Y ends phase one of summer camp

Whenever summer rolls around there are never enough activities to keep young minds occupied. The Young Women’s Christian Association is trying to accommodate as many youngsters as possible with a two-part summer programme. The first ended today.

Ann-Marie Williams, Reporting

Some three hundred school-aged children spent three weeks of their summer vacation at the annual YWCA camp. The event offered a bit of recreation and preparation for the new school year. Norma Sutherland is the Principal of the Y.

Norma Sutherland, Principal, YWCA

“We had children in all classes doing remedial work. We had classes from infant one up to form two and it’s the closing of that for three weeks. So we came together to give certificates and each class gave an item.”

Some teenage girls also gave a special item. They put what they have learnt into practice.

Norma Sutherland

“We thought of running a cosmetology programme for the three weeks because people kept asking if you don’t do it in the evenings so they can come. So they thought of doing modelling for the programme today. They prepared their hair and did different clothing to show.”

The show wouldn’t have been possible had it not been for seventy-one year old B. Kingston-Smith, who dedicated over fifty years of her life to perhaps educating some of these children’s grandparents. Of that fifty years she spent close to twenty volunteering with the Y.

B. Kingston-Smith

“Just for the love of teaching, the love of the children and of course my organisation, the development of the YMCA. I’ve been a past president of Y, so I always serve because I think the organisation is doing a good job.”

The “know your country” section begins on Monday with four days of field trips around the country to help children learn about the beauty and diversity of Belize.