Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, September 28, 1995 TAG: 9509290015
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: STEWART MACiNNIS SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
"That was great," the 10-year-old Vinton resident said as he took off his helmet. "I can't wait to do the whole high course!"
He'll have to wait, though. His climb into the top of the trees, his passage from one tree to another on a simple "Burma Bridge," and his rappel down the second tree was just a trial run for Vinton's Cub Scout Pack 235.
His unqualified endorsement was all the proof his den leader and father, Les Patterson, needed to convince him the course was for his kids.
"I think a group of 9- and 10-year-olds would really love it," said the elder Patterson, who also made the aerial crossing. "They can handle it, and they'll have fun, too. That's important, because they're looking for the adventure at that age."
Now, Patterson said, he will go back to his Scouts and their parents and report that the Challenge Course at Camp Roanoke is the place to be.
That was the point of a recent open house at the former Lucius E. Johnson Boys Camp, which was operated by the YMCA from 1925 to 1985. The camp on Dry Hollow Road, adjacent to the county's Spring Hollow Reservoir, is being renovated by the Roanoke County Department of Parks and Recreation.
"Last summer, we opened a portion of the camp for day programs for groups, like DARE," said Ricky Showalter, who heads up the county's effort to rebuild the camp. "We hope to renovate cabins for residential programs, update the electrical systems and reopen the dining hall."
Drug Abuse Resistance Education groups also have used the Challenge Course since it opened this summer.
Showalter said the Parks and Recreation Department will begin a capital campaign this fall to raise $300,000 to renovate the eight cabins, other buildings and recreational facilities in the 110-acre camp in the shadow of Poor Mountain.
"The Board of Supervisors has really been behind this project," Showalter said. "They've put up $50,000 in matching funds as an incentive to encourage contributions."
Besides direct contributions, Showalter said, the county also is looking at such fund-raising techniques as a "buy a brick" program, where individuals can purchase a small brick for $50 and large one for $100 with their names on them. The bricks will be used in an outdoor area.
The department also is looking for companies or organizations to sponsor the $8,000 renovation of each cabin. The work to be done includes reroofing the buildings, upgrading the electrical systems, installing new windows and buying furnishings.
The purpose, Showalter said, is to make Camp Roanoke a useful and well-used public resource.
The prime attraction now is the Challenge Course, also known as a "rope course."
It starts on a level field near the buildings of the camp. There, people engage in activities to build trust in each other. In one of the activities, one person is circled by the other seven to 11 group members. The person in the center falls in different directions, depending on the others to catch him.
After building trust, the group moves to the low course. It consists of nine stations that continue the trust-building activities while confronting the group with problems requiring teamwork to solve.
"It's interesting to see how people react," said one of the 12 full-time and part-time facilitators who guide groups through the course. "Children are a lot more flexible than most adults. But you can really be surprised by how creative people can be in coming up with a solution."
Groups vary from third-graders to business managers whose leaders want to build camaraderie, trust and teamwork among staff members.
One station on the low course consists of a small, triangular platform on which eight to 12 people crowd. The goal is for all group members to cross a 10-foot space to an equally small square platform. They have to use a rope suspended between the platforms, and they can't touch the ground as they cross.
And they must carry a small bucket without spilling the water it contains.
"There's no question," said Showalter. "They have to work together to accomplish the goals. They have to use strategy to come up with solutions, and then they have to make their solutions work."
The high course requires more individual effort, but it also requires support from the group. It consists of a series of obstacles in the treetops starting with the section of the course Chris Patterson and his father completed. It goes on to include variations on the Burma Bridge, negotiating a cargo net, and ending in a slide down a cable to the end of the course.
"Safety is absolute," Showalter said. "We have a philosophy here called challenge by choice. If someone feels he can't do an event, or doesn't want to attempt it, that's OK. But they have to stay here and support the others."
In the high course activities, a safety cord prevents participants from falling more than a few feet.
"All our equipment is safety approved, and the course is regularly inspected," Showalter said. In addition, the facilitators are trained and certified.
For information about the Challenge Course, Camp Roanoke and other outdoor activities contact the Roanoke County Parks and Recreation Department, 387-6091.
by CNB