CLUBS

Explore Beyond the Classroom

Camden Military Academy offers a range of extracurricular clubs, fostering personal growth, camaraderie, and leadership development outside the classroom.

CIVIL AIR PATROL (CAP): CAMDEN MILITARY ACADEMY CADET SQUADRON (MAR-SC-805)

On behalf of Civil Air Patrol’s nearly 60,000 volunteer members nationwide and overseas, welcome to the Camden Military Academy Cadet Squadron! The Civil Air Patrol is a volunteer, non-profit organization that also serves as the civilian auxiliary to the U.S. Air Force. Our three missions are to develop youth through a cadet program, educate Americans on the importance of aviation and space, and perform live-saving humanitarian missions.

CAP is a youth development program that incorporates aviation and military customs and courtesies. Through their experiences as CAP cadets, young people develop into responsible citizens and become tomorrow’s aerospace leaders. The leadership skills, self-confidence, and discipline cadets gain through CAP prepares them to achieve whatever goals they set for themselves in life.

To fulfill its goal of developing young people into responsible citizens and aerospace leaders, the Cadet Program is developed around five program elements: Leadership, Character Development, Aerospace Education, Physical Fitness, and Activities. As cadets participate in these five elements, they advance through a series of achievements, earning honors and increased responsibilities along the way. Please check out pictures and videos from our squadron Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/SC805/


ROBOTICS

CMA cadets participate on the Kershaw County Robotics Team. The KC Robotics Team works to inspire students in 7th through 12th grades to become leaders through participation in mentor based programs that build science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills and that inspire innovation. Middle school students participate in FIRST Tech Challenge(FTC) and high school students in FIRST Robotics Competition(FRC). The KC Robotics Team meets weekly to build robotics that specific requirements and competed with schools and clubs across South Carolina and the southeast.


DEBATE

Debate Club meets on Monday and Wednesday afternoons from 1530-1630 in Classroom 18, Academic Annex Hall. Cadets interested in participating in the Debate should contact either Senior Chief Petty Officer Shields, Ms. Eve Carlin, or Cadet Palmer. Cadets participating in the Debate Club will express their beliefs in a formal, public speaking setting while maintaining dignity and respect for opposing points of view. Cadets will strengthen their communication and critical thinking skills through awareness of current events, development of concise “for” or “against” points of view, maintaining civil tones, and reinforcing strength and character in public discourse.


YEARBOOK

Each year a core group of cadets assists in all aspects of producing our yearbook entitled Excalibur–a hardbound publication of the finest craftsmanship. The hands-on experiences these cadets gain in writing, photography, layout, graphic design, and teamwork give them a sense of and appreciation for what it takes to see a project through from beginning to end. From the initial planning stages of conceptualizing and branding, to the middle stages of writing, taking pictures, conducting interviews, and gathering and organizing information, and to the latter stages of editing and proofreading, each member of the yearbook staff gains professional, lifelong skills. The yearbook staff meet regularly with the yearbook advisor and devote one class period each day to the project. Those cadets with high academic standing and who prove to be responsible, dependable, and mature are eligible to get involved.


JUNIOR LEADERSHIP OF KERSHAW COUNTY

Junior Leadership Kershaw County is a high school student leadership development program sponsored by the Kershaw County School District, Camden Military Academy and the Kershaw County Chamber of Commerce. It is open to juniors and seniors at Camden, Lugoff-Elgin and North Central high schools who submit an application. Participants are selected by their school. Meetings are held monthly and a wide variety of topics are covered by professionals in thise fields.

JLKC is a very respected program, due to the fact that the students are all being recognized for the leadership traits they exhibit in their schools, communities, and lives. The goal of the program is to hone these unique qualities, in order to assist each young man or woman achieve their full potential as a leader. The program is very prestigious, and is competitive in terms of being selected for one of the thirty-two spots.


BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA

The BSA Troop 38 at Camden Military Academy has long been successful in teaching young men self reliance, a code of ethics, leadership skills, and an appreciation of the outdoors. Scouts at CMA have opportunities to get credit for the activities and good deeds that they already do, whether in the classroom, at JROTC, or on sports teams. An active troop, at least six campouts are planned every school year and several unplanned events, like Eagle Scout projects, and day trips for merit badge work are also performed during the year. The troop varies in number from approximately 20 to 30 cadets enrolled with the troop. The troop typically has between two and four Eagle projects completed during a school year. For more information, email Scoutmaster Greg Simonson at simonson@camdenmilitary.com.


CHESS CLUB

The Chess Club at the CMA is a club where cadets can learn and play chess. The Club meets Monday afternoons in the library from 3:45pm – 4:45pm. The cadets who come hone their chess skills and teach the game to other cadets. Chess is a game in which players must think carefully and anticipate moves ahead. They must also react to their opponents’ moves. Thus. it is a thoughtful game. The CMA Chess Club will be playing chess competitions against other schools in the area. Go CMA Chess Club!


THE ADJUNTANT

The Adjutant is an online newspaper created and ran by the cadets who attend Camden Military Academy. It is updated on a monthly basis by cadet writers. The website encompasses every aspect of cadet life. Among the common headlines of the online newspaper are the outcomes of sports games, stellar academic accomplishments, as well as military honors that students work so hard to achieve. The online newspaper is carrying on a tradition began by our predecessors of a school newspaper, and we are striving to honor their excellence as the newspaper moves from paper copies to online.

The primary purpose of the Adjutant is to inform cadets of the great things that are going on around them every day at Camden Military Academy . At a boarding schools like Camden Military, cadets are not able to go home every day to see their families. The young men want to know that the hard work they put in is being noticed. We strongly believe at Camden Military Academy that everyone makes a difference and that their achievements deserve to be showcased.


FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIAN ATHLETES

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes is touching millions of lives…one heart at a time. Since 1954, FCA has been challenging coaches and athletes on the professional, college, high school, junior high and youth levels to use the powerful platform of sport to reach every coach and every athlete with the transforming power of Jesus Christ. FCA focuses on serving local communities around the globe by engaging, equipping and empowering coaches and athletes to unite, inspire and change the world through the gospel.

https://www.fca.org/aboutus/who-we-are/vision-mission

Meetings: We met twice a month on Tuesday.
Trips:
 FCA retreat Garden City Beach, Christian music concerts, and FCA meetings at other school.


BLOCK C CLUB

Camden Military Academy cadets can join the Block C Club if the student has received a Varsity Letter from the athletic department, has completed at least one full season of a sport and helps support all athletics throughout the year. This club is designed to celebrate athletic excellence and recognize the athletic component of the whole man concept on which CMA focuses.


LIBRARY CLUB

In addition to providing opportunities for shared experiences with books and reading, CMA Library Club members plan and participate in activities that reach beyond the library and the school. Throughout the year members take part in activities related to books they read and discuss. Popular followup projects include watching movies based on favorite books and Skyping with authors.

Library Club members also enjoy volunteering in the community. Cadets visit with and prepare meals for guests at the local homeless shelter. Reading to kindergarten students at a nearby elementary school is another way club members are involved in sharing books and themselves with others. They also enjoy visiting and corresponding with senior friends through the Council on Aging and making paracord bracelets for military personnel and first responders.

The CMA Library Club enables cadets to practice goodwill toward others while they enjoy the pleasures of books and reading.