FlisKits at Camp Yevneh

[jflis]

Had a wonderful morning at Camp Yevneh during a Jewish retreat today. I was invited to help a group of kids (ages 7-17 and one adult even) build the free download CAUTION rocket that we offer.

I had decorated this for them and they had everything ready when I showed up.

For those of you who have built the CAUTION rocket before you will appreciate this... ...to help make assembly go a bit quicker, I provided motor tubes and engine blocks. This sped things up nicely.

Everyone did a great job. We allowed two hours to build. The parents were more amazed that I was able to keep such a large group occupied for 2 hours more than they were with the rocket itself LOL

All in all we had 30 launches (plus 4 demo launches of my stuff) with 24 successes. 6 of the models failed to deploy and lawn darted. A lawn dart with a paper rocket does not leave much left to inspect... But even with the lawn darts, everyone was smiling.

Here are a few pix from the event

1. Here is the group getting their group photo taken. Not all of these participated, but most of them did
2. Here they are, hard at work!
3. Each child posed with thier rocket after getting it on the pad (they do all the work, preping and hooking it up). See the note about the boy on the right, below)
4. And we have LIFTOFF!
5. Many great recoveries. No rockets lost to trees. Dozens of smiling faces. It was good

Now, that picture of the boy and girl. After their flights, they both went off to get their models (both had perfect flights). The young boy returns and stands near the launch pads, just GLARING at everyone. It didn't take long until nearly everyone was looking his way to see what was up.

He holds his rocket HIGH in the air and exclaims "I DID THIS!"

Priceless

Yep, it was a good day.

jim

 

[AKPilot]

Jim, you've got to have the most fulfilling job! I'm jealous!

 

[mattvd]

Great job Jim . . . probably at least one or two will be "hooked"!!

Looks like it was a blast for all.

 

[Pippen]

And to think some people drag themselves off to work each day.

 

[jflis]

You should see the looks I get from Kathy when I grab a box full of model rockets (or a fist full of fishing poles, or my paddles for cardboard boats, or (well you get the picture)) and announce "Well, I'm off to work!"

LOL

My best story about that was a Boy Scout build/launch. At the launch all of the dads came out of the woodwork to watch. I saw one dad kneeling, talking to another and occasionally pointing to me. I'm thinking "oh man, what did I do to tick off a parent *now*?"

Sure enough, one of the dads walks up to me and i'm thinking "ok, here it comes..."

He says "let me get this straight. You designed all of these rockets?"

Yep.

"You design these, kit them up and SELL them??"

Yep. You didn't get a catalog?

"You have a catalog?!"

Sure, here you go.

"Thanks"

===========
He takes the catalog and walks away, while looking over the catalog. About 20 feet away he stops dead in his tracks. Turns to me with this pained expression on his face and asks "This is your JOB!??!"

Yeah, that was a good day

 

[jflis]

Ok, back to the camp build

These guys were great. We were in a large dining hall with lousy acoustics, but when i was talking, they all listened. I noticed, also, that when one of the older kids finished a task, rather than go ahead to the next step they would turn and help the younger kids around them.

I also had about 5 older teen counselor's as helpers which was a God-send to say the least.

I got rid of all of my catalogs and will have to send them some more. There was real interest, well beyond just a "cool camp activity". The one adult in the group was from Italy and he told me he spent his youth building model aircraft and was having so much fun with this that he wanted to get back into building models again. Don't know if it will be of "rockets", but it's all good.

I had one mother who was fascinated with the Frick-n-Frack and plans on ordering one I wanted to fly mine at the launch, but a fin had broken in transit...

My hope is that this spawns more sessions like this. This one WAS a spawn from an earlier one.

Good stuff.

 

[shreadvector]

And did they get the NAR 50th anniversary certificates?

https://www.nar.org/2006/08/nars_50th_birthday_celebration.php

 

[jorpet]

That is fantastic, and sounds like a lot of fun as well. You really do an amazing amount for kids with all of this.

 

[jflis]

And did they get the NAR 50th anniversary certificates?

https://www.nar.org/2006/08/nars_50th_birthday_celebration.php

Yep, they should be all set

 

[jflis]

That is fantastic, and sounds like a lot of fun as well. You really do an amazing amount for kids with all of this.

Thank you It truly is so stimulating and personally gratifying to work with the kids like this and watch their eyes light up like that one boy, Mr. "I did this!"

It is my hope that by sharing these experiences I can encourage others to find the time to work with our youth (with rocketry or other activities). It doesn't have to be that time-consuming. An hour out of the school year can make such a big difference.

 

[JoeG]

Thank you It truly is so stimulating and personally gratifying to work with the kids like this and watch their eyes light up like that one boy, Mr. "I did this!"

It is my hope that by sharing these experiences I can encourage others to find the time to work with our youth (with rocketry or other activities). It doesn't have to be that time-consuming. An hour out of the school year can make such a big difference.

Thanks Jim. You and I are both in a position to be able to help more than the average person. I manage a hobby shop so when I get called to do a presentation or attend an event during regular working hours I get paid.

I get a lot of people coming in the store and asking when I'm going to retire. Everyone wants my job.

I fly R/C airplanes as well as rockets and am a member of various clubs. I have begun to "share the wealth". I have started asking others to come with me. Then I ask them to do it on their own after a couple of times.

You're right. It doesn't take a lot of time usually and the rewards far outweigh the cost in time and money.

Joe