This summer, the Northern Virginia Ethical Society is going to be sponsoring many activities.  I wanted to highlight two summar programs that aren't sponsored by us, but that members have been part of planning and building:  Camp Quest Chesapeake and Family Heart Camp.  They're both week-long camps, both taking place near here at Prince William Forest Park.  Each link will take you to the camp's website for more information.  If you want to hear personally from one of our members about either camp, let me know and I'll try to put that person in touch with you.  Here's a bit more about them:

• June 25-July 2, 2011: Family Heart Camp of Virginia: a camp for the whole family of any ages (infancy to senior adults).  Sponsored by the CapitalNVC (Nonviolent Communication) community of which I've been a part, the purpose is to build a community where parents and children cherish, honor and respect each other, and are supported in expanding their skills and experience in having fun, peace, cooperation and harmony in family life.

• July 7-23, 2011: Camp Quest Chesapeake:   this co-ed summer camp for kids ages 8-17 is focused this year on "Independent Thinking, Interdependent World."  The camp's purpose, in short, is to help kids develop critical thinking skills and humanst values -- and connect with other kids from more "secular" families.  The camp has a mix of traditional summer camp activities like hiking, arts and crafts, swimming and games, plus exploring critical thinking, scientific inquiry, comparative religion and values, without assuming a theistic foundation. Member Mary Bellamy has been quite involved in planning for this first local camp based on camps that have been successful in other parts of the country.