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#Post#: 6304--------------------------------------------------
Camp Jackson
By: Jack Date: June 9, 2018, 4:42 am
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It might have only been in chat, but I mentioned yesterday that
I had a couple of big announcements. I had planned to spend a
leisurely day with the boys, and then hang with my fellow
teachers for the afternoon. I ended up doing both those things,
but also having to rush around signing paperwork for a couple of
things that have been in the works, but suddenly claim to
fruition yesterday.
The Huff Foundation purchased a decent-sized parcel of land out
east of the lake yesterday. I think the exact measurement is
18.7 acres. We actually obtained it pretty cheaply, since
housing is starting to slow again, and since it had been
purchased with the idea that Bransom would grow that way, rather
than west, towards Dallas.
I titled this Camp Jackson, because that's my working title for
the reason we bought it (after Percy Jackson).
Camp Jackson is going to be a summer camp, where we can provide
free 'tuition' (?) for special needs and underprivileged kids.
In the past (up to and including this summer), the Huff
Foundation has given scholarships to attend camps. This will
allow us to work at cost, and to avoid the cost of
transportation. It will easily be close enough to Bransom to
run a bus back and forth in one day, but it will be far enough
out that the kids get a sense of being away from town.
We aren't planning to open until next year, but the people who
work and volunteer at the Foundation have already been calling
around. First thing Monday morning, they will begin filling out
paperwork for grants to help us develop it. We already have
local businesses lining up to donate money, equipment, and labor
to get things set up.
I have a surveyor who'll be going out there Wednesday to take a
look at things, and then Steve has recommended a guy he knows
who does work with things like that, so I'll have to go into
Dallas for a meeting with him.
Our basic plan is, beyond the summer camp, to rent the
facilities through the year, with that money going, first to the
operational costs, and then, if there's any actual profit, going
back to the Huff Foundation. I also plan to make it available
to BCA for use for a variety of projects and meetings.
#Post#: 6308--------------------------------------------------
Re: Camp Jackson
By: Zyngaru Date: June 9, 2018, 9:18 am
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Youth camps are very close to my heart. I wish you well with
this endeavor.
#Post#: 6309--------------------------------------------------
Re: Camp Jackson
By: Leti Date: June 9, 2018, 10:57 am
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[emoji1513]
[emoji1454]
[emoji451]
I think that this is very nice, It will be great for a lot of
kids!
Hugs
[emoji307]
Leti
#Post#: 6310--------------------------------------------------
Re: Camp Jackson
By: kalico Date: June 9, 2018, 1:13 pm
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Congratulations on this new adventure and I love it!
Your amazing jack! HUGS 🤗
Hugs kal
#Post#: 6544--------------------------------------------------
Re: Camp Jackson
By: Jack Date: June 21, 2018, 4:51 am
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Yesterday morning, after paddling the Tidwell boys, I went out
to take a look at the land. The surveyor had finished his work.
I had wanted to wait until today, so I could work the comic
shipment yesterday, but it was the only day that Ryan (a
contractor, who's already promised to donate some work to the
camp), Mr. Mintz (another contractor), and I could all meet with
the surveyor.
Really, most of what he did was just mark our property, but he
also showed us a couple of places he thinks we might have to
worry about flooding if we have particularly heavy rainy
seasons. He also showed us a couple of areas that will
obviously get swampy if we have much rain. He also did a
contour map. While I couldn't read it very well, it does tell
someone with a bit more experience where the easiest places to
build will be.
There's a gentleman who owns the largest pool company in town.
They handle installations, but also he has teams that go around
and handle maintenance and cleaning on pools on a weekly basis
(I use them myself), and a repair team, and they even do some
general landscaping as well. It turns out that his oldest
grandson was one of my students this past semester, and another
of his grandsons will be in one of my classes this next year.
He has already agreed to donate two pools for the camp.
The staff at the Huff Foundation has already applied for a grant
to help with the early development of the camp. Most of the
grants that are available won't be available to us until later.
On the other hand, Ryan, both of whose brothers were/are ADHD,
went to his father, and they've agreed to handle the
construction of at least a couple of cabins and a main building,
and will at least help with the costs of the materials. Mr.
Mintz's company is too small for him to do anything like that,
but he is going to ask his people for volunteers and will work
for cost in doing some of the smaller work, like the sports
fields.
At this point, the big question is what we want to include.
We're still kicking around ideas for how many cabins of what
size will be optimal, and we know we want areas for kids to be
able to play team sports and individual games, and we know we
need a building for offices, a chow hall, and a room where most
of the kids can be indoors (can be the same as the chow hall,
probably).
Fortunately, most of this isn't stuff that I have to handle
myself, so I'm mostly just checking on things and giving my
input when asked.
#Post#: 6547--------------------------------------------------
Re: Camp Jackson
By: Zyngaru Date: June 21, 2018, 7:55 am
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Jack. I get very imaginative when I read about youth camps.
When I read your post, my mind went immediately to the cabins.
How about themed cabins. Make the bunk room more than just a
place to sleep. Examples. A tree house cabin. A fort cabin.
A hobbit cabin. A pirate ship cabin. etc. I could go on and
on, like a Nautilus cabin, then of course sports related cabins.
Although sports cabins don't appeal to me, many boys it would.
I am more for cabin themes coming out of books.
#Post#: 6550--------------------------------------------------
Re: Camp Jackson
By: kalico Date: June 21, 2018, 11:52 am
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Wow that’s great that your getting so much support and I think
this is an amazing idea.... can’t wait to hear how it all turns
out.
I like your idea Zyngaru
Hugs kal
#Post#: 6551--------------------------------------------------
Re: Camp Jackson
By: Jack Date: June 21, 2018, 11:53 am
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[quote author=Zyngaru link=topic=623.msg6547#msg6547
date=1529585755]
How about themed cabins. Make the bunk room more than just a
place to sleep.
[/quote]
Let me say first of all, that I love this idea.
Unfortunately, I also have to say that there's almost no chance
it will happen.
Within just a couple of minutes, I can think of a number of
problems with it. Let's start by remembering that this camp is
going to have two main goals. The first is hosting summer and
weekend camps for kids with various disabilities, but especially
those dealing with ADHD and related learning problems. The
second primary goal is to rent space to other organizations when
we have it, in order to defer costs for the first.
Actually, let's go back a bit.
I can see two ways this can be interpreted. First is actually
building the cabins in different ways, in regards to both how
the outside looks and how the inside is laid out. While that's
a great idea, I think it would be prohibitively expensive when
we're trying to build it with grants and donations.
The other way the idea can be interpreted is much less fun, but
also more feasible, though the same problems still arise. That
would be in the interior paint scheme.
The problems I see are with who will be staying in the cabins,
since I don't think we'll be able to isolate them to certain
ages or genders, and with the weekend rentals, they won't even
all be kids. Another problem would be the risk of vandalism.
If we have just ordinary cabins, it shouldn't be too much
trouble to paint over or erase writing on the wall. The more
detailed the interior decorations, the more trouble (and
expense) to repair anything (deliberate or accidental). The
third problem - probably the least major, but possibly the most
common - will be if a kid ends up in one cabin but wants to be
in another. One of the goals of this type of camp is to have
non-nueraltypical kids, kids who often have trouble making
friends, make new bonds and friendships. Putting a built in
cause for disruptions might be contraindicated.
On the other hand, maybe I'm jumping at nothing. I'll certainly
mention to some of the others who end up giving input. At the
very least, it will be interesting to talk to some college
artists and see if they're interested in contributing.
#Post#: 6590--------------------------------------------------
Re: Camp Jackson
By: David M. Katz Date: June 23, 2018, 2:45 pm
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The thing that comes to mind is that you should do this because,
well, you haven't got anything else to do. [emoji12]
#Post#: 6842--------------------------------------------------
Re: Camp Jackson
By: Leti Date: July 2, 2018, 10:24 pm
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I know that you have been busy with Imaginarium, Wedding and
returning campers, but, do you have more plans for the camp?
Thanks for sharing
Hugs
Leti
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