MMA Summer Camp 2012 Closes with Graduation Ceremony
Summer Camp 2012 at Marine Military Academy came to a close with a graduation ceremony on Saturday, July 28. As the campers marched across the parade ground, it was hard to imagine that this was the same group of young men that arrived just a short four weeks before. Much more assured and physically fit, they demonstrated the confidence they had attained during the grueling four-week camp.
Parents marveled at the change in their young men, and it was easy to see the pride in their faces. For many, it was obvious that MMA Summer Camp 2012 was the right decision. Click the image to the right to view the graduation parade. Click Summer Camp 2012 to view the photos from the parade.
Summer Camp 2012 Kicks Off
The month of July began with the arrival of over 360 young men ready to take on the MMA Summer Camp 2012 program. These young men came from all over the country and many from outside the United States.
Of the 360 summer campers, 43 came for the English as a Second Language program. This program includes not only classroom work, but gives the students the chance to enjoy the outdoor adventures of the regular summer camp program.
As the campers moved through the registration process, they were introduced to MMA’s barber and received a headshaving. For many, this was quite a shock, but they quickly adjusted to their new style! They would quickly learn that with the South Texas heat and the events they would be involved with, this style was far better than what they hard arrived with — and shampooing hair took so much less time! Click here for MMA Summer Camp 2012 registration photos.
The first week of MMA Summer Camp 2012 was filled with getting the campers acclimated to the weather, introducing them to the myriad of activities and beginning the process of turning a group of young men into a cohesive unit. This week included many hours of teaching the basics of close order drill in order to easily move the units from event to event smoothly and quickly.
By the time the first week ended, the campers had adjusted to the heat of South Texas and were ready to take on the many challenging courses on the LEAD Complex. Campers also began their series of hikes around the local area to help their fitness and better prepare them for the physical demands that were to follow.
MMA Summer Camp 2012 Hits Full Stride
MMA Summer Camp 2012 turned up the pace and the heat during Weeks 2 and 3 as campers took on the many challenges of the LEAD Complex. Initial rappelling began their introduction to high events. For many, it was their first time facing their fear of heights. MMA Summer Camp 2012 introduced the campers to a new event for the first time as they took on the Rope Bridging. This event demonstrated the proper way to rig a one rope bridge over an obstacle and the teach the campers how to cross over the rope.
MMA Summer Camp 2012 did not waste a moment during these two middle weeks as the campers also took on the Leadership Reaction Course, High Ropes Course, Circuit Course (numerous times!), Confidence Course and Obstacle Course. Thrown in for good measure was the Paintball Course and Mud Course — and it wouldn’t be summer camp if they didn’t get a chance to hit the pool to cool down!
During this time, the Aerospace and Scuba programs were both in full swing. Other activities, such as Boxing Smokers, Rifle Range and Climbing, helped to fill out the weeks as the campers found themselves moving quickly from event to event the entire time.
Following the evening meal, MMA Summer Camp 2012 held its League Play as campers competed against each other in sports such as softball, flag football and soccer. No time was wasted, and campers found themselves falling into their beds each night ready for a good night’s sleep!
The third week was when each company took one day to visit Camp Perry, the regional Boy Scouts Camp, for some canoeing, archery and swimming. As the third week came to a close, the campers could now see the end of MMA Summer Camp 2012 nearing, but things wouldn’t slow down much the last week!
MMA Summer Camp 2012 Final Week
The final week of MMA Summer Camp 2012 would see many highlight events that would test the campers abilities on the courses they had worked on so hard. These included the LEAD Complex Round Robin, the Iron Man Competition, the Back 40 Games and, of course, the final Field Meet. The meet was held before a viewing audience of parents excited to see their young men.
This week also included a chance for each company to test how well they had learned the details of close order drill as they strutted their stuff at the Final Drill Competition. Platoon photos were also taken this week, and they can all be viewed here. Graduation day was a joyous event as campers were reunited with their families and had many tales to tell of their adventures.
MMA Summer Camp 2012 was a tremendous success for Marine Military Academy and we hope that our campers went away with memories that will last a lifetime.
MMA Summer Camp 2012 Photos
It is impossible to place all the photos from MMA Summer Camp 2012 in this article. To view all the photos, visit MMA’s Facebook Photos page and/or MMA’s Flickr Gallery.