50 Years of Summer Camp Excellence
Happy 50th, Chestnut Ridge!
It's our Golden Anniversary...my first! In 1959, Chestnut Ridge opened it's gates to the very first summer campers. They stayed in covered wagons called hogans and cooked out every meal on a campfire at their site. They hiked and explored, sang songs and played games. And, although our accommodations have changed, much of the original vision of Chestnut Ridge remains.
Worship continues to tie us together - summer to summer, year after year - songs of praise lifted by the lakeside to the tune of a guitar, prayers sung boisterously at meal times, and lives transformed by the love of Jesus Christ.
Activities remain primarily human-powered. In a world where technology (like writing blogs!) and entertainment (I just watched the new Harry Potter movie) dominate much of our lives, camp remains a place where people provide the primary energy for activities - just ask the campers after an evening of capture the flag or an afternoon on the lake toys! Rather than expecting to be entertained, we learn to entertain ourselves. People power our entertainment at the weekly talent show and at joke time. Our activities focus on getting outdoors, rather than staying in. Camp is about forming the inside, outside. By living and playing together, people connect with each other and build strong relationships based on shared experience.
Our goal remains the same as our predecessors: to know and love God. I pray that in our Golden Age, we grow as a place of hospitality, we continue practicing thoughtful care for creation, and we provide meaningful fellowship in such a way that God's love is visible to the world. That kind of visible love transforms lives and gives real hope to all. A toast: "To the next 50 years!"
The Reset Button
I'm about to hit the reset button. Not Chestnut Ridge's, but my own. An occasional ctrl+alt+del is good for the soul.
Odd as it may seem for a camp director, I'm going camping next week. No frills, unless you count the cot and linens. Compared to my usual cocoon-sized backpacking tent, this kind of tent-you-can-stand-up-in is the luxury version of the camping experience. But, it's still camping.
No television. No computer. No phone. No commuting. The lack of so many things that fill the normal days - the noise and business, good as it all is - is replaced with a kind of simplicity that restores the soul.
Conversations, long and unhurried. Leisurely walks and exploratory hikes. The smell of fresh coffee in the morning while the sun comes up. The sound of birds singing their praise. A game of Uno by flashlight. Stories under the moonlight. A time to reconnect by living simply. Immersed in creation and renewing relatationships with my husband, children, and God. A total reset of the system.
It's the gift of time apart, of sabbath. Breaking away to be made whole once more.
Back in a week.