Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula

Editor’s note: This is the fourth of a weekly series of activities happening at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula. For more information, see positiveplaceforkids.net or call 683-8095. — MD

One of Sequim’s famous weekends, Lavender Weekend, was upon us and like years past we could be found out at the Street Fair providing Festival Fun For Kids, parking cars at the club and running the in-city shuttle for visitors of the purple valley.

Morning Camp: Era of     Enchantment

The magical voyage through time moved ahead to the Middle Ages and campers learned about the Renaissance, Medieval Era and Kingdoms of enchanted times. Members spent a morning learning what a coat of arms is and designed the parts that make up their own personal design or heraldic achievement.

Midweek members make their way to Carnation to visit Camalnn Medieval Village, living history museum portraying 14th-century England. The village included a forge, cider mill, tournament field and Bors Hede where the campers enjoyed a lunch prepared at the village replicating meals of the period. They were served a lunch of fruit, celery, cheese and sausage on a slice of sourdough bread used as the plate, quite different from what they are accustomed.

Brain Gain: Penguins

The participants met a very interesting character this week: Pierre, an African penguin and star of his own book and video. The kids learned of Pierre’s problem — that he had no feathers — and then of the vision of the leader that helped Pierre. Our members participated in a science experiment to learn about blubber and feel just how it keeps penguins warm. They plunged their hands into very cold water then repeated after lathering their hands in lard.

Brain Grain participants wrote their own personal storybook about penguins and played a fun game together. They placed a ball on top their feet and worked together to pass it to each other by waddling around and not using hands, careful not to let it touch the ice/ground. This game mimics real life penguin activity with their eggs.

Junior Rangers: Hurricane Ridge

After weeks of treks far west the group was relieved to make the short journey just up the hill from our clubhouse in Port Angeles to Hurricane Ridge. The junior rangers took their sack lunch and set out on the three-mile hike of Hurricane Hill. The typical expansive views of the valley were socked in with clouds so members took to looking at wildlife. They didn’t see any of the mountain goats (and we are quite relieved) but they did see plenty of marmots and were more than amused when the chipmunks sat at the summit with them while they ate their lunches. It’s not often anyone gets a close view of these speedy critters and the kids quite enjoyed seeing them up close.

The rangers stumped the kids this week with Fact or Fiction, describing a rare sighting of a mountain lion at the ridge just a few day prior. They described to the kids an animal that was the size of them with a long tail and a 40-foot jump. They were amazed to learn the ranger was speaking fact about a large local cat.

Teens

The lake trips continue this summer for our teenage club members. They look forward every week to their trek to Lake Crescent aboard our little bus, with Luke, our teen coordinator, at the helm.

They returned to their favorite spot and the fun began right where it left off last year. They have had a few cloudy days these last few weeks and are anxious for the sun to return. Our most ambitious members were active all weekend long parking cars for Lavender Festival visitors and raising money for the clubs. They anticipate the fundraiser will bring in $1,500 to fund programs and field trips that interest the teen population.