Latham Springs - Part 9

I can't possibly touch on every group I had as a sponsor, so I'll hit on the few I remember most.

Honestly, I don't remember all my groups names. I bet if I DID, I'd remember more about them, so if you were with me at camp from 1995-2004, let me know our group name and I may remember enough to highlight your group. (BOS2 and UPS are upcoming).

Every group was special. Every week was special. Some groups just stand out to me for different reasons. Some personal, some situational.

Either way...

1994 – Vikings

Now, I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings here, but as a sponsor, I enjoyed every group I had in different ways. Really did. I saw God move in ways each year that was different from any year I’d been.  But, every sponsor has groups that stand out. Some reasons are good. Others aren’t. But, there are always those experiences that are a bit more extreme… ones you connect with a bit more than others.

Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce you to the 1995 8^th grade boys… The Vikings.

There is no simple way to describe these guys. But, before 1995, it was always the 7^th/8^th grade boys. That year? There were lots of moms of 7^th graders concerned that their first year boys had to be paired with a bunch of thugs.

I’m not lying.

This 8^th grade group had gangsters (one kid we tried and tried to convince to come ended up on death row, if I’m not mistaken), hoodlums, cut-ups and disrespectful jokers… and were all pretty much bad influences. And they were all big. These moms literally feared for their son’s safety. So, after enough concern, the 7^th/8^th grade boys became the 7^th grade boys and 8^th grade boys. (I don’t remember if the other groups split that year or the following year, but this was the start of that changed dynamic.)

The year prior I had been at camp with the 6^th grade boys.  After my experience there, two things were clear: I didn’t have a gift for 6^th graders… and they didn’t have a need for me.

But, my brother-in-law, Steve Gunter, was the dorm dad for this group I think. Rusty Averitt was in there too. They were the ‘heavy’… and I was the one to do all the Jr Sponsor grunt work. If there was ever a group that needed strong leadership, this was it. And you know what? That’s what they got.

I remember leading up to camp, I sat the group down and laid it out on the line for them…

There would be no second chances this week. If there was any hint of a reason to send anyone home, off they go. THIS is their only warning. See, I believe ‘troubled’ kids need one thing above all else… leadership. They need to know who’s boss, respect that boss… and know this guy has their back.

So, that’s what I did. I pulled no punches. Not only did I tell them there was zero tolerance for problems, but I also fed their burgeoning egos that this camp was scared of them. (Many were, lol). But, if they wanted to prove people wrong about them… to make a statement that says ‘We are more than what you think’, this was the best place to do it. Steve, Rusty and I were the ones to listen to. Allow us to take whatever heat you guys would take… you do as we ask, and I promise, you will shock this place.’

Any group I’ve been with knows me in this… I go full bore. I’m not one of those sponsors who looks at camp as a vacation. I’m there for a purpose. Just as a camper, I go all out as a sponsor… and with this group… I had to. It would fail if I didn’t. As good as Steve and Rusty were, this group needed someone a bit younger. They wouldn’t have responded to a generation gap. I was that bridge.

What helped is that some of these guys saw me when there were 6^th graders. I was still ‘that senior’ to many of them, so I had that to lean on. “Listen to me… I know camp. You guys are all competitive… you want to win? You want to shock people? I’ll get you there.”

I mentioned previously that my groups were some of the hardest working group ever. If there’s one group that rivaled us… these guys did… in 8^th grade… and years later.

From the beginning, I was on these guys. If they didn’t buy into the competition side of things, they were toast and the week was going to be rough. I knew this was an uber-competitive group, so I played that up like crazy. And they responded.

How do you get a bunch of so-called thugs wanting to win a Spirit Stick? Challenge their manhood. One of the best driving forces for people is the desire to prove doubters wrong. So, we made up some fun cheers and chants… and pounded them into the ground.

How could you possibly get guys this age interested in Clean Cabin? Convince them that CC is where Best Camp Group is worn or lost (which it is.) We weren’t just trying to ‘do well’. We were at the Super Bowl… we were there to win.

They bought in and sold out that week.

I’ll never forget the most amazing feat of effort I can recall came from this group. Once I knew Clean Cabin wasn’t going to be a problem… we decided to up the ante. Anyone can clean. That just requires effort and discipline. But, we needed to separate ourselves from the pack. Do things that had never been done before. At that time, originality was a judged criterion. Had to come up with something…

Shock and awe? George W got that concept from the Vikings.

I never intentionally broke rules at camp. I’m not about unfair advantages… but, if there ISN’T a rule? Well… you can’t break what’s not there. And it’s easier to ask forgiveness than permission, right?

Groups got one hour to clean in and around their cabins… and decorate/organize/whatever. So, on Wednesday of that week, we got together and tried to come up with something no one had ever done before.

Someone: “Hey, why don’t we make a maze with the beds?”

Me: “Cool. Nice thinking… good idea. But, how are we going to clean around the maze? If it’s not clean, nothing else matters.

Someone Else: “Hey, I have an idea… let’s make a maze with the beds in the middle room…”

Me: “But the beds won’t turn the corner from our room to the big room. (We were in the barn, over by the pool.)”

Someone Else: “We’ll just have to take the bunk beds apart, remove a window, haul the beds out of the cabin entirely and then back through the window to the middle room.”

Me: “…… …… ….. Well, no one ever said we COULDN’T do that, I guess. You’d better hurry… I don’t want anyone late for worship.” (Which immediately followed Clean Cabin then.)

So, that’s exactly what they did. They cleaned the middle room,  disassembled the beds, creating an easy floor to clean in the cabin, cleaned the bathrooms, hung all their clothes In perfect unison, wrote a poem (I didn’t write it), left candy, carried all the bunks out the door, slid them in back through a window and then created a maze.

In an hour.

I didn’t help. I made sure things didn’t get carried away. (Funny, my definition of ‘carried away’, huh?)

This was nothing anyone up there had ever seen before. The Clean Cabin Crew had no idea what to say about this. They DID however allow everyone interested come in during free time and see what these guys had done.

Needless to say, the Vikings won CC that day.

I’ve seen groups work really hard. I’ve never seen anything like that before or since.

And this was from a bunch of thugs, malcontents and gangsters.

If they were so into it then, I knew they were ‘getting God’ too. The only way you don’t ‘get God’ at camp is if you are apathetic. Indifferent.

That wasn’t this group. Not then. Not now.

The Vikings ended up dominating camp that year. If there was ever an 8^th grade group to rival the Hillbillies, the Vikings did. I won’t say they’d have beaten us… but, I wouldn’t have wanted to face them to find out.

But, God moved in that cabin that week. Through these guys, he moved through the whole camp. The rejects that everyone was scared of led, won and showed they were capable of more than anyone imagined. Including themselves. I think, for many, that week changed a number of their lives. I know it did mine and many other sponsors.

Their performance humbled so many who thought they ‘had these guys figured out.’ I only talked about the competitive stuff, but God did some mighty things in the lives of this group.

They were willing. Willing to work. Willing to learn. Willing to listen. Willing to do what was necessary to prove people wrong. They shocked and awed everyone that week.

I don’t remember the name of the award (Servant’s Heart, maybe?), but Keith Smith and Todd Gaston created a new award this year to exemplify and honor what camp was about that week. The seniors didn’t get it. The juniors either. No, this new honor… higher than any other, came to The Vikings.

Latham Springs - Part 8

More miscellaneous Camp 'stuff'...

LUGGAGE

You get to Latham Springs... head to the Tabernacle for a 'Welcome to Camp' rally... head to the cafeteria for lunch. While at lunch, most people and groups are wandering about, not quite sure whether they should be throwing chants and cheers down or just eat. All the while... Brad McMullen and a few others (but ALWAYS Brad), is losing 12 pounds of sweat as the U-Haul goes cabin to cabin, dumping off luggage. I helped out one year when I was in shape. Stuck in the back of the U-Haul with no airflow, sifting through luggage for 300 people. That's no easy task. And Brad did it EVERY YEAR. So, while everyone was out having fun... Brad humbly served to make sure we all had our stuff. Thanks Brad! (Although I think I'm still missing a pillow from 10th grade!)

BASKETBALL COURT

Normally, the camp leader (Benny Proffitt, Randy Gressett, Keith Smith, Todd Gaston) would make sure to get out amongst the students and show they are accessible. Benny was very athletic and a thick, fit man. Randy? Dude was skinny like a pipe cleaner. Keith and Todd? Somewhere in the middle... and they LOVED to play basketball. Well... for basketball, there was one game in town, and that was outside the barn, along the road behind Swank Field. Keith and Todd were actually pretty good too. Well, that is until you fouled them. I'll spare the gory details, but let's just say their competitive nature came out time and time again on that court. They were usually facing each other... and it was pure comedy. Listening to them bark and whine on the court was legendary. To this day, I've never heard more whining on a basketball court than when those two were on it. But, it was one way they would connect with a lot of the guys in the youth group, and that helped their ministry. But, it sure elicited a lot of eyerolls on the court! lol

PUTT PUTT
Remember the stellar putt-putt course they built behind the Tabernacle? You don't? It was the one built with hollow piping on a cement slab... the one with no shade... the one where Jr High kids went to play something outside because they couldn't get into the basketball game or softball game. The one that never was brushed clean, so if you wanted to play, you had about 9 leaves per hole to either move or putt around. Hey, it was a nice try. :)

PING PONG

The other great outdoor hang-out? The ping-pong tables so warped from the heat, you could never count on a true bounce because the angle of the table may push the ball the opposite direction you think it should go. Some people were really good. Most weren't. My favorite game? Around the world where 6-7 people would play at once, rounding the table taking turns hitting. Miss and you're out. Last man standing wins. Amazing the ingenuity we had. Some of the coolest times at camp were around those tables, talking, flirting, getting cokes in the middle of the night and chatting, hoping for General Patton not to catch you... stepping on crunching June bugs and crickets. And... it was one of the most popular places to forget a Bible or camp schedule/devotional book. Good times.

ATOMIC SIT UPS

If you know, you know. If you don't, you don't want to.

Latham Springs - Part 7

Since I can't post what I originally planned just yet, I'll start out with some general camp memories... (no pun intended)...

THE GENERAL
Ah, Keith Patton and that 4-wheeler... We all remember General Patton motoring around during rec, worship service, after clean cabin, lights-out... basically any chance he got, making sure people are where they're supposed to be. Think you can sneak out at night? I can't TELL you how many times I heard in the cabin, "Yeah, but what if General Patton sees us?" And he did. God may be omnipotent, but Keith was the next step down! If you saw his lone headlight on that 4-wheeler coming, you KNEW to get down and pray.

And I bugged him every year I was a sponsor to let me go for a ride... and I always got a very non-committal, "Ok, but..." If I missed out on one camp experience... it was that I never got to ride that stupid thing!

WATER BALLOON FIGHTS

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em! Late night water balloon fights (in the cabins, out of the cabins, anywhere, anytime) was a right of passage for the guy groups. Not sure what girls did in their cabins, but I can't imagine it being as fun as this. Or as destructive. Busted pipes, windows and doors eventually led to a sanctioned water balloon fight. Basically, water balloons were the marijuana of camp... Contraband smuggled in and treated like currency. And the powers that be LEGALIZED IT!!! You libertarians you!!! lol

Three main water balloon memories stick out...

1) The first year of the sanctions fight, some of us were on the balcony off the hotel, overlooking the field. And we had a launcher. Now, these launchers are serious things. Given the right angle, strength and balloon type, these things can launch a balloon 1/4 mile. So, if you're hit by one, it's like getting hit with a cannon. And don't EVER hit anyone in the head! You may just knock it right off their shoulders. Well... I don't recall who was with me, but the very first time I'd ever used one of these, there was a massive fight going on in that field. I pulled back and let fly... smacking some Jr High kid in the hip as he was running around. I have no idea who it was, but that kid literally got knocked off his feet, writhing in pain as he tried to get up. And I was nearly a football field away from the poor sap. That was the only shot fired with that launcher. Too dangerous. (But funny!)

2) I don't remember the group, but every night, as a sponsor, I would, uh... oversee certain night time activities to make sure things didn't get out of hand. See? You may not be able to stop the fights, but if you can keep them under control, then people are less likely to get hurt. Well... speaking of launchers... we would come out of our cabin and I'd let the guys launch balloons across the field, hitting some of the girls' cabins. (Of course, we had to beware The General... we had a lookout!) The girls' cabins are FAAAARRR away from the Sr Cabin on the Hill, but we had perfect view. I loved hearing girls (and their sponsors) complain that someone came to their cabin throwing water balloons in the middle of the night. No... long distance warfare. :)

3) Boys of Summer: The Sequel... One thing about me, as crazy as it sounds now, I was actually very against bringing water balloons to camp. Too tempting to get yourself in trouble. Ask any of the seniors I had, and they'll tell you I mandated they not bring balloons. I know some did, but it DID reduce once I layed that law down. I wasn't going to let something stupid derail any efforts and distract what camp was about. That said... I DID allow the late-night launching... and one Armageddon of Water.

Shane Robert, Greg Sommers and Ryan Boozer were all planning a major attack on some group on the Back 40. Thing is, they also knew how much I didn't like water balloon fights. They can damage property, hurt people, and make a mess that must be cleaned up. No sense in sabotaging Spirit Stick, leadership responsibilities or Clean Cabin for the sake of a water balloon. They all knew my stance on this. So, while they were all prepping for a fight (black clothes, black masks, etc), I walked into the cabin and caught them all. John Hodgkiss and Rick Katterich came in behind me and were a bit concerned with what was going on. They gave me the freedom to handle our groups as I felt necessary. (More on that later) But, when the kids saw me come in, they pleaded and begged me to allow them to go out. Apparently a challenge was issued by the other cabin and, come on... you just don't punk the senior boys!!! I'll never forget this... as they begged me to let them go out, I stayed very stern, looked at Hodgkiss and told them, "Guys, I'm sorry. I can't. I can't let you go out there... (faces and shoulders around the room sink)... WITHOUT ME!!!!"

The room erupted and Hodgkiss just gave me a grin. I haven't heard a war cry like that since Braveheart... those guys were all out pumped. I did stop it for a second to lay down some guidelines to keep things from getting too carried away. (And I assured John that I'd be out there making sure we, uh... they didn't.) And it. Was. Awesome. :)

WALLY BALL

This was more of an old-school game since it was yet another thing banned, outlawed and forbidden as the years went by. But, while I was a camper, what could you do when you first got to camp? What could you do when you didn't want to be in the heat? Wally Ball. Our cabins were set up where there were two cabins on either side of a combined middle room. This middle room had a nice large wall and was large enough to manufacture fun. All you needed was a raquetball. The rules were simple. Catch it with one hand or risk getting pelted. We'd throw the ball against the wall and the goal was to catch it with one hand if it came to you. You could dodge or whatever, but if the ball hit you or you didn't catch it w/ one hand, you'd better make your way to the big wall and touch it before someone else caught it and pelted you where ever they could. Head, back, legs, butt, crotch... BUT... if they threw and missed, THEY would have to go touch the wall before someone hit THEM. Needless to say, you didn't want to play shirtless (and I even saw one kid wear a cup!) Great fun. Good exercise. Lots of hurt feelings, welps bruises. This was one game where there were no participation ribbons because as long as you played, you won.

Funny thing is, Latham Springs put a rule banning us from playing because of 'safety and protecting their property'. While I DO remember a lot of tears, I don't recall every seeing anyone break anything.