7th Summer Camp for Gifted Children (aged 8–16) – July 2016
Dana Havlová has developed a good habit of organizing a one-week summer camp for gifted children, under the auspices of Mensa CR. This year was no exception – the 7th year was hosted from 16th to 23rd July by hotel Renospond, in Zderaz, near Skuteč.
More than 100 children aged 8–16 participated in this year’s, which reflects the growing popularity of the camp. This is actually underlined by the fact that even volunteers over 15 who have their “adult IDs”, and who could have been spending the summer in a different way, came and helped wherever and whenever needed.
I participated in the camp for the second time, as one of the “adults”. Last year, when I came for the first time in my life as one of the “chiefs” at the Mensa camp (or, actually any camp for children and youths), I had no idea what I was getting into, and what a bustle it would be. During that week, however, I found out that such a week can clean one’s head from the everyday stresses just as well as a month somewhere in a wild jungle. Who could resist coming again?
This year, I brought back from the camp (besides a thoroughly cleared head) some new pieces of knowledge, as well as experience. Among other things, I now know:
- What the English word “Prank” means... some children use the word and the activity quite often – a completely new experience for me. Such a prank can mean a nice teenager’s phone call at half past eleven at night to his mum, saying that she should come for him as he has hurt his leg. His mum deserves a halo instead of a “hello”...
- That the first title of Karel IV. was Margrave of Moravia, which is a well-known fact among eight-years olds...
- Pokemons can be caught anywhere and everywhere, even in the middle of a tarmac road or a forest... and they are born in especially high numbers during the noon-break
- You can divide by zero. Or you cannot divide by zero. Depends on which reasoning group of children you cast your voice with.
A camp wouldn’t be a camp if it was not for adult “chiefs” collaborating in organizing, creating the programmes, arranging prizes, taking photographs, securing medical supervision, etc. Special thanks first and foremost to the entire Havel family, as well as to Lucka Měchurová, Martina Pokorná, Romana Poloprutská, Naďa Jiráčková, Alča Nováková, Lucka Namešanská, Hanka Schmidová, Petra Pavelková, Míša Radimská, and Eva Strnadová.
What can I say in conclusion? This year’s VII. Summer camp was probably less dramatic than the previous one, as we did not have to deal with either smallpox, or appendicitis, or even wasps. Still, having over 100 children of all age categories in one place, without any parents, is a challenge and experience all by itself, especially as many of these children are more or less nutty Mensans. Fortunately, as a father of one gifted child, and a person acquainted with others, I had at least a small heads-up, and couldn’t be put off by just anything – which can be easily be broken down into one sentence - I am already looking forward to the next year! Or, as in the words of the classic Czech comedy – “We are all Gogo!”
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31.7.2016