Surprise! Upon arriving in the vicinity of Kelly Lake about twenty miles from home, the older boys, Pihneftuuf Elston, Christopher Riehm and Brandon McCarthy went to look around for a good campsite. Scoutmaster Dolly, who drove the gear pick up with the older boys, went down an incline to look out a potential site, slipped and fell.
That left only the three youngest boys, Cody Sindle, John Cook and Ryan Wilson, who just graduated from Webelos with me to assist her. Thanks to Charles Tello, who was camping in the area and helped us out! Then Quinten Peterson came and got the crew organized to get her safely to camp. The older boys returned to help so that was a big help. There was a rattlesnake a couple feet away from the trail that needed to be taken care of too
Our Scoutmaster was soon sitting in camp with her swelling foot elevated on ice until we could get her to the clinic. The boys fell to work setting up tarps and tents and soon a camp was organized. A campfire circle with downed wood collected by John, Ryan and Cody, provided cooking for hot dogs for lunch. Everyonce in awhile we’d have showers, but about the time we got another tarp up, it would cease. The boys had fun throwing each other in self defense moves taught by Q!
The boys also pitched in and made venison stew for supper. Under Robyn Eadie’s guidance, Alex and Abbye helped cut the potatoes. When Mia helped and cut her finger, Abbye provided band aid care. Neffers browned the venison. Steven Welin cut up the onion, the most unpopular job of the meal. The most popular part was s’mores around the campfire, with melody of “Does you Chewing Gum Loose Its’ Flavor on the Bedpost Overnight?” and stories, (scary and made up with additions by each camper) around the campfire.
After a good night sleep, despite the rain and lightning off and on, the boys prepared a hearty breakfast of bacon, eggs and pancakes. Brandon cooked up the bacon. All those pancakes disappeared quickly. Boys ate the food they fixed with gusto!
Then it was off to the fishing derby. Surprisingly, the fish (1500 lbs of fish had been delivered Wednesday before) weren’t biting as well as the day before. Someone caught and released five the day before in a very short time. It is my theory that those released fish went and told the rest of the fish all about the hooks behind the bait!!!
Well, as you know, all the lightening of Friday ended up starting fires in the area, and all around northwest California . The Fire Camp was set up in Gail Zink Park for Siskiyou Fires. The Forest Service will be giving us updates on the fire situation but we have been very grateful that (except for last Sunday) the smoke hasn’t been awfully bad, but it still continues. We are grateful to the Firefighters who have come to battle the wildfires started by lightening!
Kids had a great time Saturday. It was time for the annual Kids Fair put on by the Happy Camp Family Resource Center. There are a great many other participants also, all who cooperate with the Happy Camp Family REsource Center with educating our families on health and safety issues and such.
Cliff Stockton was cooking up hot dogs and serving watermelon too. Kids were going around with interesting looking faces, after painter had dolled them up. The Sheriff department was helping parents with Child Safety Seats for vehicles and comics on being safe for the youngsters. Sue Hillman had puppet stories for First 5 that looked like fun. Dorothy was there for the library telling about the August storytime they’ve planned.
Happy Camp High School for the 2007-8 year is drawing to a close. Before all the students and teachers and staff leave for Summer plans, awards were presented.
Webelos are the highest Den level in Cub Scouts. Webelos who are ending 5th grade are John Cook, Cody Sindle, and Ryan Wilson. Along with Jeffrey Kanawyer, they have had a great year of new experiences and learning! Having completed the requirements, they bridged to Boy Scouts at a special Pack Meeting June 1st.
Alex Eadie, James Simmons and Patrol 1 Leader Pihneftuuf Elston welcomed them into the Troop. Friends and Family gathered for hotdogs and hamburger fellowship and to wish the boys well.
Happy Camp Boy Scouts have been very busy this fall. All of the merit badges and the camping experiences they have had culminated Friday evening with a Court of Honor held after a dinner at the Assembly of God Church in Happy Camp.
Only James Simmons had already received his Scout badge from when he moved to Seiad Valley from Washington. Now, however, all the members of the troop have received this award. They also have achieved the Tenderfoot rank, first step on their way to earning the Eagle Scout Award which is their goal.
Thanks to Scout Masters, Carol Sharp and Veronica Salvage,Troop 52 had been held together in the past few years. They have worked at Snowcapades and gone to summer camp as well as working on invasive weed projects and planted feed for elk. They also appreciate the community help and support that is given through volunteers and buying popcorn when they are fundraising.
This year the boys got really serious about going on with their steps to achieve the Eagle Scout Award in the future. The new Scout master, Dolly Elston, was enlisted to lead the troop and the Patrol leader from the boys is her grandson Pihmuftuuf Elston. Alex Eadie and Alex Garcia are the two newest members of the group, Alex G. being one of six boys to bridge from Webelos to Boy Scouts a year ago at the Blue and Gold banquet in February 2007 and Alex Eadie joining two months ago. Christopher Riehm, James Simmons and Brandon come from Seiad Valley for the meetings in Happy Camp.
The Troop would really appreciate men who would be willing to volunteer to take the boys hiking and fishing or teach them skills for merit badges. Many of the boys have completed the first aid, canoe, and wilderness survival merit badges and are looking rorward to learning more in the future. Scout Master would appreciate volunteers from the community to hike and teach the boys things for earning the merit badge skills that they will need to accomplish.
Happy Camp Cub Scout Pack #52 Celebrated the September Cub Express with a ride on an old fashioned steam engine. The boys gathered early in the morning to take a ride on the Yreka Western Railroad to Montague.
The engineer called out the sites as the train rolled past; a buck next to the tracks, turtles sunning in the creek, a coyote in a rush away from the clattering train, hobo camp, mills and a view of Mt. Shasta off to the south.
The train arrived just in time for a picnic lunch before the Balloon Fair parade in Montague. there the boys gathered candy to give them plenty of energy.
Next stop was the Railroad Museum. By the time they had looked at all the old Railroading gear from time gone by, the whistle of old Engine #19 could be heard and it was time to head back to the train for the ride back to Yreka and the ride home to Happy Camp. It was a great family outing for the Cub Scouts, leaders, parents and siblings who went for the train ride on an old fashioned steam engine.
The boys and girls of the River Valley 4 H Club had a busy summer.
They had hamburger booth at the Art & Treasure Weekend at parry’s Market in Happy Camp.
They particpated in Seiad Day parade and had a booth at the event. Many of the members came home from the County Fair with ribbons and awards for the showing of their animals and livestock.
4H is a great activity for boys and girls along the Klamath River!
To some, Happy Camp High School with only 87 students, may seem humbly insignificant. This little school has the high distinction to come to be a Distinguished School, recognized by the State of California. This was awarded after the school had undergone rigourous evaluation. As Dick Holmes, Superintendent of the Siskiyou Union High School District, said, most of the people at the big award ceremony in Anaheim didn’t even know where Siskiyou County was, let alone Happy Camp.! But little Happy Camp won the award. We can be very proud of our principal, Ernie Micheli, and the teachers and staff who work diligently to give our students a good educationm and a dose of love and concern.
A letter that Ernie Micheli wrote last year sums up just some of the ways that Happy Camp High School works to educate our future citizens and community members. “We are a small school with an enrollment of 87 students. We are in the middle of a six-year Western Association of Schools and Colleges accreditation.
“Fully 100% of our sophomores passed the math segment of the California High School Exit Exam last spring—92% did so with the Language arts portion of the same test. Also, we are compliant with “No Child Left Behind” requirements. Our Academic Performance Index has been rated at 780. Because of our academic successes, we (have been awarded) Distinguished School status.
“Technologically we have 3 computer labs available. Our shop program completely built a motorcycle and is currently building a hotrod. We also field an eight-man football team and volleyball teams in the fall. During the winter months we have four basketball teams—2 girls and 2 for the boys. Spring has baseball, softball and track available for students.
Ernie also said that the “hard working staff that is caring, informed and current in their academic area” is responsible for this success. He sees students interacting with their instructors and fellow students to learn each day. We will indeed miss Mr. Micheli as principal but, as he said, he has high expectations that “we will continue to have positive experiences.”
When the committee came to check out the school for this distinguished School award, they talked with students and teachers, with staff and with members of the community. They observed classes. They asked questions. They learned that Spanish classes with Dorie Ekman-McDonald and German classes with Angelika Brown are taught. Some students even study the Karuk language during Indian Club at lunch. Jennifer Goodwin has taken Indian Club students to visit colleges they might someday attend as well as having these Indian Club meetings, which are open to all students whether Native American or not.
They learned students have won awards in desk top publishing with classes by Diane Oliver at the high school lab and Rosie Bley at the Computer Center. There are basic computer classes with Monica VanBaren also. VanBaren also teaches the upper social studies classes and counsels students to meet their goals.They saw that the school is cooperating with the Forest Service in providing Fire Science class as an elective class taught by Dan Bushy. This enables some of our students be better prepared for summer jobs or a career in fire fighting or forestry. They learned that there was also an Emergency Medical Technician training in the spring with the help of Ambulance crew. Living in such a remote and isolated place, there are times when EMT service is all that we can get before a 75 mile journey to the nearest hospital. This training will be of benefit to the students just “in case” in their own lives, as well as to some members of the class are interested in nursing or medicine careers.
Students who need special help are assisted to have an appropriate education by Elizabeth Laney and her aide, Carol Dyer. Cate Roscoe is the new teacher in math and her enthusiastic students have been measuring things all over the building, inside and out. John Kufner is still faithfully teaching science as he has since my first son was in high school. Larry Gabbert taught the kids to build a custom motorcycle that has won awards. Denise Bearding not only teaches English subjects. but has also gathered the students writing in a publication, “Indian Expression,” and enhanced their artistic talents.
Besides teaching Freshman Social studies and other important areas, Dorie Eckman-McDonald, with the help of Cate Roscoe, has had a study time for students onWednesday evenings during the school year. Not only are teachers there to help students with homework that may be causing them difficulty or to catch up from an absence, but they feed them supper too. In this and countless other ways, the staff of Happy Camp High School encourages and nurtures the students of our school
Give them a hand when you see them, and “congratulations!” on having a Distinguished School!
The weather was beautiful, as it “always” is in Happy Camp. It was a busy weekend with lots of fun activities going on.
Parry’s Market had their meat and produce sale under a big tent. Shopping for groceries was never more fun! The big tent and the red hawaiian shirts were fun! They also invited Radio Personalities to come and play music and entertain the pedestrians on Davis Road.
The River Valley 4-H Club served hot dogs and hamburgers with all the trimmings as a fundraiser There was also popcorn and ice cream by the Happy Camp Resource Center.
The Klamath/Siskiyou Art gallery was the scene of supper. They’ve been serving Friday suppers to Happy Campers in an effort to raise funds toward their new art gallery. They offer some really delicious and unique fare that you will not find at any otter place.
The Freshman Class of Happy Camp High School (2010 graduates!) had a car wash and were very successful in their fundraising!
The Cub Scouts had their Pinewood Derby at the Elementary School on Saturday morning and then went to the Davis Road activities.
Although the events were different than anticipated at the first Art & Treasure event, this 2nd annual Art & Treasure event was a lot of fun and good food!
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