Memories of Summer Camp & *Contest*

Ah. Summer Camp. I have a lot of fond memories of camp as a kid. When I was offered the chance to share about an AMAZING contest and my time at Circle Square Ranch, I was excited. So excited, in fact, that I dug out some old photos and memoirs to share with you. 

Circle Square Ranch

Why? Because both Circle Square Ranch & Pioneer Camp are having contests - and you should enter! (You can enter both contests. They are separate!)


All you have to do is click on these pictures and enter for your chance to get a free week of camp and a trip for two to Punta Cana. Plus some great coupons - like for Mabel's Labels (after all, labelling thing for camp is important!) Pretty nice!

Pioneer Camp

 Two of my best friends went to Pioneer Camp for years and years. 


Me? I went to Circle Square Ranch.


When we arrived, there were covered wagons which were our cabins. We were assigned to one, and met with our new "family" for the week. As it was a co-ed camp, the boys were on one side of the field and the girls on the other.  




We'd usually throw our stuff on our bunk and head out to explore.

I'm in the red sweatshirt on the left. 1990

Every morning, we'd start by lining up around the flagpole where a pony express rider would deliver our mail by tossing the mailbag while riding at crazy breakneck speeds. We'd get our announcements for the day, then head off to breakfast and our activities. 


During the course of the week, we got to experience things like we didn't get to at home. I typically signed up for BMX biking, being the tom-boy that I am was. Happily, I'd keep up with the boys, jumping off ramps and around dirt courses, etc. Good times. I also remember trying archery, but soon discovered that my elbow bumped funny so it ended up hurting. But I still liked it. We also did drama and other busy day activities. 


The one thing about Circle Square was that it was a horse camp. A city kid like me wouldn't typically get the chance to learn how to handle or care for horses, but at camp, I could pretend I was a country girl. I got to ride. Every day. By the end of the week, we were evaluated on the skills that we had learned. 

We started off bareback, just learning how a horse felt. We'd ride trails and learn how to handle the reins. I got bucked off. A lot. I STILL remember many of the bone-crunching jars as I hit the ground.  It was worth every moment.

In the afternoons, the whole camp would play these huge games like capture the flag. And usually, we ended up spending all our canteen money on snacks before the end of the week. 


Every dinner time, there was a theme. The ones I remember the most were backwards night - where we all wore our clothes backwards & started with dessert! and dress-up night where we would get all dolled up and enjoy our fancy meal. 



Evening were campfire, where we'd sing, watch skits, listen to stories, learn about God, and where I ended up ultimately deciding that I wanted to be a Christian. 


At the end of the week, our families would come and we'd put on a rodeo - competing in contests to show off our horsemanship skills that we'd worked on all week. Steering around barrels, racing each other on courses, all those kids of exciting things! We'd win ribbons too. It was so much fun. 


Camp was a great memory for me - an insecure youth who didn't have many friends at home. It gave me a chance to be me without the stress of what the kids who knew me at home would think of me. 


I was able to experience things I never would have at home in the city, interact with other kids, enjoy nature, and learn about God. 


I am so happy that my parents did this for me. I hope, one day, I can do the same for my kids. 


I recommend entering the contests for both Circle Square Camp and Pioneer Camp. It could change your kids' lives. 


Don't forget to enter both contests. These contests are open to Canada, excluding Quebec. (sorry!). A full list of rules can be found on the site. Contest ends June 15th, 2012. 

Disclaimer: This post has been compensated. However, all opinions are my own.