SMYRNA – For the last 15 years The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office has dedicated itself to the future of Chenango County by reaching out to local children at their summer camp where kids are taught civic virtue, community participation and mutual respect by engaging in fun outdoor activities with emergency service personnel.
“One of the aims of the camp is to have kids interacting with the deputies and emergency staff so that they learn not to fear a firemen or a police officer if they ever need to encounter them in real life. We want to build a relationship of trust so they hopefully learn to engage law enforcement and participate in the ongoings of the community later in life,” said Chenango County Sheriff Ernest R. Cutting.
The Sheriff’s camp is free of charge for area kids ages 9 through 12, and has been in operation for 15 years at Camp Thompson in Smyrna.
For three weeks of the summer Correction’s Sgt. John Trottier said the camp is a place where kids can have fun surrounded by great role models, in a safe and healthy environment.
“We gear a lot of what we do to building a friendly rapport between the kids and between emergency services,” he said.
Trottier, referred to as Sgt. Dude by the kids has been working in with the program for the last 5 years.
One camper, Kyle, like many other of kids, said he had been the camp before. “I just really like this place, I like the fun stuff we do, like capture the flag, four square, everyone just has fun,” he explained.
Kyle’s younger brother Scott decided to attend the camp after hearing his brother brag about his experiences at home. “I’m going come back every summer too,” he exclaimed.
Trottier said programs such as the camp were necessary to keep kids healthy not only in the near future, but also to meets their immediate needs.
Each week the camp operates Monday through Thursday with different kids drawn from different school districts each week. The school districts are scheduled as follows: July 13 to16: Sherburne-Earlville, Unadilla Valley, Gilbertsville-Mt. Upton and Otselic, July 20 to 23: Greene, Afton, Bainbridge-Guilford and July 27 to 30: Norwich and Oxford. Each rotation includes around 100 new kids each week.
Lucia, who has been coming to the camp for the last four years said seeing people from different schools was one of the reasons she kept coming back.
“It’s just a great get-away from home and it’s really fun. You get to play with kids you don’t really see any where else,” she said.
Her friend Shay said this was her first time at the camp. “I don’t like sidewalks, here we have nature paths and sometimes we get to pick strawberries and blueberries. It’s better being outdoors except for the bugs. I don’t like bugs,” she said.
Although the regular deadline often ends with the final day of school, when kids usually register, Cutting said it still not too late for some parents to register for the final week of the program. He said an application can be found at the Sheriff’s Office or online at www.chenangosheriff.us.
“A child’s economic data has nothing to do with their selection, we don’t care. Its for the kids,” said Correction’s Lt. Douglas C. Schult.
Another camp organizer, Deputy Debra Ives, agreed saying, “there are a lot of families out there that wouldn’t be able to afford a program like this, often this is the only vacation these kids ever get during the summer.”
Ives and Trottier explained that the camp is filled countless structured activities including sports, swimming, boating, education, group functions, and social awareness. Mixed into the full schedule is several hours of free time, three meal periods and presentations.
In the lodge and around campfires, campers will also listen to demonstrations from local law enforcement officials who’ll explain some aspects of their jobs, including the fun and interesting ones, such as SCUBA diving, operating the K-9 unit, how to call 911 for help, bike patrols, fire trucks, and the day-to-day life of emergency services personnel.
Cutting explained that law enforcement representatives focus on offering campers advice about being safe and making the right choices from a friendly, yet experienced perspective.
He also said he was gracious for the YMCA, local county officials, area businesses and corporations, and local citizens for all their support and donations to make sure kids have one more opportunity to be involved in a positive program.
“I can’t thank them or my staff enough, the level of quality they achieve every year is truly impressive. No matter what I say though the best praise for them is seeing how much the kids enjoy their experience. It really makes a difference,” he said.