• How I learned English at Camp Richard Desprès 2000-2009
• Connecting our young to their environment Gordon C. Allan
• Family Camp 2013 - Camp familial 2013
• Alumni Association News / Nouvelles de l'association des anciens
• Montreal Walk for ALS Trevor W. Smith
• Tumpline Submissions - Soumissions pour cette lettre de nouvelles

How I learned English at Camp Richard Desprès 2000-2009

Thirteen years ago, I embarked on what would be a life-changing journey. First of all, I was a kid who spoke only French. I was 8 years old from Quebec City and I didn't really want to be at that camp. The English part scared me a lot. But on a July morning in Pointe-Claire, I was put on the bus that would take me to what would become my second home. When I first stepped off the bus in front of the craft shop, reality set in because I had trouble understanding anything that was said. This was the only time in the next ten years that I spent at Nominingue, that I felt that this wasn't a place for me. After what seemed like the longest lunch of my life, because there were a lot of announcements and I couldn't understand anything, my counsellor told me that he would help me understand everything and that by the third day I would be in love with the camp.  Trust me, I didn't believe him whatsoever. But then Pony express came along... that was it! I fell in love with Nominingue. It was the first time in my life that I could run everywhere in a huge place and try to hide in the woods and didn't get in any trouble for it. 

So after one day, I was in love with camp, but one problem still remained: I couldn't understand anything that was said. I had to find a way to at least to understand something. My counsellor at the time, Vince Raynauld, sat with me for pretty much every explanation that was given and translated for me. By the second week I would tell him every word that I got. When one needs to evolve to have fun one learns a lot faster than in the classroom. One of the things that helped the most was that I was in a tent that had only one other French-speaking camper; he would later become one of my best friends in camp because he was there with me for the next nine summers. I had to try to speak in English with my tent mates. The fact that even the French-speaking staff members told me everything in English before they would help me understand by translating what I didn't get, forced me to learn.  By the end of the session, I wasn't the best English speaker in the camp, but trust me, I was able to get my message across and, I was madly in love with that camp. For my second summer, I didn't need any motivation to get on the bus. I was still a bit shaky speaking English, but that didn't scare me because I knew that I would be helped and that I would become better as the summer went on. And I did just that and more. 

Now when someone asks me how I learned my English, I always tell them that it came from Nominingue, my second home.

Connecting our young to their environment    Gordon C. Allan

Adapted from an article published in the St. George's School Dragon Magazine, 2010

There is a tendency in this fast-paced Über-techno world to look at the concept of "summer camp" as a thing of the past - something which has somehow outlived the world in which we now live. And yet, as Richard Louv points out in his acclaimed book, Last Child in the Woods, nothing could be further from the truth. In 2005, Louv coined the phrase, "nature-deficit disorder", a tag line that has since taken on a life of its own as he and others make the case that, for today's generation of youth, nature has become more of an abstraction than reality. 

Similarly, in 2007, The Ontario-based Council of Outdoor Educators (COEO) published a summative research report detailing the values of reconnecting children to nature through outdoor education. Andrea Foster, the author of the report, echoes the concerns raised by Louv and others by asking the important question, "Could it be that, through losing their connectedness with the outdoors, children are becoming disconnected with themselves as well as suffering severe health consequences?" Her report then goes on to answer her question with a resounding "yes". 

Foster illustrates how today's youth are becoming disconnected from others through video games and television and how the importance of free play and time in natural surroundings has been blind-sided by a culture that favours highly-structured activities that are perceived as safer than open-ended and creative activities which foster self-discovery and self-confidence. As Louv puts it, the trend has been towards the "criminalization of natural play." For both Louv and Foster, the solution lies in reconnecting children with nature and for educational leaders to become "nature mentors".

And that brings us back to the concept of summer camp. Where else can such a profound series of experiences consistently connect young people with nature, develop their problem-solving and survival skills, promote leadership development, highlight the importance of teamwork, and enhance personal and social development while instilling in each child an appreciation for the power of nature and an understanding of how sustainability and a respect for the outdoors need to become rallying cries?

A camp like Nominingue is, by its very nature, the ultimate "nature mentor". In fact, never before has a camp like Nominingue been so relevant, particularly given the expectation we all have for the next generation to take ownership of a global environment of which we have lost control. 

Family Camp 2013 - Camp familial 2013

Family Camp has been a Nominingue tradition since 1984. Its success is due to the faithful families that return each August to enjoy a unique camp experience of family activities, special programming, and lots of opportunities to relax and have fun with friends, both new and old. 

On the schedule daily: beach activities, yoga, crafts and woodworking, kids' club, canoe trips into Parc Papineau-Labelle, bike trips, nature walks, climbing, archery and lots more!

Three meals a day, fruit snacks throughout the day and an evening snack - Tent accommodation for the whole family

Some of the special evening events on the schedule:

Wednesday - campfire with the Celtic music of Sean Dagher

Thursday - steak & corn roast; casino night

Friday - Improv with Scott Faulconbridge; Movie: "Last Woman Standing", producer John Christou 

Saturday - wine & cheese; council ring

This summer, family camp will take place from Wednesday, August 21st to Sunday August 25th. To help us with our planning, please don't wait too long to sign up...

Enrolment can be completed online at www.nominingue.com. For more information send us an e-mail info@nominingue.com or call (819) 278-3383.

Depuis 1984, le camp familial est devenu une tradition au Camp Nominingue. Son succès dépend de nos familles qui reviennent année après année pour vivre l'expérience unique d'activités familiales, de programmes spéciaux, d'opportunités pour se détendre et pour s'amuser entre amis. 

À l'horaire chaque jour: activités à la plage, yoga, projets à l'atelier, programme pour enfants, excursions de canot au Parc Papineau-Labelle, excursions en vélo, marches dans les bois, escalade, tir à l'arc et beaucoup plus!

Trois repas par jours, collations de fruits toute la journée et collation du soir. Hébergement en tente pour toute la famille.

Cet été, le camp familial commence mercredi le 21 août et se termine dimanche le 25 août. Pour nous aider avec la planification, svp inscrivez-vous de bonne heure!

Quelques uns des programmes spéciaux à l'horaire:

Mercredi - feu de camp avec la musique celte de Sean Dagher

Jeudi - Repas steak et blé d'inde, soirée casino

Vendredi - Impro avec Scott Faulconbridge et David Pryde; visionnement du film « Last Woman Standing »

Samedi - vin et fromage; « council ring »

Vous pouvez vous inscrire à partir de notre site internet www.nominingue.com. Pour plus d'informations, contactez nous à info@nominingue.com ou (819) 278-3383. 

Alumni Association News / Nouvelles de l'association des anciens

Alumni Weekend 2013 Friday, September 6 - Sunday, September 8

We invite all alumni, young and old, to come and join us up at camp this September. Accommodation is rustic - some things never change - we still sleep in tents at Nominingue. Although there will be a scheduled program, you are welcome to participate just as much as you would like. Mainly, this is an opportunity to reminisce, to share memories, to re-connect with old friends and to spend time in a special place!

Schedule

Friday

4:30 PM Arrival & Settling in

6 PM BBQ supper 

7:30 PM Evening Program 

Campfire

Saturday

8 am Breakfast  

9:30 am Instruction workshops - canoeing, portaging, campcraft, archery

1 pm Lunch 

2:30 pm Skill Competition

4:30 Canoe Race

6 pm Supper   

7 pm Council Ring

Campfire 

Sunday

9 am Breakfast   

10:30 am Morning Program

11:30 am Alumni Association Meeting 

1 pm Lunch 

Among the activities planned: archery & riflery competition; climbing; woodworking & other camp games

Tent accommodation can be arranged for groups of alumni.

Cost: $75 per person for the weekend

For information or to register, please call (819) 278-3383 or send us an e-mail info@nominingue.com. Registration must be confirmed by August 20th, 2013.

The next alumni socials will be held in the fall. Dates and locations will be posted on Facebook on the Nominingue Socials Group page at http://www.facebook.com/groups/NominingueSocials/.

To get involved with CN Alumni Association, please contact John Christou at john@prospectorfilms.ca. 

Montreal Walk for ALS Trevor W. Smith

Hello fellow Nomininguer, 

On Sunday, August 25th, at 11h00, the Tony Proudfoot - Montreal Walk for ALS will be held at Parc Maisonneuve. 

Tony Proudfoot was a member of the Grey Cup winning Montreal Alouettes, a respected member of the Montreal Alouettes broadcasting team, and an excellent physical educator at Dawson College.

He was also an outstanding waterfront director at Camp Nominingue. In August of 2009, he was awarded the Pillar of Nominingue award for his important contribution to the success of Camp Nominingue.

He lost his battle with ALS in 2011.

I will also be walking in support of Damon Kane, another former Nomininguer, who is nearing the end of his struggle with ALS.

The Walk will take place at Parc Maisonneuve on Sunday, August 25th. If you would like to join me, registration is between 09h30 and 11h00. The Walk begins at 11h00 and takes approximately 45 minutes.

I hope you will consider sponsoring me in my participation in this event. To sponsor me by making a secure donation online, click the link below.

https://secure.e2rm.com/registrant/startup.aspx?eid=121973&langpref=en-CA

Tony provided his support to so many campers and staff while at Nominingue. Now it's our turn to remember him and support his legacy. Damon was a Nominingue camper and counsellor for many years.

Thanks for your support.

Tumpline Submissions - Soumissions pour cette lettre de nouvelles

We are looking for submissions for our newsletters from campers, staff and parents... from this summer, as well as from recent and less recent alumni. These submissions may be general memories of camp experiences or specific memories about a canoe trip, about a favourite program or a funny experience. Please send your submissions to grant@nominingue.com.  You may submit your stories and memories in English, French or Spanish.

Nous sommes à la recherche de textes de campeurs, parents et de moniteurs de l'été 2012... et de souvenirs de nos anciens campeurs et moniteurs des années récentes et moins récentes. Vos textes peuvent décrire vos expériences en générale ou une excursion de canot, un programme favori ou une expérience drôle. SVP envoyez votre texte par courriel à grant@nominingue.com. Votre texte peut être écrit en français, en anglais ou en espagnol. 

Camp Nominingue | Tel. 450-267-2555 | Toll-free 866-910-1551 (Canada & US)
Email: info@nominingue.com | Web: www.nominingue.com

This e-mail is destined to all campers, parents and counsellors, current and alumni. If you would prefer not to receive occasional messages from us, please unsubscribe using the link below this message.

Ce courriel est destiné à tous les campeurs, parents et moniteurs, actuels et anciens. Si vous voulez vous désinscrire de cette liste d'envoi, svp cliquez en bas de la page.

Winter address: 112, rue Lippée, Les Coteaux, QC J7X 1J4
Summer address: 1889, chemin des Mésanges, Nominingue, QC J0W 1R0