Pam Dudding-Burch
Contributing writer
Robin Nobles represents the ideal team leader to bring life back to Camp Mitchell. By all accounts, she is a hard worker, responsible, possesses a genuine love for the community and is determined to become educated about the laws and guidelines needed to accomplish her goals.
The Board of Supervisors leased the camp under a one-year probationary period to see if Club Camp Mitchell (CCM) could support itself with help from the community. CCM has gained much community participation and developed programs over the last year as well as done minimal repairs and modifications to the gym.
“Now, after a year trial period, the county Board of Supervisors has given Club Camp Mitchell a five-year lease,” Nobles shared. “Now the real work begins.”
Club Camp Mitchell is the brainchild of Jeffrey Hickson and Robin Nobles. It was an attempt to save the camp from getting demolished and turning into a non-profit family club for local families.
During the one-year probationary period, the county paid the monthly electric bill for Camp Mitchell. With the new lease, the club is now responsible for paying that bill. The club must also continue to maintain insurance on the facility.
Nobles says that one big question remains: Will there be a pool? “The advisory board is looking at several options,” she said. “The most promising is a proposal to place a fiberglass pool inside the existing cement pool as it is the least expensive option.”
To help assure that the facility is open on a regular schedule, the club has hired two part-time employees, although many activities will still depend on volunteers to run them.
The club is looking to the community to help keep the dream going with financial support, both in individual monetary donations and with CCM membership dues.
“Membership dues have slightly increased to help with costs,” Nobles said. “Members range from two-years-old to 57-years-old, with a total of 172 members as of December 2017.”
Club Camp Mitchell is currently hosting a membership drive for 2018 to continue expanding the programs offered and improve the facilities.
Some of these plans include: dances, wrestling shows, music concerts, flea markets, Bingo, overnight camping, summer sports camps, music classes, cooking classes and first aid classes.
Membership is very inexpensive. A one-year membership costs $30, and that’s for the first two family members. The third member costs $25, and each additional member is $20.
A monthly plan starting at $10 is available. The membership fee includes free entry to all member activities, reduced entry to public activities and gym rental for birthday or family parties. The first 30 members will get a free locker.
Other events include Sunday pick-up basketball (5p-7p) and Monday pick-up soccer (5p-7p). Children under 12 are allowed to play if they have a parent or older sibling participating.
The CCM is posted on Facebook under “Craig Rockets.” Feel free to contact Nobles via Facebook for any questions.
“Club Camp Mitchell is asking all the adults who remember going to the Camp Mitchell dances while they were growing up, and who spent summers at the Camp Mitchell pool to please come help us make it a reality again,” Nobles shared. “We can’t do it without them.”
