Farmers Union 2015 Camp Season Begins!

May 20, 2015 – By #South Dakota Farmer Union

The first time, Jason Hanson, 17, attended Farmers Union camp; he was holding his dad, Lorrie’s hand.

 “It was important to dad that I attend camp because he grew up going to Farmers Union camp and wanted me to share in a similar experience,” said Hanson, who will graduate from Britton/Hecla High School this May and plans to attend North Dakota State University to study Animal Science.

Hanson is one of six teens who are involved in planning the 2015 camps as a member of the Farmers Union Junior Advisory Council.

 “Camp is something I look forward to attending each summer because it is so much fun and I’ve met some of my best friends there,” Hanson said. “Now I get to help younger kids learn and have fun at camp.”

 This summer’s camp season is gearing up for the 2,000-plus rural youth ages 6 through high school seniors who will be attending one or more of the 58 county day camps; three, three-day district camps and one state leadership camp.

 “We make sure camp is fun, but also informational. It’s our hope that through camp, youth learn more about themselves, gain confidence, make friends and glean a clear understanding of the cooperative system, agriculture and farm safety,” says Bonnie Geyer, South Dakota Farmers Union Education Director.

 Helping Geyer with camp preparations is a team of dedicated district and county education directors, top-notch high school students who make up the Junior Advisory Council and select Torchbearers, who serve as the Senior Advisory Council, along with a team of four energetic summer interns.

 “This is a real team effort,” Geyer says.

 Although preparing for camp is a real task, volunteers like Denise Mushitz, District 1 Education Director, says the positive impact camp has on youth makes all the work worth it.

 “It is so rewarding to see a young person come to district camp as a 6-years-old and then watch them develop leadership and social skills as they go through all the stages of the youth program. And, eventually, because I have been involved in many of these young people’s lives, they invite me to their weddings,” Mushitz explains.

 A third-generation Farmers Union member, Mushitz started attending camp at 6 and credits Farmers Union camp with giving her confidence and a life-long bond with the organization.

 “I was a shy kid, but Farmers Union camp was a place where I could go and be myself. It gave me skills that I use in my job every day,” says the middle school teacher who farms and ranches with her husband, John, near Geddes.

 Each year, Mushitz sees kids like her pulled out of their shell and develop life-long friendships. “There are many kids who say they are closer to their Farmers Union friends than their friends from high school.”

 Although she is a generation younger than Mushitz, Tyana Gottsleben can relate. Attending Farmers Union camp from the time she was 5, the Philip High School senior cannot wait for the 2015 camp season to begin.

 “I look forward to meeting all the campers as they arrive at camp,” says Gottsleben, who will be attending Northern State University this fall pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Education. “As a young camper I enjoyed meeting new friends and participating in all the fun activities the counselors had planned for us.”

 The last few summers Gottsleben, like Hanson, has been the one planning activities as a District camp counselor and is currently one of two college students to serve on the Senior Advisory Council. In this role, she serves as a mentor to the Junior Advisory Council and helps them plan State Leadership Camp.

 “It’s always a challenge to find enough time for all the activities we plan for the campers – but somehow we squeeze it all in,” Gottsleben says. “Through the Farmers Union camp and serving on the teams who plan camp, I have developed many skills that have helped me be a better leader and have become an independent person.  This will continue to serve me as I leave home for college and pursue a career in education.”

 More about 2015 Camps

County Camps: All youth, ages 6 to 13, are invited to attend county Farmers Union day camps. Through interactive activities and crafts, day campers will learn about cooperatives, leadership and agriculture – including farm safety. This year, camps will also focus on activities which celebrate Farmers Union’s centennial year.

 The cost is $5 for non-Farmers Union members’ children; members’ children attend for free.

 During the day camp, campers will participate in games, crafts and other fun activities. Plan for a hands-on fun day that will focus on cooperatives and South Dakota’s agriculture industry. 

 Campers are encouraged to wear sturdy shoes for activities.  All campers will receive a free T-shirt, courtesy of the Farmers Union Insurance Agency.

 County camp dates and registration forms can be found online at www.sdfu.org; click on the Calendar tab. You can also pick up registration forms at your local Farmers Union Insurance office or your local cooperative.

 For more information, contact Farmers Union State Education Director, Bonnie Geyer, at 605-352-6761 ext. 125 or email her at [email protected].

 2015 District 3-day Camp Registration Deadlines: District 1 & 2 is May 15, 2015; District 3 & 7 is July 20, 2015; District 4, 5 & 6 is July 24, 2015.

 All children ages 6-13 are invited to attend South Dakota Farmers Union’s District Summer Camps. This year’s theme celebrates Farmers Union’s centennial year, Growing Stronger with Cooperation, Celebrating 100 Years.

 Through hands-on crafts and interactive games, youth will learn about how cooperatives work, develop team work and leadership skills, and also learn about South Dakota’s agriculture industry. During the three-day camp, campers will participate in interactive games, singing, crafts, canoeing, camp fires and many other camp traditions.

 Each child will also receive a free T-shirt courtesy of the Farmers Union Insurance Agency.

Registration forms can be found online at www.sdfu.org; click on the Calendar tab. You can also pick up registration forms at your local Farmers Union Insurance office or your local cooperative.

 For more information, contact Farmers Union State Education Director, Bonnie Geyer, at 605-352-6761 ext. 125 or email her at [email protected].

 State Leadership Camp Registration Deadline is May 15, 2015: State Leadership Camp, June 7-12, 2015, provides the opportunity for Senior Youth (those who have completed the seventh grade through the summer following senior year in high school) to attend the week-long State Leadership Camp at Storm Mountain Center just outside Rapid City.

 During this camp, youth organize and operate five cooperative businesses. They learn about Farmers Union, cooperative businesses, participate in leadership workshops, listen to guest speakers and participate in talent night activities.

 A tour of the Black Hills, hiking, volleyball, basketball and fun cooperative games complete the camp experience and leave campers with lasting memories and many new friends.

 Everyone is welcome and invited to participate.

 Registration forms can be found online at www.sdfu.org; click on the Calendar tab. You can also pick up registration forms at your local Farmers Union Insurance office or your local cooperative.

 For more information, contact Farmers Union State Education Director, Bonnie Geyer, at 605-352-6761 ext. 125 or email her at [email protected].

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Last Modified: 07/07/2015 8:47:36 am MDT