[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 98 (Friday, June 28, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S7323]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               MEADOWWOOD SPRINGS SPEECH AND HEARING CAMP

  Mr. HATFIELD. Mr. President, I am pleased to share with the Senate 
information about a very special facility in Oregon that I believe 
serves as a model for the nation.
  Meadowwood Springs Speech and Hearing Camp was established in 1964 
through the initiative of four University of Oregon students. These 
students saw the need for a speech and hearing development camp in the 
Pacific Northwest. They selected a secluded site in the Blue Mountains 
of Northeastern Oregon and established a camp for some of the most 
special children in our society--those with speech and hearing 
difficulties.
  Only 15 children attended the camp's first session over 30 years ago. 
Today, the camp boasts over 100 student participants annually. There 
are now over 40 buildings on 143 acres in this beautiful forest 
setting. The buildings include cabins, an infirmary, a dinning hall, a 
store, a multipurpose building, and a swimming pool.
  Children come to Meadowwood in order to improve their speech and 
hearing skills. The caring and loving environment at Meadowwood allows 
these children to develop skills at a significantly accelerated rate. 
In some cases, a child at Meadowwood may learn as much in a 2-week 
period as they may have learned in a span of 6 months in a traditional 
school setting.
  The staff members at Meadowwood are a group of highly motivated and 
caring individuals. Many have specialized educational backgrounds in 
speech pathology and or audiology from acclaimed schools throughout the 
country. These devoted staff members are often drawn from local 
communities. In recent years, the staff-to-child ratio has been 
approximately 1-to-1. It is the care and commitment of the staff that 
make this unique facility what it is. They ensure that the children 
develop in a loving and nurturing environment.
  I want to share with my colleagues one of the most remarkable 
elements of this venture--it receives no Federal funding. Meadowwood is 
a non-profit organization. It is funded through the generous donations 
of the Oregon Elks Association and individual contributions. In 
addition to financial contributions, Meadowwood also receives the very 
valuable gift of time from the many Oregonians who volunteer there.
  The Oregon Elks Association and the other Oregonians deserve our 
highest praise. They have donated their time, money, and attention to 
Meadowwood and have made it a success. It is a place filled with growth 
and with the laughter of very special children. Meadowwood is a unique 
miracle.
  As public officials, we must never lose sight of the human face that 
is behind nearly every issue we confront in this chamber. For this 
country to advance and become more prosperous in the future, we must 
place our highest priority on the needs of our children. I have 
reviewed many programs during my decades of public service. Few are 
better examples of the high commitment we must place on our children 
than the fine program at Meadowwood.

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