ACTIVITIES

Camp Viola is a multi-purpose facility that reaches deep into the local community to identify and service the needs of children and their families. During the summer we provide summer camp opportunities for underprivileged, economically challenged children where they can enjoy swimming and canoeing, as well as other recreational activities such as basketball, trail biking, volleyball, softball, archery, soccer and an off-site Ropes Course (ropes course activities must be arranged prior to arriving at camp).

In keeping with the founder’s vision, Camp Viola provides a safe environment for the promotion of spiritual, physical, and emotional development of each child that participates in camp. During the fall, winter, and spring seasons Camp Viola is available for other inter-departmental activities such as Corporate Retreats and Team Building Activities as well as providing a full service program for groups or corporations that want to strengthen their Company or Non-Profit Organization through Team Building activities, Corporate Training Curriculums or General Retreats that allow for employee camaraderie to be enhanced.

Camp Viola is also available for weekend retreats for groups looking for a facility that both allows for the enjoyment of nature while still being in close proximity to cities and major interstate highways. Last, but certainly not least, the Camp Viola Board of Advisors has on many occasions offered to open the camp to victims of natural disasters as well as families displaced by personal circumstances in order to provide safe shelter to them until they can return to their communities or are able to move into more permanent lodging.

All activities at Camp Viola have a common thread in that each is designed to promote learning through participation in exciting recreation and classes that allow each participant to enjoy the picturesque surroundings of nature, develop friendships with other campers, and enhance their own personal abilities while being safely monitored by highly trained ACA (American Camping Association) certified camp counselors. Below is as list of camp activities and the benefits of the activity for those that participate.

Nature Trail

While hiking along the many available trails at Camp Viola the participants learn about a variety of plants and wildlife endogenous to the region of West Central Georgia. It’s not unusual to happen upon deer or wild turkeys or other wildlife that populates this area, which provides the trail leader an opportunity to comment on the natural habitat of the wildlife and how the many plants provide both shelter and nourishment for the animals to take care of both themselves and their offspring. The trails also provide Camp Directors an opportunity to talk about God’s Creation and the abundance of life that His Creation has provided for humans to both enjoy and respect as we acknowledge God’s love for all He Created.

Arts & Crafts

On the surface these activities can seem simplistic and viewed as an expected component of a child’s camp experience. But dig deeper and we find that through the challenge of building a bird house or stringing together a dream catcher both the camper’s imagination and self confidence takes flight to “worlds unknown” that provides the backdrop for adventures to come and memories that will last a lifetime. As adults we must admit that many of our camp memories are fondly enchanted by those arts and crafts we completed and “proudly brought home to mom and dad”.

Waterfront Activities

As an ACA Accredited Camp our waterfront activities meet the highest standards of safety and provide recreational activities monitored by highly trained camp staff. While swimming in the man-made five acre lake the youth enjoy a white sandy beach that allows for easy access to the cordon area set aside specifically for swimming (the lake itself is fed fresh water through an underground stream). Other waterfront activities include canoeing (each camper is provided canoe safety orientation prior to participating in this lake activity) and fishing. The lake is known to have surprised a camper every now and then with largemouth bass or hefty brim just waiting to taste that fresh morsel of bait on the end of the fisherman’s hook.

Biking Trails

A visit to Camp Viola would be incomplete without a challenging ride along one of our scenic bike trails. With the literal assistance of the United States Army at Ft. Benning, Georgia, the bike trails were “carved” out of the hills and valleys of the camp’s 188 acres of natural beauty. Whether you are an avid mountain biker or a casual bike trail enthusiast, these trails offer varying degrees of challenge and thrilling adventure for those that strap on a helmet and set out to test their cycling skills. For the children that attend Camp Viola the staff take extra precautions to ensure that all safety procedures are followed and that each child has been approved to participate by demonstrating his/her bike riding abilities (for the safety of each child it is important that each participant demonstrate their ability to ride and control a bicycle before being allowed on the biking trails.).

Ropes Course

Ropes Challenge Courses have found their place into the summer camp experience after having been used for years by organizations such as the Boy and Girl Scouts of America, Treatment and Rehabilitation Centers that provide specialized treatments for various addictions and behavioral diagnosis, as well as Corporations and Businesses seeking an activity that would promote team building experiences for the employees of their companies. Challenge Ropes Courses have been especially successful in helping children overcome issues related to low self-esteem and poor social skills. The activities designed for the high and low elements of a ropes course promotes problem solving skills, reinforces self- confidence and allows for groups of children to experience trust and positive adult role modeling through participating in activities designed for them to “have fun” while allowing them to realize their own strengths and courage while interacting with their peers. Although not situated on the Camp Viola property the camp does have access to both outdoor and indoor high and low challenge ropes facilities that can be utilized by pre-arranging the activity with the camp management prior to your groups arrival at the camp. There is an additional fee for participation in this activity.

Archery

This has become a challenging and exciting recreational activity that promotes skill and ability while providing competition and self-confidence to those that have attained a level of expertise or just want to see if they can meet the challenge of “hitting” a target 50 yards away. For young campers this can accentuate a skill that allows for them to participate in sporting events that do not require they be of a specific statue or gender; just lots of excitement that can be enjoyed by children eight years old and up. All the participant needs is “the desire” to try something new. We anticipate having this activity available for campers at Camp Viola in the summer of 2012.

Daily Worship

Lastly, but certainly not least of all activities, children that attend Camp Viola have the opportunity to participate in organized spiritual activities as provided by the various churches that sponsor summer camping activities at Camp Viola. These daily activities can range from morning or evening devotions, plays or drama presentations and special music, or organized Vacation Bible School where the children participate in an array of activities that include bible study, arts and crafts, skit participation, and family night activities where the child’s parent(s) or siblings come to the camp on a designated evening to share a meal with their child and other campers their child has gotten to know during the week. The staff has come to thoroughly enjoy the “Family Nights” due to the presentations that take place for the parents by the children who participated in that week’s camp.