Belfast youth invited to camp - includes related article

Camping Magazine, May-June, 1996 by Bill Harwood

* Mark Lennox will attend Adirondack Woodcraft Camps, a privately run camp in the Adirondack Mountains that focuses on campcraft activities such as hiking, backpacking, canoeing, and fishing trips.

* Jane Bell will attend Seafarer YMCA Camp, an all-girls camp located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Its activities include swimming, boating, waterskiing, and canoeing.

* Richard Teer will attend Tochwogh YMCA Camp, a co-ed camp on the Chesapeake Bay. The camp is oriented toward water sports.

* Helen Gilmore will attend Netimus for Girls, a camp nestled in the mountains of North Carolina. Netimus attracts campers and staff from around the world.

* Teresa Butler will attend Camp Jewel YMCA Camp, a co-ed camp that is known for its trip programs.

* Bridgeen Park will attend Camp Towanda, a traditional, private, co-ed camp in the northeast corner of Pennsylvania.

* Ryan Lemon will attend Space Camp and Camp Laney for Boys. Space Camp, in Huntsville, Ala., offers young astronauts a one week session that focuses on space shuttle operations and mission training. Camp Laney, located in northeastern Alabama, is a traditional camp that serves campers from multi-cultural backgrounds.

RELATED ARTICLE: Dear Mr. President,

What's the craic as we say here, but in other words, how are you doing?

My name is Cathy Harte and I am a 12-year-old catholic girl. I live in Belfast in Northern Ireland and I love it here. It's green, it's beautiful, and well, it's Ireland. My dad's a teacher and my mum is an operator. I love animals and I have a dog of my own called Lucy.

All my life I have only known guns and bombs with people fighting. Now it is different. There are no guns or bombs and on UTV live our local news presenters are tongue tied about news to tell and any they do is mostly good.

When I went down south for my holidays I used to play guess the numberplate on the cars, but now I can play it here in Belfast. There are millions of southern voices and cars around and the town is packed with people from everywhere seeing the sights and shopping, and well, it's my kind of Belfast. My dreams for the future, well I have a lot of them. Hopefully the peace will be permanent. That one day catholics and protestants will be able to walk hand and hand and will be able to live in the same areas. Religion to me does not matter. Catholic, protestants, black or white, it is the person inside that counts. Actually my aunt and uncle are protestants and it is very interesting to see their traditions and ways of life.

What I hope is that when I have my own children that there will still be peace and that Belfast will be a peaceful place from now on. I will see you when you turn on the Christmas tree lights. I send you all the Irish good luck.

Yours faithfully, Cathy Harte, St. Dominic's, Falls Road, Belfast

Bill Harwood is the president of Camp Counselors USA.