THE CHILDREN’S CAMP

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20126, 23 February 1937, Page 6

THE CHILDREN’S CAMP

Several residents of Hamilton and the Waikato during the weekend visited the camp at Port Waikato conducted by the Children’s Camp Association and there were also visitors from Auckland, and all went away convinced that the work that is being done there is of vital importance. There are 160 children in the camp at the present time, and although they have not been there long they have quickly grasped the essentials of camp discipline and from morning to night they are active and happy. The weather conditions have been good so that the children live in the open-air, encouraged by the prefects to swim and play and to make the most of their wonderful holiday. A doctor inspected the children when they arrived at Port Waikato and again towards the end of the week. The weight of each child is recorded, and plans have been carefully prepared so that they shall benefit physically by their stay. In the mornings there are special breathing exercises, and after dinner each day the children have an hour’s compulsory rest. They seem to appreciate what this means and soon after they have all got on to their bunks silence reigns. Many read, but a fair number go to sleep and so get the maximum rest. The parades for meals are always up to full strength and the zest of the children is as marked in the dining-hall as on the beach. The staff has added a camp incident to the growing list of happy recollections. The doctor had mentioned to the children that this year they received an apple after the meal and asked if they knew what that was for. One small boy promptly volunteered the information that an apple a day kept the doctor away, and smilingly the doctor admitted that that was one good reason. The little ones make their own entertainment. The concerts are among the most popular events of the holiday, and this year the band is a feature. It comprises drums, triangles, cymbals and tambourines, and the band can provide the music for the march into and out of the hall, and accompanying the community singing. The whole impression of a visit to the camp is one of happy childhood. Their wants are attended to by those skilled in the work, and the children are being given a host of pleasant memories that will last for a lifetime. In every way their stay at the camp must be for their lasting good.