{"id":4712,"date":"2012-08-27T12:59:58","date_gmt":"2012-08-27T16:59:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=4712"},"modified":"2012-08-27T12:59:58","modified_gmt":"2012-08-27T16:59:58","slug":"camp-runs-gamut-from-zip-lining-to-scuba-diving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=4712","title":{"rendered":"Camp runs gamut from zip-lining to scuba-diving"},"content":{"rendered":"

Weeklong state-police program features myriad activities for Chester County youth<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

By Kathleen Brady Shea<\/strong>,\u00a0Managing Editor, The Times<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

About 100 young participants experienced Chester County\u2019s 2012 Camp Cadet program, held this year at Camp Saginaw in New London Township.<\/p><\/div>\n

On Friday, a group of 100 young people proudly passed muster as the 2012 Chester County Camp Cadet hosted its graduation ceremony.<\/p>\n

The weeklong overnight program, available to children\u00a0 ages 11 to 13, began statewide in 1970 when a state trooper in western Pennsylvania envisioned an opportunity to promote good relations between the police and young people.<\/p>\n

Since then, the successful concept has been copied at 26 locations throughout the state. Chester County has been running its version since 1971.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an awesome opportunity for everyone involved,\u201d said Trooper Corey Monthei, a 17-year veteran who has served as director of Camp Cadet since 2005. \u201cWe have normal summer camp activities, but with a law-enforcement vibe.\u201d<\/p>\n

For example, besides swimming, canoeing, archery \u2013 even zip-lining \u2013 campers experienced scuba-diving and its importance in retrieving underwater evidence, K-9 demonstrations, and military marching, said Monthei, who also serves as public information officer for the Avondale barracks.<\/p>\n

Cadets live in an atmosphere modeled after the State Police Academy, where emphasis is placed on improving self-discipline, confidence and self-esteem.\u00a0 During the\u00a0 week, cadets learn teamwork and the benefits of making good decisions as well as respect for authority and each other.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not a boot camp,\u201d said Greg Cary, regional external affairs manager at Peco Energy who serves as vice-president of the Camp Cadet board of directors. \u201cIt\u2019s a wonderful experience for these kids.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Campers stand at attention during exercises at the 2012 Camp Cadet program.<\/p><\/div>\n

Cary said the program, held this year at Camp Saginaw in New London Township, gives the participants an opportunity to bond with members of law-enforcement while offering valuable lnsight into a profession that serves their communities.<\/p>\n

Monthei said the staff of 15, which includes state troopers, other law-enforcement personnel and a nurse, donate much of their time to participate. He said troopers are paid for an eight-hour shift but spend 24 hours a day with the cadets. \u201cOur nurse schedules her vacation time so that she can participate,\u201d Monthei said.<\/p>\n

To be eligible for the free program, cadets must be at least 11 and not yet 14 by the first day of camp. They must be Chester County residents or attend a county school.\u00a0 The selection process is based on numerous factors and is at the discretion of the camp director; however, Monthei said efforts are made to accommodate interested participants.<\/p>\n

Funding for the program is made possible by the camp\u2019s board of directors, said Monthei. In addition to<\/p>\n

securing private and corporate contacts to facilitate the operation of the program, they also organize an annual golf outing, which is a primary fund-raiser.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe couldn\u2019t do this without a committed board,\u201d Monthei said.<\/p>\n

Cary, a former police officer in Caln Township who has been involved in the program on and off since the \u201890s, insisted Monthei does the heavy lifting and applauded his dedication.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe has run this program so well \u2026 like no one else I\u2019ve seen,\u201d said Cary. \u201cHe just puts everything into it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cary said his only regret this year was that a scheduling conflict prevented him from returning to Camp Saginaw after its opening day. \u201cI really wanted to try zip-lining,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

For more information, visit\u00a0http:\/\/www.cccampcadet.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Weeklong state-police program features myriad activities for Chester County youth By Kathleen Brady Shea,\u00a0Managing Editor, The Times On Friday, a group of 100 young people proudly passed muster as the 2012 Chester County Camp Cadet hosted its graduation ceremony. The weeklong overnight program, available to children\u00a0 ages 11 to 13, began statewide in 1970 when […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":4714,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,25,4,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4712","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-community","category-featured","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4712","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4712"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4712\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4714"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4712"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4712"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4712"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}