SPALDINGS, CLARENDON:

A total of 150 students from various schools in and around the community of Chapelton in north central Clarendon, assisted by over 50 volunteers, benefited from a one-week summer camp at the Chapelton All-Age School, which came to an end last Friday.

The camp, named after long serving pastor in the Chapelton community, Fergus Simpson, and which has been staged annually since 1989, had the students exposed to various activities, including jewellery and card making, cake decorating, art and craft, retrofitting of wheelchairs made from old bicycle parts, and the fine arts.

Describing the camp as a tremendous success, Mrs. Simpson-Brown explained that many of the activities were geared towards teaching participants how to go about owning their own businesses. Other activities, she explained, were geared towards teaching students how to be effective leaders.

Serving police officers

She pointed out that as a part of assisting the campers to learn about service, they were also involved in serving police officers at the Chapelton Police Station with lunches.

Mrs. Simpson-Brown said the idea of having the campers serve the police, forms part of trying to get officers and members of the Police Youth Club in the community to form a partnership with her organisation.

The camp director noted that since the inception of the camp, activities engaged in by campers have landed at least 12 scholarships taken up at institutions of higher learning in the United States.

She explained that recipients, after completing their studies, have returned to the Chapelton community with their various degrees, to make contribution to its development.

The one-week camp, which is held under the theme 'Treasure, Train, Transform the community' and which is named in honour of Mrs. Simpson-Brown's father costs $3,000 per camper.

Subsidised by sponsors

However, each student was only required to pay $500, as the remaining $2,500 was subsidised by a number of sponsors; including Digicel, National Commercial Bank, ICWI, Jamaica Broilers, as well as several individuals locally and overseas.

She stated that out of sponsorship from the camp this year a building for the Guidance Counselling Department at the Chapelton All-Age School has been constructed.

Mrs. Simpson-Brown is expecting the camp to be bigger next year and has hinted organisers may have to find a new venue to accommodate additional participants.

The camp ended with participants putting the various skills they acquired on display.

All the various items made and the performing skills acquired were exhibited inside the Chapelton United Church next door to the all-age school.

The display was well received by a large audience and personscalled for more.

- George Henry