A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to Camp - 21C - MORE STAFF SPECIALS

STAFF AUCTIONS:  The staff would have an auction every summer to raise funds for a special project that would benefit the camp.   The staff would auction all kinds of things.   They would sell bake goods, art projects, dinners in the home or at  restaurants, ski trips, massages, camp outs, manicures, slave day to clean rooms or houses, you name it.   One year Mark and Paul said if the staff would raise $100 for them, they would both shave their legs. The staff raised the $100 and the boys legs looked like plucked chicken legs for quite a while.  

            The year that the movie, “Young Frankenstein.” came out I promised to sing “Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life” if the staff would raise over $100.   You had to see the movie.   The staff could not believe it.   They laughed, applauded and gave over $100 towards the project.   The staff would often raise upwards of $5,000 each year  themselves. 

     There was the usual antics of staffers with water fights and different kinds of pranks.   We would keep hoping these would not reflect negative values and result in injuries, loss of property and wounded personalities.   

STAFF COMMITMENTS:  I would encourage young adults to consider spending at least three summers on staff.   I believed it would result in a healthy experience of faith and maturity.   It also exposed them to the opportunities to make decisions about the kind of values that were consistent with a “wholistic” expression of Christianity.

One of our ex staff woman came to camp as a Pastor and speaker for our high school conference.  She asked me how I could go through 25 years of  Orientation Weeks and keep the enthusiasm authentic.   It was quite an interesting question for me.   I loved orienting each new staff every year.  I knew the experiences they would have throughout the summer would be life changing.   These were young adults who would have influence in the church in the future.   I never got tired of it.

            Through this ministry long time relationships have been formed.   Because of their experiences at camp, many college students who served on staff responded by deciding to serve the church in different ways.   Through the years campers and counselors also made decisions to be active participants in the life of their church, community and world.   Many went to work as missionaries and fraternal workers overseas.   Many, many young men and women decided to be ordained as ministers of the word and sacrament largely as a result of their involvement in the camping ministry.