Manitoba Camping Association

2016

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2 MANITOBA CAMPING ASSOCIATION May 5, 2016 Kim Scherger can still remember one of her first summer camp memories as if it happened yesterday. S cherger was just five years-old and attending camp with her family in Northwestern Ontario when she caught her first fish. She was adamant the scaly creature would be her pet rather than part of that evening's meal, so much so that she tied it to a line in the water and planned to return and visit it the next day. "The next day I went down to the water and all that was left was a skeleton," she recalls, laughing. While her fishy friend met an untimely end, Scherger's passion for camp has survived to this day. In addition to her full-time job as executive director of Luther Village, a youth and family camp located about 30 minutes southeast of Kenora, she is vice-president of the Manitoba Camping Association. Scherger acknowledges much has changed since that day. Back then, kids had to rely on their imagination for stimulation. Now they are plugged into their cellphones and mobile devices 24-7. This technological reliance means it's even more important for today's youngsters to make their own memories at camp, she says. "I find that people rely too much on that (technology). It's 100 per cent of the time in our minds," she says. "At camp you need to fully disconnect from that world to appreciate things. You realize the importance of being outdoors and learning about new things like the ecosystem." A study conducted by the University of Waterloo concurs. Data from the Canadian Summer Camp Research Project showed that slightly more Camp makes real memories For more info, visit mbcamping.ca By Jim Timlick for the Free Press

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