message from louise (founder and director)
Dear Clapping Hands Farm Camp Community!!
I write to you on the cusp of the new year! Opening the next summer’s camp registration always fills me with happy excitement and anticipation!
As I reflect on 2019 VOLUNTEERS are on my mind. I’m thankful for a wonderful collection of parents that are currently volunteering at our Tuesday Art Camp for homeschoolers; grateful for Libby Searles Bohs who has given countless hours helping us track our accounting and finances at a level that I can only describe as elegant; I’m thinking about Jennifer DeWolf who drove a “camp bus” from Durham so many days this summer! And this only scratches the surface. . . . our volunteers have written fundraising letters, chopped wood, provided staff dinners, played ukulele at community events, hosted fundraising parties, sorted trash at the end of a camp potluck, led activities with campers, tested new toy making projects, and MORE. Volunteers help with every aspect of what we do.
As I look ahead into our coming year together I’ve come to realize that the most important thing we can do to ensure Clapping Hands continues gloriously into the future is to build the VOLUNTEER participation in our community to a new level. There are LOTS of ways to be involved and volunteering with us is fun enriching stuff! Our volunteer needs range from showing up one time for a couple of hours at an event or a workday to “super volunteers” who are willing to put in regular hours year-round and provide LEADERSHIP for some of our projects and programs.
Simply stated, the number of hours it takes to run Clapping Hands exceeds the number of paid hours we can afford. The back story to the realization that VOLUNTEER LEADERSHIP is key to Clapping Hands future is longer, grittier and more personal than I wanted to publish here! But go find a description of my personal journey to that realization here if you are interested!
There are so many people who care about Clapping Hands Farm and who already support with donations of $ and time, love and energy. There is a healthy foundation to grow this from and I’m excited to see what we can build in 2020! If you are passionate about a project, specific camp, or event OR you just know you are willing and want to be part of the action– contact Louise directly at 919-542-5599, email clappinghandsfarm@gmail.com or fill out this handy form! VOLUNTEER FORM
round up at chatham marketplace!
Clapping Hands Farm is the recipient for the Chatham Marketplace ROUND UP program in JANUARY!!!! That means when they ask you if you want to round up at the cash register, and you say “yes” the money will come to our scholarship program! Yay! GO SHOPPING AT CHATHAM MARKETPLACE THIS JANUARY! and tell your friends to do the same!
On Saturday January 18th from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sarah Perry and the CHF Ukulele Band will be playing and singing at Chatham Marketplace, and we’ll have volunteers there with an activity for children. Come and play!
camp registration 2020
Camp Registration is OPEN NOW for RETURNING CAMPERS and families who were put on a WAITING LIST last year. We are giving ya’ll a headstart to sign up for camp. In mid January I will open registration to all and this link will be live on our website. I recommend EARLY registration as our camps run full and several had a waiting list last year. 2020 CAMP REGISTRATION
summer camp schedule 2020!!!
IMPORTANT NOTE: These dates were SIGNIFICANTLY REWORKED on 12/30/2019. If you looked at them or made any plans related to them BEFORE this date, please LOOK AGAIN. Nearly ALL of the summer camps have landed in a different week now! The public schools are now extending their last week of school into what has traditionally been our first week of camp. It took me a few tries to rework our schedule, but this is the FINAL VERSION!
2020 Camp Schedule!
ANYTHING GOES SPRING BREAK CAMP
April 6-10, 2020. 9 am to 5 p.m. Ages 7-13. $250/week; $60/day.
MAY ART PARTY CAMP
May 25-29, 2020. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Ages 2-8.
Family Campers coming with a parent by the WEEK: $225 first child; $200 second child; $50 babies ages 0-2.
Family Campers coming with a parent by the DAY: $45 first child; $40 second child; $10 babies ages 0-2
Bridge Campers ages 5 and older coming without a parent: $250/week.
JUNE ART PARTY CAMP
June 15-19, 2020. 9 am to 2 pm. Ages 2-8
Family Campers coming with a parent by the WEEK: $225 first child; $200 second child; $50 babies ages 0-2.
Family Campers by the DAY: $45 first child; $40 second child; $10 babies ages 0-2
Bridge Campers ages 5 and older coming without a parent: $250/week.
TOYS & GAMES CAMP
June 29- July 3, 9 am to 5 pm. Ages 7-13. $250
MUSIC & DANCE CAMP
July 13-17, 9 am to 5 pm. Ages 9-16. $300
ARTS FOCUS CAMP
July 27-31, 2020. 9 am to 5 pm. Ages 13-18. $300
UKULELE CAMP
August 10-14, 2020. 9 am to 3 pm. Ages 10 to adult. $300 with a Ukulele; $250 if you bring $250 if you bring your own Ukulele.
call for counselors!
With a new summer camp season comes a need for MANY MANY wonderful camp counselors! We can use people as young as 9 or 10 as Junior Counselors at Art Party Camp! And we need people 19 and up to work as counselors at Arts Focus Camp. RETURNING COUNSELORS and NEW COUNSELORS all need to fill out our counselor application form to begin the process of being considered for counselor positions.
2020 COUNSELOR APPLICATIONtuesday art camp for homeschoolers!
We run an Art Camp for Homeschoolers on Tuesdays Fall Winter and Spring! It’s for ages 8-16 (7 year olds come on a case by case basis) Session 3 runs January 7- February 18, with a weather day reserved on February 25. Campers choose a focus group for their morning workshop. ART with Louise and friends or INVENTING GAMES with Sarah Perry are the focus groups for Session 3. More Information here! Session 4, Tuesdays in March and April.
REGISTER HERE:
TUESDAY ART CAMP 2019-2020volunteer!
We need:
- workday volunteers for outdoor labor at the farm
- someone who would be the POINT PERSON for workday coordinating contacting other volunteers to get a turn out for each workday
- people to send fundraising letters— we will continue to run this campaign through January at least
- fundraising party hosts It would be good to schedule 2 or 3 of them this Spring. Maybe even 4.
- people to create a video for the crowdfunding campaign . We an intern who is interested in this, we need some people with skills and experience to help guide the process
- people to RUN the crowdfunding campaign once the video is set. We have a formula for doing this, but the hands on part would be best done by a volunteer since camp is running while this campaign is going and it’s hard for staff to tend to this
- people to provide staff dinners for the Sunday Staff Meeting before each session of Tuesday Art Camp and before each camp.
- people to help with admin stuff. In particular people to LEARN some of the tasks ANNA does so we can take over her tasks for a MONTH or TWO this May and June while she is out on Maternity leave!
- and MORE! Most helpful thing for us is if you are interested in volunteering, please FILL OUT THIS FORM:
ukulele band practice!
If you play the ukulele you can join our ukulele band! Band Practice is most Sundays 2-4 meeting locations alternating between Clapping Hands Farm and a home on the border of Chapel Hill and Durham. For full schedule and details see our UKULELE PROGRAM PAGE.
ukulele lessons with sarah perry!
Sarah is teaching in the community this winter (see Community News below) She plans to teach at Clapping Hands Farm again once the weather is warmer. Check back to the UKULELE PROGRAM PAGE or contact Sarah to be put on a contact list for updates! sarah.chfarm@gmail.com
community news!
- BABIES are coming! Jennifer DeWolf a wonderful camp mom is expecting in MAY and so is our staffer, Anna Wright the “Detail Wizard” who works year round to keep everything behind the scenes sane and organized. In order to keep Louise sane and organized during Anna’s maternity leave—– extra help will be needed around here.
- Send your NEWS for the next newsletter! Concerts, Events, awards, sickness, help needed, your personal business classifieds. . . . we’d like to support, celebrate and connect people here!
