Camp.
It’s not just a verb or noun. It’s a concept. A time. An experience. Dang near a philosophy.
To those that ‘know’, camp is special. To anyone who’s been, even just once, the words Latham Springs brings immediate memories… and even more once you allow yourself time to think.
It’s not ‘youth’ camp. 'Youth Camp' is the generic term for what all the other churches did. No... this was 'Camp'.
From 1987 to 1992, Camp (it deserves the capital ‘C’) was my Super Bowl for the year. School starts in September… and camp officially bookends the ‘year’. The rest of summer was spent living off the ‘Camp high’.
When things got tough during the year at school, I would consciously allow my mind to ponder on Camp and how that’ll help make things better.
Now, I fully admit I probably took Camp more seriously than other people. But, my gosh… it was guaranteed that the best times of my year would happen that week. Whether it’s the new friends, new girls, the spiritual re-charge, the competition… or all the above…. Camp was more than just a week long ‘getaway’. It was… well… Camp.
About the only thing I can honestly say I didn’t care for at Camp was the allergies. Everything else? Some of it may not have always been enjoyable… but it was all part of Camp.
Most importantly though…
I was saved there in 8th grade. I remember it like yesterday. The ‘invitation’ song was Father, I Adore you which we all sang in canon. Could have happened anywhere, but like for so many others (sometimes multiple times *giggle*), I was saved there. To me? Latham Springs is sacred ground and Camp is a sacred place/idea/experience.
Part of what made camp… Camp was the competition between groups. It was personal for many of us. Hard work, blood, sweat, tears and tempers ruled the day here. Yes… it was a tool to glorify God, but this was the heyday of the PPBC youth group. Egos DID matter. Bragging rights WERE earned (or lost). There was the Pep Rally, Talent Show, daily Spirit Stick, daily Clean Cabin, Green Dilbert, Favorite Camper, Outstanding Camper, family groups… Man, competition was such a huge part of camp for me. Unfortunately, there were many who believed it took away from what we were really there for. I respect their views… but, let’s face it… most of the people saying that were the ones losing.
From my perspective, the competition enhanced what we were there for and what we were doing. We were there to get closer to God. Having fun was a major tool in accomplishing that. To have as much fun as possible, to me, you had to win. But to win… you had to work hard. So, yes… scrubbing pubes out of the shower and practicing my tiny part of a Pep Rally while yelling at someone else for not caring brought me closer to God. (And whoever I was yelling at. J )
I’ll agree it sometimes distracted from things. I can’t sit and say otherwise… but on the whole, it did so much more good than negative. Honestly, not to be rude, but many of those who felt differently only griped when they lost... and kept their mouths shut when they won. Maybe I didn't gripe any because my groups won so much. :). So, while they made some changes eventually to water down some of that experience, the good thing is it never ruined Camp. It just slowly chipped away. But, hey… the Sphinx is still the Sphinx, even without a nose, right?
This year marks the 20th Anniversary of my Senior Year at camp. I’ll be writing a long series of blogs recapturing my experiences and memories. For those of you who went, I’d love to hear your comments as you read these. They may get long… but trust me… if you went, while you may be reading about my experiences, you’ll reminisce about your own and crack an involuntary smile.
Spot on Sammy! What wonderful memories Camp gave!!!
ReplyDeleteAtomic pushups n leviticus....and sappy poems with kitch gifts...look forward to these man.
ReplyDeleteLet me tell you a little story about a man named Benny
ReplyDeleteA wealthy baptist preacher and he wouldn't give a penny
But then one day he felt a mighty cramp
And God said Benny take your youth group to camp
Waco...Latham springs
Well the next thing ya know Benny's planning out the week
Gotta find someone to sing, gotta find someone to speak
Then he sent us all a letter and he told us what to bring
So we packed up our bags and we moved to Latham springs
Snake-filled lakes and cafeteria foods...
That 6th grade year set the tone for a 7-year run of greatness.
This summer was my first year in the last 27 to not be at camp for a week...either as student, counselor, or pastor. It was hard. Good times brother. Glad we got to experience it together
Sammy, and what about your notorious poems. I think I got in on the tail end of that, as a counselor for a few years. I totally agree about it being holy ground...Angela was saved there and so every year I was there, I thought about how that time changed my little families lives. I loved walking by myself, in the quiet (that was very rare, usually when everyone was gathered about to worship) it was almost like I could hear God's voice and the peace it gave me. I cried many a tears of joy in Thanks for those experiences Angela and Jonas both had in LS. I am going to enjoy reading your blogs.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes I did clean cabin judging a couple of years, and yes I know what you mean about those showers...6th grade boys cabin...forget about it...ha great memories.
There were times I felt like the "black sheep" of the youth group at church but Camp was something I always looked forward to every summer!! Yes, you still had your "clicks" & drama like anywhere. But this was one week where I felt those things weren't as important and there was a sense of unity among the youth. Because of the way it was structured, you had to come together. You couldn't be with just those you were comfortable being with all the time. Even before Camp, groups met to work on their Talent Show. This began a bond that I knew for at least that week our group would have & hope that these relationships would go beyond that week. For me, Camp as a whole is where we could all have this one thing in common. It was something that broke boundaries that otherwise would not have been broken if we were in a different setting. If, that makes sense. I will be honest, there were many times after Camp that those boundaries were clearly marked out again. But when the word "Camp" or "Latham Springs" was mentioned, that was one thing that none of us could deny that we shared together. And even if for a moment, boundaries were broken again. We all had different reasons for going to Camp. It may have been just for the fun of it or for the seriousness in growing in your relationship w/ the Lord. Either way, there was growth.
ReplyDeleteLooking at all the Group Camp Photos on the walls in the youth department was a great reminder to me of the unity & growth that we all shared. Now I can look back and see that even in all the ups & downs, God was at work. And that is what it's all about!