Ms. Plymell had been involved with Campfire USA since kindergarten but it wasn’t until she was in the second grade that she attended the Bell County camp.
There she marveled at the world around her and loved to lie down under the wide Texas sky.
Sixteen years later she still loves to be outside, and as a counselor she’s introducing other young girls to the camp that enriched her life.
Besides getting in touch with nature, Ms. Plymell found it amazing to meet so many girls from towns other than her own. In the third grade she met her best friend at camp and they have been inseparable since.
Ms. Plymell’s most vivid memory was an “outdoor progression” hike that she said was one of the hardest thing she’s ever done.
“You carry everything you need for three days on your back, including jugs and jugs of water, your sleeping bag, and your food. We carried it uphill one mile. You sleep out there, no electricity, no water, you build your own latrine, your own ovens, your own refrigerators, your own shelves. You can live there permanently by the time you’re done and we were only there for three days.
“It was the hardest, sweatiest, nastiest, coolest thing I’ve ever done.”
Ms. Plymell was impressed by the counselors and aspired to be one.
“I remember being younger and looking up to the people that worked with me,” she said. “And that’s why I wanted to work for campfire because I wanted to make a difference in someone else’s life like those people made for me.”
Over the years she worked her way up through the ranks. She entered the counselor’s training program in her teens and by age 16 she was a working for the camp. In high school she started a four-year community service project helping out the camp and earned her WoHeLo (WOrk HEalth LOve) recognition - the highest honor in Campfire USA.
The transition from camper to counselor was easier than she expected.
“People stay in it for years and years so the kids I grew up with saw me become a young adult, then saw me become a counselor,” she said.
As a counselor she led nature walks and campouts and every year she helped organize the Mystery Trail for the annual fall festival.
Her time at Campfire USA helped her get a job as a counselor at other camps and now she works with children for the Project FOCUS after-school program in Temple. She said she loved her time with Campfire USA and will continue to support it.
Campfire USA runs from the first week of June to the end of July. Karen Allman, director of Campfire USA in Central Texas, said there is always something for everyone.
Each week of camp has a different theme. Some are more outdoor-oriented, others are indoors. She said kids in particular love the “kids in the kitchen” week. Another big favorite is trips to the creek to catch minnows and frogs.
The local lodge rests on 38 acres and has five nature trails. It was built in the early ’60s and requires constant maintenance.
“Camps are a bottomless pit,” Ms. Allman said. “There is always something to fix.”
Campfire USA raises funds through candy sales and donations. United Way is a major donor to Campfire USA.
kchandler@temple-telegram.com
