Youngsters Dive into Summer Camp

 (This was one I had published WAY back in the late 1980s...Kiwanis Camp Wyman is still there! I wonder what and how the people in this article are doing today.)

     It was only fitting that youngsters from Kiwanis Camp Wyman were instructed to show off their best dives prior to the swimming finals of Saturday’s Corporate Sports Battle at Webster Groves Memorial Park.

     The dozen or so kids on hand were among some 800 who have been making a big splash throughout the summer.

     Kiwanis Camp Wyman, located in Eureka, offers year-round programs for about 7,500 people ranging from the very young to senior citizens who can’t afford vacations.  But it’s best known for its five 11-day summer sessions for 8- to 16-year-olds.

     “The kids are referred to us for different reasons,” said Camp Director Mary Dwyer.  “Some have been abused while others are from low-income, single-parent families or even two parent ones who are struggling just to put meat on the table.  It’s a positive break from their home activities.  For me, working with the kids is tremendous because I see so much in them.”

     And the children, in turn, see a great deal of value in the programs.

     “I was afraid it was going to be boring, but I was wrong,” 12-year-old Keith said. “I mostly like hiking in the woods and archery.  We also went canoeing and swam in a lake.  On nature hikes, I saw all kinds of animals, cave salamanders and frogs.”

     Keith enjoyed his first summer at Camp Wyman so much that he has vowed to return next year.  He will be placed in a special program for teens known as Morning Star, which deals with outdoor skills in primitive settings.

     Another believer has been made of 14-year-old Desiree, who is currently completing her fourth summer at Camp Wyman.  She was introduced to the program through Cardinal Glennon Hospital and the Hemophiliac Foundation where her father is treated for that blood disease.

     “I was really nervous when I got there, wondering what people would be like,” she said. “But it’s been as great experience this year. I’ve been in a regular, 11-day program and one called RESP (Residential Employment Skills Program) where I handle applications for people who apply for jobs at the camp.  I can’t wait for next summer!”

     That’s the consensus among the youngsters.  While the majority of them most readily point to the recreational pursuits, Dwyer believes the benefits extend well beyond the enjoyment aspect.

     “The kids develop an understanding of other people and how they fit together in the community,” Dwyer said.  “When we develop our programs, we let the kids decide as much as possible because we want them to see themselves as part of society.  We have a job readiness program for 15- to 16-year-olds.  It’s rewarding to me when they come back and want to be counselors.”

     Desiree is a prime example of that.  This summer, she served as an assistant in naturalist programs and worked on a project called Nature Lodge, where she took children on hikes, helping them with sensory awareness.

     But none of those programs would have been worthwhile were it not for the Kiwanis Camp Wyman staff, which includes Executive Director David Hilliard, Development Director Battle Smith, Development Associate Don Davison and other staffers such as Claire Wyneken, William Berger and Cindy Hirsch, just to name a few. Their guidance and devotion to visitors is what makes Wyman work.

     “The staff is really caring,” said 14-year-old Beth, in her third summer there.  “If you have problems of any kind, you can always find someone who will talk to you.”

     “It’s fun when everybody gets along,” Keith said.  “They’re like one big family.”