Spring Break '13: Primetime Service Retreat

CWE365 is an urban extension of our secluded summer camp. Though students spend their summer camp terms in a unique and natural setting – a place on Beaver lake, a place with blobs, a place with a chow hall – the other months in which they interact with War Eagle are usually spent indoors. Gyms, classrooms, office space – these become Camp War Eagle, if only once a week, through the CWE365 program.

This past Spring Break we had a chance to integrate our year-round program with the facility that our students know and love. Camp War Eagle itself is a character in the testimony of our students, as much as any director or counselor, and our students seized the opportunity to reunite.

For only a weekend, we transported over a hundred middle school students back to camp, just under two-and-a-half months before the first summer session. Despite the unseasonal sunshine and warm weather, they came not just to play but to work.

We marked our second annual community service spring break with these middle school students, and they exceeded expectations. These students worked seven hours on a Saturday with different organizations and within Camp itself. Students renovated picnic sites at Hobbs State Park. Others built nature trails with Ozark Off-Road cyclists. Many cleared campsites, “I found a Coke can from 1993!” said one student, others recalling that working on the camp sites was “Awesome-sauce!” Others spread mulch and executed more jobs inside Camp boundaries. Their work was superb.

It wasn’t all work. Students were reunited with their old counselors, stayed in their old cabins and were put through the War Eagle ringer of camp competitions, including a Dodgeball tournament, a photo scavenger hunt, and the classic camp night game, Mission Impossible! “Mission Impossible is the best thing at camp and the best thing at Spring Break!” said Julie of Rogers. Sonia, also of Rogers, echoed the statement, “It was fun to sneak around in the dark… fun because I’ve known my cabin mates for a long time and that makes what they do funny.”

An even deeper aspect was stated in the theme of the weekend, “Recharge.” Throughout the retreat students had the chance to “recharge,” and refocus on Christ. “It was a great experience. I enjoyed learning about God and being able to enjoy camp again. The community service was a great way to bond and help the environment,” said Angel, of Springdale, who started attending Primetime consistently after coming to the Spring Break retreat. Sonia recounted one of her favorite memories of the weekend was “learning how to get back on track and continuing to learn about God.”

As a pre-teen or even teenager, community service can be abstract concept, disconnected from their daily lives. But for the students in the CWE365 program, their community is Camp. The kids that attend, the counselors that work and the place itself. And in this weekend, community service became a solid concept and necessary piece of life for students. Their dedication to serve others, apparent in  motivated effort, speaks volumes on their greater desire to meet the needs of Northwest Arkansas. In a time of rare freedom, our students chose to serve their community and work for the benefit of others.

Spring Break '13: Summit Retreat Part 2

This is part 2 of a two part series on the great adventure that was Summit Retreat 2013! To read part one, click here.

Nighttime activities began with a photo scavenger hunt, in which students used clues to find props at camp to take pictures with. Cabins then carried their props to the next stations and ended with all of their props at the finish line. Prizes were awarded to the Most Creative Picture, Fastest Time, and Best Face. On another night, students were served hot chocolate and given board games to play in their cabin area. After a hard day at work, students enjoyed the relaxation time together. The last night concluded with a huge black light party, a highlight of the retreat for many campers. Rogers Summit student Michael Wilkinson said, “It was fun, crazy, loud, and all around awesome!” Both campers and counselors dressed in their best black light attire and sported glow-in-the-dark necklaces. Everyone had a great time dancing with others!

The spring break retreat also included the second annual Summit retreat Dodgeball tournament. Cabins joined forces in a huge tournament, and the teams competed with each other in a round-robin style tournament. Another notable event was Ozone’s very own “Movie in a Minute” competition. Each cabin was given a popular movie and told to act that movie out in a 60 second timeframe. Movies needed to include up to five scenes, and a wealth of props were available. The event was a crowd favorite.

The retreat concluded on Friday morning with a healthy-eating lesson by Mrs. Karen in the Crafts Center. Students mixed fruit, yogurt, and granola and learned about the nutrition in their food. Students were encouraged to look at the labels on their food and make healthy decisions. They then took pictures, ate one final Chow Hall meal (with a surprise “Planet Eagle” style dance party amidst eating), spent time talking through questions with their cabins, and watched the Retreat video.

Because students were placed in cabins based on location and age, many Ozone students had the opportunity to get to know one another on a far deeper level. As they continue to come to club together each week, those who attended the retreat feel a greater appreciation and understanding of each other. Friendships were born, relationships deepened, and God’s name was made known. That’s what happens at one of the best places on earth.  

Springbreak2013 from CampWarEagle365 on Vimeo.

Spring Break '13: Summit Retreat Part 1

Camp War Eagle, to many students, is one of the best places on earth. From Chow Hall cheers to cabin time to fun and games, Summit students had the opportunity to experience camp life during their spring break. Over 120 students converged on Camp War Eagle for “Recharge,” Ozone’s spring break community service retreat. During the day, students invested over 990 collective hours in the community while nighttime activities consisted of games, a talk, devotional time, and special events.

Students spent their days serving the community in venues like the Jones Center in Springdale and the Rogers Activity Center. Ozone utilizes both buildings for club each week, and spring break allowed students the opportunity to give back. At the Jones Center, students participated in a variety of projects including painting lines in the parking lot, cleaning the playground, painting the inside of the Youth Strategies building, and raising the grade on the back sidewalk. At the Rogers Activity Center, they had the opportunity to work in the gardens, sort jerseys, and help complete other needed tasks in the building. Several of the older boy cabins traveled to Hobbs State Park, where they transported mulch to improve the picnic area.

Not only did the community service help the community, it taught students valuable lessons about how to best utilize their time and serve others. Fayetteville eighth grader Katy Beth Ezell said, “My favorite part was knowing that we were helping people in the whole community and that we were able to actually go somewhere and do something with our Spring Break.”

Students returned to camp each night to enjoy an amazing camp-style Chow Hall dinner. Chow Hall cheers echoed across the room each night, from “Lean With it, Rock With it” to the infamous “Beaver Call.” Cabins bonded with each other through discussions about the upcoming talk or while challenging other cabins during trivia night.

Following dinner each night, the group transitioned to the Crafts Center for a time of worship and learning from God’s Word. During the acoustic-style worship, students sang a variety of familiar songs and were introduced to a few new ones that they enjoyed. Recharge, the theme for the week, was taken from the book of Philippians. Springdale director Wes May began the retreat by talking about why we should look, in action, like Christ. Fayetteville director Ricky Shade shared the next night about having the attitude of Jesus and practicing true humility. Springdale director Erin Wiltse then spoke on the fruits of a life that pursues Christ. Wes May closed out the weekend by sharing his personal story and commissioning students to recharge their thoughts, attitudes, and actions to pursue Jesus in all that they do.

Part two of our look at Summit Retreat will appear on the blog in two days!