DORKiiE: July 2012

Well, Hello friends:) I just want to tell you about the trip to Camp Royal and my experiences:)<3 Just in case you don't know, Camp Royal was host during June 9th to June 14th. I miss actually the last 4 days of school but I think it was worth it very much:) I want to let you know my thoughts and actually experience there for you guys:)

Caption: Camp Royal Ladies at Lake Sequoia, June 13, 2012 with our Camp Royal "blue" shirt for a weird awesome picture of all the ladies:) We have 6 or 7 staffs and about 105 girls:)<3 Love the view in the back.

About Camp Royal:

Camp Royal is organized to reward and further train High School Students who have completed their 11th

grade, and have previously demonstrated leadership ability. The program is designed to improve those

leadership abilities in preparation for their senior year of high school. At the camp, these participants are challenged with important opportunities, and encourage these leaders to think through, and resolve conflicts of value, and create a “Leadership Lab” in an environment where individual attendees can apply leadership concepts in a “Learn by Doing” arena.

GOALS: Camp Royal provides a separate boy’s camp and a separate girl’s

camp each summer at the rustic facilities at Sequoia Lake, near the

entrance to the beautiful Kings Canyon National Park.

Camp Royal program includes:

To provide an enriching experience to all participants.

To make it financially accessible for all applicants.

To achieve a high degree of Rotarian involvement.

To have a cohesive District project that unifies Rotary Clubs throughout D5230.

To maintain a follow-up activity with graduates of the camp.

To create an atmosphere at the camp that is one of learning, creativity and teamwork

Experiences and My Thoughts:)

Well, I have to say that it was an amazing experience that I would never forget about because of all the fun and also awesome people I met:)<3 It was a 5 day experiences with a lot of fun activities and also great and wonderful friends too. But on the 6th day basically was cleaning up and saying our good byes to everyone. Okay, so Camp Royal is hosted by the Rotary Club of 5230. And I am for sure there are other part of Rotary Club thought out the whole entire world. Basically, the one that took us there was call Rotary Club of 5230. This camp is only available schools that have a Interact Club or is somehow connect to the Rotary Club only to what I believe. This is only available to only JUNIORS (11th) Graders only.

So this Camp took people from (list of High Schools): [Fresno]: Buchanan; Bullard; Central Union; Clovis; Clovis East,West,North; Duncan Polytechnic; Edison; Firebaugh; Fresno; Hoover; Kerman; Roosevelt; San Joaquin Memorial; Sanger; Sierra; Sunnyside; University HS; [Visalia]: Corcoran; El Diamante; Exeter; Farmersville; Golden West; Granite Hills; Hanford / H West; Harmony M.; Lemoore; L. MidCol; Lindsay; Monnache; Mission Oak; Mt. Whitney; Poterville; Redwood; Strathemore; Tulare Union; Tulare Westion; Woodlake; [Reedley]: Dinuba; Fowler; Immanuel; Kingsburg; Orange Cove; Orosi; Reedley; Selma; [Monterey]: Carmel; Marina; Monterey; Pacific Grove; Robert Louis Stevenson; Santa Catalina; Seaside; York; [Salinas]: Alisal, Castroville; Greenfield; Everett Alvarez; Gonzales; King City; N. Monterey Co.; North Salinas; Notre Dame; Palma; Salinas; and Soledad.

These were the schools that were listed on the list when we got all the information. It was very nice because I meet a lot of people I never got to know at all, because they all come from different part of the valley or in California. It was an awesome experiences talking with them all. I also meet a lot of people who I never knew that live in the same city or town as me but they also know people that I know that go to there school meanings friends or cousin etc. Also another thing that was important was that the girls and boys were not together, we were actually separated, but somehow the boys were across the lake from us, which was somewhat fun and not that fun too I guess.

We were also to have our name tags on all the time and also have a pen and carry our notebook with us at all times too. There was snack for us to buy but there was a chance that there would be animals like bear there. Lmao.. I don't know I guess someone scream and they thought there was a bear out there and like we were totally scared and we wanted to throw our all of our junk foods. Also we saw a deer in front of our cabin in the morning.

(6/9/12) Day 1:

The transportation was provide to us on a bus at a entire area that all the people who lives in that area would go. Once we arrive, it was basically checking in and put our stuff in the cabins. I took for about 15 minute trying to pull my stuff up and also find my cabins. The funny thing were me and my friends were helping each other find each other cabins too. After that we have lunch which was amazing good too. We then have our very first General Assembly Session (GAS) which is basically we have a guest speaker there talking to us about things:) Which was our supervisor who talk about the Rotary Club and also introduce the other staff to us. We then went into some games activity which was introducing yourself to other people in the camp and also talking about what do we do as a leader. Then we went to saving the world in which we never got to finish the game at all. We then got into our Small Assembly Session (SAS) group which is the group that we were going to be in. This SAS group was basically two cabins group put together. So my cabin was call Larkspur and the other was call Knotty Pine so our group was call Knotty Spur. We then were put into a group of committee that help do everything at camp like the yearbook committee and the camp fire or entertainment committee. We also have the council which are the representative of the SAS group and we also have the arts and craft group too. We got some free time and then we went to have our very special dinner. After dinner we went to another GAS, our guest speaker talks about the leadership he have and did in his years and also give us some advice to succeed in high school. We then went into our SAS group and talk about the GAS talk and what our input in that topic was. Then come the best time of the day, the campfire. It was somewhat very weird but we totally have some fun. I miss looking up into the sky and look at the stars. Also that the funny thing was that the boys who were across the lake was signally us with there flashlight which was so weird and then all the of the sudden they shout "Hi Girls" and we respond with "Hey Boys!" Lmao.. Fun right. We also sang our Camp Royal song that was made up from the wonderful friend and best person friend of mine that I meet at camp. Then it was time to have some free time and also during that time was basically cleaning up our self and then the lights go off. Bye Bye:)

(6/10/12) Day 2:

Our scheduled starts at 7am which is breakfast but before that we actually just wake up to go take showers. But some people do wake up at 5am to go for a run. After breakfast was GAS, which was a female person talking about her job and what we could do to prevent her cases from happening. Then again SAS, which we talk about the guest speaker and her topic. After that is free time which we do what ever we want to do. Then we go to lunch and then to our committee group. In our committee group we actually do what we are suppose to do, which I am in the yearbook, so took pictures and went around to ask for quotes from the girls. We then go to organized activities which are activities to help build our teamwork in our SAS group. Then we go to free time again. Than our special dinner and then to another GAS which is a female who talk about her goals and career. Her story was amazing because of all the wonderful goals she have for herself. Then we of course went into SAS which always happen after GAS. Then finally the camp fire, where we have some fun time with all the girls. Again we did yell and shout with the boys from across the lake again. Then free time at the end and then lights out again.

(6/11/12) Day 3:

Is basically the same as the day before but expect for the guest speaker are of course different. Our first GAS speaker was a staff that was with us and help us. He actually talk about our road to success and about public speaking. The next GAS speaker was a cancer survivor and a yoga teacher and she told us about how she survive along with the tragic of her father. It was an amazing story and how she was able to get through those tough times. Also we started swimming and boating that day until the 5th day too.

(6/12/12) Day 4:

Again basically the same as Day 2, but the guest speaker were different. Our first guest speaker were students from the youth exchange program which is also hosted and sponsor by the Rotary Club. It was cool because one of our counsler was part of the youth exchange program and came back 1 week ago from the place in France. Also that day we have a special GAS for the girls who want and need help with public speaking. He talk about ways to help us get over it and also about a way to mediate our minds. Our second GAS speaker talks about the way how we have different perspective as in background, environment and religious. It was really sad because our counsler went home because she was feeling really sick to the point where she wasn't able to stay with us.

(6/13/12) Day 5:

Again basically the same as Day 2, but something different. We actually wore our camp royal shirt and took a girl group picture (up) together. We took one professional and good one for the yearbook and then one funny one for us to remember, I guess. We then went to built a house for one person in the group. Which was a challenge, and it was awesome too. We of course, have only one guest speaker which was a person who is part of the Rotary Club and each group got a different person. We were able to ask him questions about anything like colleges and choice to make too. It was wonderful to meet him very much. Also this dinner was very special because the Rotary Club of Fig Garden cook the meal and the speaker get to sit with us and eat with us and also talk about stuff. We also got to sit with our SAS group which was amazing. Also the camp fire was amazing because we got to do things that we love to do over the past few camp fires that we really love to do. We actually stop yelling and shouting across the lake to the guys because we want GIRLS TIME. HAHA XD Either way we wrote letter and threw them in the fire and also make marshmallow (you know what). I actually didn't make one because by then I was already crying about missing them and everything too. We actually have such wonderful performance that day that actually make me cry too. That night we stood up the longest in our cabin talking to each other and giving each other good quailtys about each other. We didn't finish so we went to sleep.

(6/14/12) Day 6:

The last day, we woke up and went to eat breakfast. And also we took showers in the morning and sometime during the free times too. We finish our quailty times with each other and talking about each other. We took a lot of pictures and have an autograph book too. We then clean up and took our stuff to the bus area and bye bye camp. We actually stay there for about 15 minutes and we sang our favorite song of camp before leaving. I felt like crying then.

It felt really weird coming back home because everything look so different. Like my home even look different but also it was really weird too. I actually went back to school after 7th period to go for a meeting then I went to my 8th period to see them and say the goodbyes:)<3

Pictures: