Texoma Connect

Registration for Camp Dragonfly is now open. Camp Dragonfly is a weekend retreat, led by professional clinicians and trained staff, for children ages 8-12 who have suffered the death of a loved one. All activities at Camp Dragonfly are designed to help children heal and live successfully after loss. During the weekend, campers have the opportunity to participate in art activities, games, nature hikes, discussions, and a campfire with s’mores.

“Some people have the impression that going to grief camp ‘only brings up sad thoughts’,” said Camp Director, Jolene Senek, LBSW, CT, GC-C. “While it may bring up a few tears, attending camp can actually give kids their voice back and help them discover that they are not alone in their grief. Campers learn ways to process feelings and treasure memories. Camp is not about forgetting, it is about healing. It’s amazing that kids can be serious and very focused while working on remembering exercises, and then be ready to play in an instant as activities shift.”

Children grieve differently than adults. Some children have behavioral problems, some struggle with schoolwork, some become argumentative or fearful, some hesitate to be away from a parent, and many don’t like to be alone. Children dealing with grief often feel isolated as well as feeling that no one understands. One of the goals of Camp Dragonfly is to give the campers a chance to be with others who can relate to their feelings of grief and sadness and to help them realize that they are not alone. The campers often report feeling better after attending camp.

“My child very much enjoyed camp,” said a parent whose daughter attended an earlier version of camp. “She has always felt different from other children and camp seemed to make her feel like she belonged. She even wanted to go to summer camp when she thought it was a week-long Camp Dragonfly! The grief counselor I talked to was awesome! She was very honest and straightforward with me. She even asked how I was handling everything.”

Parents participate in a mini-camp designed to not only provide them with resources, but insight as to how children grieve. “Our hope is to equip them as a family unit to cope with their loss in a way that allows them to support each other,” says Senek.

The fall session of Camp Dragonfly is scheduled for October 9-11 at All Saints Camp on Lake Texoma, 418 Stanton Way, in Pottsboro, Texas. If you know a child who might benefit from participating, contact Jolene Senek at (903) 868-9315 or jolene.senek@homehospice.org. You can also download the application and learn more about this camp at http://www.HomeHospice.org/.

The application deadline for the October session is September 11, 2015.

Home Hospice of Grayson, Cooke and Fannin Counties is a 501(c)(3) local community-based organization founded in 1982. Our mission is to provide compassionate, quality care, emotional support and education to our patients, their caregivers and the community. We value those we serve as they are our neighbors, our friends and our families.

Austin | Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

With hunting season right around the corner, it’s time to get your hunter education certification.

To hunt legally in Texas, anyone born on or after Sept. 2, 1971, must complete a hunter education training course or purchase a one-time ‘deferral’, good for one license year. Because the minimum age of certification is 9 years old, hunters under the age of 9 must be accompanied by a licensed hunter in the field. Hunters ages 9 through 16 must either complete hunter education courses or be accompanied while in the field. Deferral purchasers must also be ‘accompanied’ which means to be within normal voice control of a licensed hunter 17 years of age or older who has completed hunter education or who was born before Sept. 2, 1971. Hunters 17 and up must complete hunter education courses.

To make this process easier than ever, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department now offers the option of completing training courses completely online for Texas residents 17 years and older.

However, TPWD also offers three other convenient methods of getting certified: the basic, enhanced and advanced courses, which involve classroom and/or field time.

The basic hunter education course is designed for novice and young hunters ages 9 and above and requires six hours of classroom instruction. The enhanced hunter education course is a combination of an online home study program and up to five hours of field training. The advanced hunter education course requires more than six hours of instruction and includes more content than the basic and enhanced courses.

Each of the courses costs $15, and the passing grade for all courses is 75 percent.

Since mandatory hunter education first started in 1988, the number of hunting accidents and fatalities has declined to fewer than 3 per 100,000 hunters. Incidents involving those who had completed hunter education courses are only in the single digits each year.

To help improve hunter safety, choose from one of the many flexible options to get your hunter education certification now. For more information and to register for hunter education programs, visit http://www.tpwd.texas.gov/outdoor-learning/hunter-education.

The certification is valid for life and is honored in all other states and provinces.

Some federally controlled areas require all hunters using that site to have hunter education certification. In Texas, this includes Corps of Engineers property and most military reservations. Check with the specific area prior to going hunting.

Renew Expired Hunting Licenses Online

Don’t miss any hunting seasons this year because of an expired license. All licenses purchased in the last year, before Aug. 15, expired on Aug. 31. Renew your license online or over the phone by calling 800-895-4248, or in person at your nearest license retailer.

Hunting and Fishing on Lake Texoma

If you would like to book a combination hunting and fishing trip on Lake Texoma be sure to check out our directory of Hunting and Fishing Guides.