A Special Message, Community Pizza, First Days of Classes, and Cabin Night!

A MESSAGE FROM MEG & PETER

Dear Families,

We are just past the midpoint of Session One, with so much to celebrate.

In the spirit of the “Community” message from our blogging duckling below, we have been reflecting lately on the culture of HVC’s community, one that continues to value individual and group expression.

Visiting performers have remarked on the unique nature of HVC’s camper group, its willingness to participate and ability to think and act “outside the box.” We have had a handful of older staff return to give us a hand and they too have been struck by the joyous tone this group has struck.

All this in a year when experts questioned campers’ readiness for group life. Your children have demonstrated to themselves and others that they have not forgotten how to be kids. Nor have they lost the capacity to join together and create a positive community culture. We could not be more proud of them.

Very best,

Peter and Meg

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Quack-a-doodle-doo, all you humans in blogland! Carolina here, just back from my afternoon dip in the kiddie pool, and boy, do I have a lot to tell you!

Do you know about the pizza magic that HVC has been making over the last year? Jet, the miniature horse, just told me all about it. Beginning in the summer of 2020, the folks who were on campus for the summer began making pizzas every Sunday for hungry members of the local community, which they would bring down to the end of the camp road, so that anyone who wanted one could pick it up for free. They also collected monetary donations for Waldo County Bounty, a hunger relief initiative working to improve access to locally grown foods for people experiencing food insecurity here in Waldo County, Maine. HVC matched these donations, ultimately raising over $4000 for WCB over the course of last summer. HVCommunity, one of our teen programs, is continuing the project this summer and just held their second Pizza Sunday yesterday and had a great turnout, with visits from around 20 cars. We have some awesome pics to share. As a duckling who is lucky enough to always be fed when I am hungry, I am really proud of what HVC and WCB are doing to help folks who aren’t so fortunate.

As I’ve mentioned, our second set of classes have started, which means a whole new crop of kiddos to hang out with down at the animal pen. There are lots of other classes as well, and our talented photographers have snapped some pictures for you to check out what’s been going on during the first two days of this class session.

Finally, last night was Cabin Night! Even though the animal pen isn’t technically a cabin, we really enjoyed spending some quality time together. Here’s what the actual cabins did: