92nd STATE CAMPOUT
March 19 - 22, 2020
Halito! (a traditional Choctaw greeting)
Campers,
Our Sunshine State Pow-wow approaches. It will be in the city of Melbourne at Wickham Park March 19-22, 2020. Registration windows and prices per person for the whole weekend are as follows:
Early registration 2 Dec - 15 Dec 2019 $35 camping / $40 RV
Regular registration 16 Dec - 23 Feb 2020 $45 camping / $50 RV
Late registration 24 Feb - 18 Mar 2020 $55 camping / $60 RV
Your braves and princesses will compete in many good, old-fashioned games. They need to get their card stamped after finishing each one. If they complete 8 out of 10 wargames, they will earn their dogtag. Wargames include 3-legged race, fire making, water balloon launch, a catch & release fishing tournament, kayak races, BB guns, paddleboard jousting, egg toss, tug-o-war, and a photo scavenger hunt. There will also be other fun activities like snake shows, movie under the stars, arts & crafts, stargazing, midnight kickball, and 2 raffles (one for smaller prizes Friday and one for larger prizes Saturday - there will be 2 different price groups for each raffle).
Don't forget that the mighty Timucuan Federation will conduct a Sacred Fire Saturday night along with a Breaking Arrow ceremony. We will need each Federation attending to provide 1 dad and 1 brave or princess for the ceremony. Please adhere to the rope or marker tape that blocks the area around the fire ring so we may save room for the ceremony for all to watch. Remind your Federations to bring their vests, headdresses, and a natural light source (no flashlights or headlamps) for the Silent Walk before the Sacred Fire.
Check-in at Wickham Park begins at noon on Thursday March 19th, 2020 and will close by noon (or soon thereafter) on Saturday March 21st, 2020. The current schedule has 6 wargames available for Friday arrivals, and all 10 available for Saturday.
Keep checking the website at http://www.sunshinestatepowwow.com for information and updates. We will try to post the park map with Federation camping area assignments by Monday March 16th, 2020. A generic map with camping areas and the additional parking area will be on the website as soon as registration opens. We will have some information packets available at check-in, but please try to print out or download the info packets before arrival. In it there will be a placard to put on your vehicle's dashboard to enter the Youth Area at the north end of Wickham Park where we will be.
There are almost no electrical and water hook-ups, so bring what you will need. If a very large number of people register, we will look into getting a generator(s) for some areas but plan on bringing your own. The Wickham Park website says no firewater, but the park manager assures me they don't check coolers or cups so the "red solo cup rule" is in effect.
Now for the only possible contentious point. Another rule the park has is "no ground, natural log fires." The only natural logs we can use are in the fire ring (where the Sacred Fire will be). Before you ask, no you can not use natural logs off the ground and be following the rule. No natural logs, and nothing on the ground period. So bring your portable propane firepits, your charcoal, or those Duraflame Campfire Roasting Logs (which I personally tested and work quite well). We will also make a small bonfire Thursday night and Friday night in the fire ring for all folks to enjoy. The only other way to use natural logs is if your outdoor kitchen has a fully surrounded metal bbq grill or smoker. If you are a future FoodNetwork kitchen chef or GrillMaster, then go crazy with real wood as long as it is metal and fully encloses the wood. This is the only thing the park manager emphasizes.
We are very excited to host this year and look forward to as many of you attending as possible. Have a great Thanksgiving and Christmas!
Yakoke! (a traditional Choctaw thank you)
Murph, aka Storm Cloud,
Chippewa Tribe Chief,
Timucuan War Chief,
2020 Statewide Chief
and all around awesome guy!
Wickham Park
2500 Parkway Dr.
Melbourne, FL 32935