The Troubadour: Farpoint Cadets Work the CMSEC's First Ultimate Camp. New Astronauts Hired. The Imaginarium.

Hello Troops,
Several of the Space EdVentures Foundation's Farpoint Cadets participated in the Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center's first summer camp of the 2013 season. On Monday, our cadets volunteered from 7:00 P.M. to 10:30 P.M. They camp back Tuesday and worked from 7:00 A.M. to 10:30 P.M . On Wednesday they started the day at 7:00 A.M. and finished the camp at 10:00 A.M. That's 22 hours of volunteering! I'd call that dedication, just what you'd expect from a Farpoint Cadet.

I'm impressed with the quality of our cadets. They're intelligent, disciplined, motivated and eager to help where ever there is a need.

"Mr. Williamson, how many times a week can we volunteer?" one of the cadets asked me at our last Farpoint Cadet meeting at Renaissance Academy two weeks ago. This is another example of dedication and motivation.

"Well, they need our cadets at both the Discovery Space Center and the Christa McAuliffe Center, so you guys are in demand, however I don't want you to volunteer to the point you start burning out," I replied. "Remember, you're a Farpoint Cadet and Farpoint will need you as we build our own program this coming school year. So, DON'T BURN OUT."

Meet our Farpoint Cadet Ultimate Camp Volunteers

Katie greeted campers at the school's front door. Katie was the right person for the job.
Your front door greeter needs to have a happy, friendly personality.

NOT Farpoint Cadets. This is Connor and Zac. They work at the CMSEC.
Both of them got their jobs because of volunteer service. Working hard brings opportunities
Connor is a flight director and supervisor at both the DSC and the CMSEC. Zac is the
Magellan Set Director.

Farpoint Cadet Spencer played the Friendly Hallway Pointer. His job was to
direct the campers to the gym to sign into the camp.

Cadet Ethan met the campers at the gym's door and pointed them toward the sign in table

Isaac, Daxon and Dakota were the camp's official signer inners. They had to
question the campers about their previous missions and fill out and give each camper
a Rank Paper to take to the CMSEC's director, Megan Warner. Megan really
appreciated the extra help our Cadet's provided.

Our Cadets are seen signing in the arriving campers. Does something seem a bit odd to you?

Yep, they're sitting on the old stools from the Voyager's Galley. Perhaps a bit
uncomfortable, but the stools did the job. Besides, they made our Cadets appear
taller than the campers. That's a good thing.

CMSEC Director, Megan Warner finishing up the signing in process and giving the camper's
their name tags.

I got a bit bored covering the signing in process, so I went on the hunt for a few interesting pictures of the staff.

Phoenix Flight Director Dave Daymont

I found Dave Daymont wandering the halls looking..... well, you can see for yourself. Mr. Daymont's had a busy week. He and his wife moved into a new home last weekend. That's enough to stress anyone out. Dave appearance may also be attributed to the fact that the Phoenix's air conditioner was on the fritz, so he had to fly a five hour mission in over 80 degrees! Yea, I'd look like that too if it were me.

Everyone of my 23 summers as Director of the CMSEC had air conditioner issues. It goes with the job. What can I say? We were rough on our air conditioners, running them all hours of the day summer AND winter.

Aleta Clegg

I found Aleta Clegg in the hall behind Mr. Daymont. I knew why she was happy.

"I'm not in the kitchen!" She exclaimed with a smile stretching from ear to ear. "My first summer in years and years where I'm not cooking the summer camp meals!"

Aleta wore many hats at the Space Center when I was the Director. She wrote curriculum, taught the field trip classes, taught the merit badge classes and ran the summer camp kitchen.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"My kids are on this camp, so I'm here to volunteer. I can do that now!" she explained.

Jacqueline

Everybody was happy to get the first camp started, even Jacqueline. Jacqueline's job was to collect the parent permission forms.

Cadets Nolan and Daxon waiting to get to work in the Phoenix Control Room.

Cadet's Spencer and Katie in the Magellan

Our Cadets know that smart volunteers make good volunteers. I found four of them in the Magellan learning the Magellan Bridge stations so they could help with camper training.

Cadet Ethan is explaining the Magellan Security Station to his supervisor.

Dakota learning the Magellan's Damage Control Station

The Campers are all here. The CMSEC staff celebrate.
Miranda, Nathan, Jacqueline, and Connor

Nolan and Daxon

Nolan and Daxon don't know what to make of the celebration. Daxon smiles and Nolan wonders where Connor got that pose.

Daxon Discovers the Klingon Batliff. Isaac warns him to be careful and not poke his eye out

Megan Warner opens her first camp as the CMSEC's new Director.
I did that for 23 years. Now it her job and she's doing great!

The CMSEC's first Ultimate Camp.
(With the biggest kid of them all in attendance)

Jon Parker

My job was finished. I went to the CMSEC to document our Farpoint Cadet's first Ultimate Camp and I did just that.
"You're not leaving until you get a picture of me." Jon voice was determined. He stood blocking my escape. "You got a picture of everyone else, but not me."

I took a picture of Jon. He was happy and he let me go.

It was weird walking away from the Space Center at the start of a summer camp. For 23 years I was always the one in charge and now, I'm retired. I'm happy to report that the nostalgia was gone by the time I got to my car. I know the Space Center is in good hands. It's being run by a staff of people who care and want it to succeed.

Are you interested in attending a CMSEC summer camp? Visit their web site and register. It will be the funnest thing you do all summer! spacecenter.alpineschools.org

Are you interested in becoming a Farpoint Cadet? Farpointstation.org

Mr. W.

Space and Science News

NASA Hires New Astronauts
Will These be the Ones Who Go to Mars?

It’s been two years since NASA’s space shuttle program came to an end, but thousands of Americans still dream of becoming astronauts. Eight of them – four men and four women – were introduced Monday as NASA’s astronaut candidate class for 2013.

More than 6,300 people applied to become astronauts-in-training, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said in a video announcement. That is the second-most applications the space agency has ever received, according to a NASA statement.

The Imaginarium

Make the ordinary, extraordinary

Assignment, do something wildly creative with a pot hole. Ready...... Set..... Go