Jon hold up his frozen prize!

Teachers Nick Linscott and Betsy Riordan headed to the river yesterday with 10 students, several pairs of gloves, trash bags, buckets and fishing gear. For the second year, Cherokee Creek is sponsoring the Earls Ford access to the Chattooga River. Through a volunteer agreement with the Forest Service, our staff and students participate in regular campsite and area clean up in exchange for a little bit if covented time at the river.

After filling several buckets with trash and cleaning out numerous fire pits, yesterday’s crew settled down for a picnic lunch and some fishin’. As luck would have it, our most avid student fisherman, Jon (pictured) landed a beastly trout: 17.5 inches long and just under 3 pounds.

Talk about a win win!

Devon and Ethan man the table

One of our holiday season traditions here at Cherokee Creek Boys School is the Oconee Humane Society (OHS) fundraiser at Tractor Supply in Seneca, SC. This event was started by Weekend Manager William Carpenter, who routinely volunteers time at OHS.

Students sold hot dogs, chips, sodas and hot chocolate in addition to accepting donations of pet food and supplies. All donations, totalling about $300 were then deliverd to the OHS before returning to campus. Thanks to Treks Staff Paul Mathis and Royce Johnson for supervising this year’s event and thanks to Tractor Supply for, again, allowing students to set up camp right out front.

Other weekend activities included bowling, trips to the recreation fields for soccer and football scrimmages, the “Trotting ‘Round the Tree” horse show at Clemson University and the Nutcracker Ballet at the Clemson University Brooks Center. Students also “decked the halls” with a Christmas tree and placed lights and garland throughout the Lodge. Very festive!

Students clean one of the Earl's Ford campsites before launching for some canoe drills.

What a great fall weekend full of great outdoor treats! Students and staff took full advatage of our volunteer agreement with the Forest Service. The boys headed to Earl’s Ford for a service project on both Saturday and Sunday. After cleaning up campsites and the river bank, our tricksters took some time to practice their whitewater canoeing and fly fishing skills where Warwoman Creek meets the Chattooga River.  

To celebrate Halloween staff and students gathered around the fire for S’mores on Saturday night. What a great sweet treat!