HERTFORD, N.C. -- For most kids, summer camp is a place to have fun and learn all sorts of new things. That's the idea behind a special camp in Hertford, North Carolina, but it might be a little different than your usual camp. It's called ' The Summer House Parties of 1812.'
79-year old Nancy Rascoe started the 'parties' 18 years ago with her husband Peter. He passed away in May, but the camp still continues. 'Miss Nancy,' as the children call her, gets a lot of help from the staff counselors. Many of those counselors, including Assistant Director Mary Ivey Stewart were campers here at one time. The experience is the reason Stewart say she came back.
'This camp is truly something special and it's been absolutely life-changing,' said Stewart.
That's why campers come from all around the world to attend camp here. We met two brothers here from Italy who were back for a second time. Older brother Matteo Sforzasays manners are a big deal 'because in school they don't teach manners anymore likethey did at one time.'
While the cost ofattending this five day camp may be out of reach for some, the parents and grandparents we spoke with say they feel like they more than gottheir $700 worth.
Jacque Peters has sent her son Anthonyhere for a couple of years because she says 'these are life skills and not only can you use them in your personal life but your business life. And it just represents the person that you are inside.'
Miss Nancy holds her special camp four different weeks throughout June and July. They can take up to 15 campers at a time. The cost of camp includes more than just the lesson. While here, the children - ages 6 to 12 - will also have lessons in tennis and flower arranging. There's also swimming, canoeing and bible study. Of course throughout all of it, Miss Nancy is making sure the children are practicing nice manners. The reason it seems to work is because the children don't even realize they're learning. They're too busy having fun.
There are lessons throughout the day, especially at meal time. Miss Nancy works with the children to make sure they use nice manners at the table. She tells them to 'put your pointer finger on the back of the fork and the pointer finger on the back of the knife. Keep those elbows down. Put your napkin in your lap. Sit up straight and tall and talk to the person to your left and right and be pleasant.'
Miss Nancy says all of us can have nice manners. She says it's just a matter of having a 'heart full of love and caring spirit toward our fellow man.'
She says one thing we can all do that may help our children improve their manners is to sit down with them once a day.
'If you could havethe night meal be when all of them sit down and eat and not eat at the counterand grab a hamburger togo to the soccer practice.'
It's not that she'sopposed to sports. Miss Nancy thinks sports are great, but she says time together talking with our children is also important.
At the end of every camp Miss Nancy has each child recitethisquote 'etiquette is today what it has always been: a code or behavior based on kindness, consideration and unselfishness, something that should not and will not ever change.' She believes it and she lives it. She just hopes the children will too.
To find out more about Nancy Rascoe's manners camp, go to www.missnancymindstheir manners.com.
For more information on her historic bed and breakfast inn, click here or call 252-426-1812.
