olympic Parade epic, helped run our big Olympic Fest, and set up camp for our first Family Day of the summer. Service Team also turned Chrouser into an Olympic Banquet Hall, complete with real canoes, kayaks, streamers, archery targets and more for our Intro Campers - it looked great!

Service Teamers just left on trip yesterday, and will soon return! Once they are back at camp, job rotations will begin, working on and off camp to focus on others-oriented service.

Service Teamers ready to start Olympic Fest with the parade

AC's:

Our AC's had their first taste on life on the other side of the camper/staff line as they counseled their first cabins this week. JD, a long time HoneyRocker, remarked how great it is to go through all of the HoneyRock programs - a camper in Res Camp, Advance Camp, and 2:22, catching a glimpse of how camp is run through Service Team, and then making the switch to counseling as an AC. This is exactly what we love to hear! It's been awesome to see JD and others like him grow through the programs.

JD plays on the watermat with one of his campers

Stop back here on Monday to read a few tips about unpacking your camper's HoneyRock experience!

Meet Isaiah: Sailing Instructor

Meet Isaiah, our Sailing Instructor! In the States, Isaiah calls Lancaster, PA home, but has lived in Dakar, Senegal for most of his life. He's pumped to be up at camp this summer for his third HoneyRock experience. After Isaiah participated in Passage, he knew that he wanted to spend more time in this place. 

We asked Isaiah about his favorite part of working at HoneyRock, and he told us that apart from the community, he loves watching the mist over the quiet water in the early mornings before 5am.

Isaiah is at HoneyRock this summer after feeling a strong draw back to the place where he grew in Passage and counseled Advance Camp men. He says, "I know that this fits with the person God made me to be and my desire to bring people together in community...it all comes together to work well in this environment. I'm here to love and serve, all to the glory of God."

Isaiah shows the "Mojo Monkeys" a sail

Intro Camp girls listen as Isaiah explains parts of the boat

Olympic Fest is the Best!

After a morning filled with activities, Commissioner Captain Olympus began the Olympic Fest with a big parade – tractors, horses, athletes, aunts and uncles alike joined in to start the games and throw candy to the waiting fans.

The team ready to start the parade

 

Service Team helps throw candy

The afternoon was filled with playing greasy watermelon, jousting on the water mat, running in dizzy bat races, and sliding down our GIANT waterslide on the front lawn. There were also a couple new games like "Bionic Bud Ball" and Kayak Relay Races. 

Boys running the dizzy bat race

Kayak relay races were a hit!

Tomorrow is Olympic Banquet and Friday is Family Day! Haven't registered yet? Click here to let us know you're coming!

First Day of Camp

Today is the first full day of camp and the first day Activity Staff have campers in their area! Intro Camp takes a different approach to activities than Res Camp - instead of signing up for individual activities, the cabins visit the areas as a large group, making it to nearly all of the activities at camp. We love this change because it gives first time campers a chance to see all of the activities that HoneyRock has to offer. 

Olivia, Swim Instructor, invites a cabin into the Swim Area

Catching frogs in the Lagoon at Wilderness Skills! 

Yesterday we also welcomed incoming high school freshmen to Advance Camp, our three week program specifically designed to meet those entering 9th grade - answering the questions "Who am I? What is true? What is my purpose?" Advance Camp still shares similarities with Res Camp, including their time spent at activities. This morning, the guys packed up and headed out on their wilderness trips while the girls were able to choose an activity. 

Advance Camp men packing out.

Ali instructs an Advance camper on the wheel.

Tomorrow all of Res Camp has their big Olympic Fest, kicking off with a parade and moving into field games. We're pumped to start off the Northwoods Olympics!