Kenna Reid on break from her studies at OSU, is heading up the Archery Range this summer at Camp Howard. A highly popular activity, Reid has plenty of participation from enthusiastic participants!
Author Sr. Krista von Borstel
Courageous Hearts
Kayla Houston and Andreas Markantonakos have spent the summer building courage in young boys and girls through activities on the “Howling Howard” zipline at Camp Howard. The massive fir trees provide a shade from the warm temperatures this summer as the youngsters and their mentors zip across the camp enjoying the features of the zip line and the fantastic views at the camp.
Gimpl Hall Dining Days are Coming to an End at Camp Howard
Gimpl Dining Hall, named for Rev. Carl Gimpl, will always be a very special place to us. Our first experience of the building (1997) however, was not positive once we stepped inside. The building was in dire need of maintenance including a new floor, maintenance, windows and color! It took a few years to accomplish those tasks and even after giving it a cosmetic facelift, problems lurked in the rafters and foundation.
Recognizing the eventual condemnation of the building, we got ahead of the situation and started a capital campaign to replace the old structure. Last summer a beam cracked forcing a quick examination by local engineers. A support was installed to get it through the summer of 2018. It won’t be easy to say goodbye to a building that saw the opening of Camp Howard in 1953 and welcomed every camper to visit since. Plenty of pictures have been taken over the years and it is well documented.
The building use as a dining hall will be closed in two weeks as the camp moves to the new facility. It will be removed within the next two years to make way for a new chapel.
BELOW: 1998 Old plywood walls are cleaned and painted. Bats are added over the seams to help them lay straight!
BELOW: windows are added in 1998 to the end of Gimpl Hall to let light shine into the building. Greatly improved the view as there was no view prior!
BELOW: 2012 Gimpl Dining Hall is stained and trimmed for the first time in it’s history. The wood soaked up the stain with an unquenchable thirst. Gallons of paint were injected into the wood.
BELOW: 2013 New floor, walls and wainscoting replace the original plywood walls from 1953. The building looks are improved but the size is too small and there are problems in the rafters and foundation.
County Fair Theme for Hamburger Night
Hamburger night and Hot dog nights fall on Tuesday and Wednesday each week. Dinner is served on Horton Field, the music gets cranked up each night and the kids have a great time eating the hamburgers and dancing to the country music.
On Hot dog night the theme is “School Spirit!” Lots of kids wear Camp Howard shirts or their school shirts to show their connections.
It is hard to beat the taste of a good hamburger and hot dog! Two hundred campers attended camp this week and the line for “seconds” attested to the great food served!
Champions of Faith 2018 – Check it Out!
Also, listen to Stephanie Piering on KBVM last week talking about her experience in CYO Swimming and her choice to join the Faith!
https://materdeiradio.com/morning-drive-guest-stephanie-piering-cyo/
The Mural by Wayne Chin
As Mary’s Lodge, the new dining hall at Camp Howard continues to wrap up construction, the final phases of preparation are in the works including the painting of a mural by Wayne Chin. He came early in the afternoon last week and said he would like to get it blocked out. He prepped his lines on the wall and laid out the under painting. It was amazing to watch!
I need to remember to tell him a refrigerator will go where his ladders are and can he move the raccoons? 🙂
Courage to Lead
Paige Alie has slipped into a role at camp this year that seems to fit her well. She acts like she has been doing for quite a long time but in fact she just began three weeks ago! Her role for all practical purposes is the youth leader of Camp Howard for the summer. She is the person viewed by the young campers as the person in charge. She directs the traffic, the ringmaster you might say.
It thrills the older adult leadership team to watch Paige and her contemporaries take charge of the camp and execute the activities. It is youth leadership development at its best!
Paige prepares for Cougar Campfire Thursday night of camp with all of the new cougar awards to be awarded!
Greenwood Village at Camp Howard
In addition to the bright shiny packaged activities at the camp, creative play in places like Greenwood Village are hard to beat! As is evidenced by the pictures, the kids have been hard at work building forts and experiencing the wonder of the area.
Camp Howard Has a Great Staff!
Every year we wonder, how could we get a better staff than this…somehow, God provides! We have a first class group of young men and women at Camp Howard this summer doing some very special work. They are MAKING GREAT MEMORIES FOR KIDS!
Our Staff Members this Year:
Youth Program Leader: Paige Alie (She is the leader of the pack!)
Unit Directors: Anthony “Fergie” Ferguson, Emily Cochran, Madeline Parvankin, Maggie Miller & Hannah Duffey.
Program Staff: Anthony Cioeta, Colleen Rooney, Gabe Klinger, Kay Greene, Kayla Hoston, Kenna Reid, Latece Brown, Gabe King, Erik Gravengaard.
Counselors: Amanda Weddle, Amber Parkins, Andreas Markantonatos, Carlie Leach, Elijah Ward, Elle Vodden, Gianna Sullivan, Jeremy Clark, Kelly Gentry, Kelsey Stankye, Kenna Sandblast, Mads Gwynn, Margo Stermer, Mariah Graham, Marquis Cruz, Meg Gilbert, Natalie Andersen, Olivia Worley, Phillip Kent Jr., Ryan Ohm, Skylar “Sky” Deitch, Sofie Dobberfuhl, Thomas Gray.
Year Around Leadership: Nora Gravengaard, Camp Director, Shawna King, Asst. Camp Director, Leila Blakely, Health and Safety Director, Sr. Michael Francine, Camp Store, Karen von Borstel, Property Director, Sr. Krista Exec. Dir.
We are also most grateful for the support we receive daily from the CYO/CH office in Portland where the staff do all possible to help make camp run smoothly!
Congratulations Werner!!!
Werner Nistler Jr. and his wife, Colleen were the chairs of our Champions of Faith benefit dinner in 2011 and 2012! A very well deserved award for sure! We are proud of you!
CYO/Camp Howard 