The second phase of the zip line is being installed this week at Camp Howard. It is going to be pretty exciting to zip from platform to platform this summer with the length of the entire line at about 1000 feet total! Campers age 13 and up are eligible to participate in the zip line and big swing programs at camp. We will keep you posted on the progress.
Feb 26, 2017 – 4th Grade Girls Championships
St. Matthew (White) Coach: Jeff Tuck
Chanelle, Anya, Braxtyn, Alyssa, Emerson, Natalie, Berkleigh, Isabel, London
Madeleine (Blue) Coaches: Julie Cusumano, Heather Matteri
Katie, Lucia, Nora, Tessa, Isabel, Carlyle, Hailey, Ana
Q1: 3-1 St. Matthew
Q2: 7-5 St. Matthew
Quick back and forth game with girls who have a good understanding of the game and fundamentals. Growth and development will make both teams fun to watch in the future. They play with a lot of passion!
FINAL: St. Matthew 22 – Madeleine 17
St. Matthew 4th Grade Girls win the 2017 CYO Basketball Championship Title.
The Madeleine CYO Club wins 2nd place in the 2017 CYO Basketball Championship game.
On-line registration is now open for all of our general camping sessions, sport camps both in town and at camp, Family Camp, specialty Camps, etc. Join me this summer at Camp Howard for another exciting camping season! Bring a friend! (Or come alone and make new friends)
JANUARY 9, 2017 CYO/CAMP HOWARD–Anna McLean will step into the position of Program Director at Camp Howard for the 2017 summer camping season. Camp administration is pleased to name this position early in the year and look forward to working with her this summer. The Program Director is seen through the eyes of the summer campers as the “Camp Director”. That goal of the administrative staff behind the scenes such as Nora Gravengaard (Camp Director), Shawna King (Asst. Camp Director, Leila Blakely, (Health and Safety Director), Jolie Abraham Phanton, (CYO Office Liason), Karen von Borstel, (Camp Howard Property Director), and Sister Krista (Exec. Director) is to promote the youth in the Catholic Youth Organization to leadership roles.
McLean who has been a summer camper, Counselor in Training and on the summer staff for multiple years, brings a lot of “can do” to her role. She has been around the camp for many years and has a thorough understanding of what works.
Camp Staff positions are being filled between now and June. Individuals 18 years and older are sought to fill the nearly 60 positions available at the camp this coming summer. Camper materials will be available very soon. The snow and ice took a toll on our process at the end of December and early January!
SISTERS OF ST. MARY OF OREGON JANUARY 7, 2017
After graduating from Oregon State University with my degree in Education, I entered the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon. February 1980 was my entrance month. One of the things that I found interesting was when a Sister would go through the dying process and pass away. I have to be honest, I was uncomfortable with the idea of death in the early days of my religious life. Thirty-seven years later, I am very comfortable with all aspects of the process and I understand clearly that we will all make that journey one day.
This morning, Sister Janice Boogard left us after a struggle with her health. We all walked the journey with her, drove her to appointments, visited with her, prayed with her, and these past several nights, stayed at her bedside 24 hours per day until she made her way to our Lord this morning around 9:30am.
I heard a call over the intercom from Sr. Julie, our house superior, announcing that Sr. Janice had passed away. Our tradition is to go to the room of the deceased and pray together with the body as the soul continues on the journey to God. We gathered together and prayed the prayer of departure then sang together. Each Sister says goodby as we prepare for the body to leave the convent and go to the mortuary where it is prepared for the funeral.
After you have lived several decades with a person there is a sorrow that accompanies the process even though you are happy they are free of the suffering they have endured. The feeling you have for their family members are deep as well as you have come to know them as a result of your association with the Sister and the families association with the community. One of Sister Janice’s blood sisters was with her as she passed this morning which was very special.
I will write about her funeral next week.
CYO/CAMP HOWARD JANUARY 6, 2017–Cancelling games is one of the hardest things we do at CYO/Camp Howard in Portland, OR. We know how much you want to play and we WANT YOU TO PLAY! When the weather becomes a factor, and everyone is cancelling their activities, we take it all into consideration because ultimately, we want our players, coaches, officials and parents to be safe!
The athletic team here at CYO is working on contingency plans to help make up games where possible. That is a gigantic effort which takes the participation of Athletic Directors, School facilities, coaches and team families to help make the games up.
In the meantime, be safe this weekend and we will see you at a gym near you very soon!
JANUARY 5, 2017–The power went out Wednesday night at 1:00 am. The water was left dripping in key areas of the camp such as the faucet in the dining hall to keep the pipes from bursting. Good news is that we use wersbo (flexible pipe) in some areas of the camp where pipes have a tendency to freeze. If you look carefully at the photo below you will see it is frozen water not running water.
The lumber has been ordered to fix St. John the Apostle. After the snow and ice go away and it warms up a little bit, we will get started and make it better than new!
Stay warm! Camp Brochures almost ready for 2017!
December 8, 2016
The cold winter winds and icy snow and rain sometimes play havoc at Camp Howard. Fortunately we do not have a lot to complain about but about every 5 years a cabin comes in contact with a falling tree. During my 20 years with the camp all of the destruction has taken place in Aldergrove unit (built in 1995).
A tree fell during the night and pretty much destroyed a Greenwood cabin, St. John the Apostle. This unit was built in 1955 making it the second unit built at Camp Howard after the original Fircrest Unit built in 1953. The tree pretty much had its way with the cabin and crushed one side of the cabin entirely opening the cabin and destroying the bunks, roof, floor, pylons, windows and heating system!
What next? Generally we have been able to repair the cabins that have been hit but this one is probably a total loss. We will see. The good news is that this is the one unit that has not been re-roofed yet! How’s that for finding the sunny side? And most importantly, no one was at the camp as is our practice during times of high winds.
Photo Credits: Karen von Borstel, Property Director, Camp Howard
CYO NOV.19,2016 – The CYO Volleyball Championship weekend is upon us as teams prepare to battle it out on the courts all over the city for various division titles. The CYO Championship SPIKE games will be held at Valley Catholic School beginning with third grade girls and the last games will finish in the early evening for 8th grade girls. Stay tuned for team scores and photos as we get ready to play some CYO Volleyball! 
After dinner each night at Camp Howard, Old Glory is lowered and cabins take turns with the honor. Campers learn to address the flag, proper protocols and folding the flag. The flag was lowered the last time by the kids on Thursday night. On Friday, after the busses head back to town, the camp staff lower the flag. It is raised each morning again by camper groups with the intent of each cabin having the opportunity to participate. This time honored tradition is an important part of the camping experience at Camp Howard.
CYO/Camp Howard 