1) I don’t like bears. Seriously, I try to avoid contact with any and all ursa majors and minors. Camping is not fun for me because I am always “bear aware.”
2) Some lessons take years to learn.
Girls’ Camp
Young Women Camp 2013
This is normally the post I use to describe my week at Young Women camp. I describe the lessons I learned, the problems I encountered, and my goal to be a better leader.
Yes, it was a good week. Yes, there were problems encountered but they worked out. The problems always work themselves out. And yes, there is always room for improvement.
We had a moose wander into camp. Actually, he probably was hovering around our camp all week but we just saw him once. Well, once in daylight and once at night. They are kind of creepy when you come across them at night and all you can see is their eyes reflecting in the moonlight.
For this post, I want to focus on one lesson I learned this past week. It happened Wednesday during the hike. Between my asthma and vertigo my goal was to not collapse or lose my balance and fall. And I managed to succeed at both. Yay me!
I didn’t even fall during the off-road stretch where I really had to pay attention to each step I took. Proud to say, I stumbled but I never went down.
We were just finishing the off-road, cross-country portion of the hike and had to descend the little hill. Flags marked our path we needed to follow. Since I was so slow I watched others hike down the hill following the marked path. Two leaders stood at the bottom to help the hikers make it to the road. But from where I stood, I thought I could see an easier route.
Despite the flags and the other hikers’ success, I decided to veer to the right.
The vigilant leaders who waited at the bottom called to me and urged me to follow the marked route. I listened.
When I approached them they helped me down a one-foot drop to get to the road. “Oh, geez,” I complained. “That’s a bit of a drop.” One just nodded her head in agreement.
I joined the other hikers and waited for everyone to catch up. While I did so, I looked down the road. If I had continued on my easier route on top of the hill I would have come to a five to six-foot drop to the road. With no help to get down.
Isn’t that like life? We have markers and flags showing us the route. We also have others going before us leading the way. And there are those waiting to help us through our tough times. Yet, we may think we see an easier way – a better route.
We don’t always have the full picture from where we stand. We don’t need to. There are plenty of gifts to help us to succeed. We are meant to win – not to lose.
And let me tell you, I’m very glad I listened that day. I hope I listen just as well in life.
Gone Campin’
Tomorrow I’m headed to the Uinta Mountains. I will be there until Friday and will come home, exhausted, sun-burned, bug-bit, stinky, and did I mention exhausted?
It’s our annual Girls’ Camp for our stake. Two hundred-some girls plus leaders head to the mountains. We hike, do crafts, listen to inspirational speakers and in every instance provide a place conducive to the Spirit. If done correctly, it can be a game changer. A bolster of confidence.
Years ago I went to Girls’ Camp as a young woman (on a side note, to the same camp I’m going to tomorrow as a leader). I belonged to the category “loner” with no friends. But during camp, that all changed. I forged some very dear friendships that helped me through some very tough times.
Going as a leader has given me a new perspective on this week long adventure. I never realized that for a leader, this is almost a year-long planning process. I think the campers would be surprised at how many prayers are said in their behalf.
However, nobody is forced to participate or even have a good time. That depends solely on the camper. If the girl comes with an open heart she will feel things she may have never felt before. She will even be sad at the end of the week to have to return home.
And when that is at stake, who would mind spending a week up in the mountains? Not me.
So, please stop by my blog this week and feel free to comment. I won’t be able to check on my stats until I return next weekend though. Perhaps there will be a tell-all sometime in the future. Maybe even a picture or two? Eh. We’ll see.
Girls’ Camp 2012
Good news! I survived my fourth year of Girls’ Camp as a leader. Whew! It will now take me another week to recuperate and rest. Let’s just say, today wasn’t what you would call productive. Even now, it took me five minutes to figure out the word I wanted was productive and not productful. Yeah, it’s going to be a long week. I might have to do more retro postings.
In short, it was a very good week. I think. It really doesn’t matter what I think because, as I remind the girls, it ain’t Ancient Women Camp – it’s Girls’ Camp. It’s their opinion that matters, not mine. The most I can do is get feedback and, with the other leaders, make adjustments for next year’s camp. So, this is the time when I ask the girls how they felt about camp. Then I discreetly ask their mothers to get confirmation. That’s when I hold my breath and hope for the best.
In my opinion though, it was a pretty good week. There were a few minor personality clashes. But that was on Wednesday – the day we wake up early and hike. By the evening, we had a camp of some tired girls. I don’t know about you, but when I get tired, I get a bit cranky.
I decided I had one goal this year. My goal was to be a good leader. The past three years I have been so focused on other things and I forgot to be a good Young Women leader. This year I wanted an opportunity to connect and communicate with each girl. Since I’m pretty good at the end of things, I treated this year as my last year. I wanted to say what I needed to say and do what I wanted done. Did it work? Nope. I’m going to need another year.
Cheesy me at camp
During My Absence…
I’m running away. Heading for the hills. But just for the week.
Monday morning I’m going to the Uinta Mountains with five other leaders and nine young women (yes, yes, I know that’s a high ratio of leaders to girls). We will spend a week hiking, listening to inspirational talks, laughing, crying (in a good way), feeling the Spirit, learning gospel principles, and so much more. And we will do all this without one single campfire (take that Boy Scouts!). Fires are still banned here in Wyoming. But that’s okay; it will be a great week anyway. It’s always a highlight of my summer and a great opportunity to get to know the young women and other leaders in our ward.
One of the perks of Girls’ Camp is it allows me – or forces me – to be sans technology. No cell phones, iPads, iPods, computers, etc. are allowed (leaders do have cell phones for emergencies but we have to go up the hill to get service. No Verizon, I can’t hear you now).
I could have been ambitious and wrote a few blogs ahead. But ambition has never been my strong suit. Instead, we’ll do a retro-ck’s days next week. So, if you’re reading something and it sounds familiar, you’re not going crazy (unless you want to be).
Enjoy your week and I’m sure you’ll get a full report when I get back. Eventually.
Girls’ Camp 2011
This blog was supposed to be my report on Girls’ Camp. That was the plan when I left almost two weeks ago to spend five days camping with the youth in our ward. I’ve been home eight days and I still don’t know what to say about the week. Not to brag but our camp was blissfully and wonderfully uneventful.
At one time leading up to camp, we were hoping to have up to 13 girls join us. The final count was eight girls and five leaders. Six girls live in the ward and two were what I jokingly referred to as “borrowed.” Our girls ranged from ages 12 to 17. Some have grown up in the gospel and others are converts. With such varying ages and backgrounds it was a bit risky on our part to put them all in the same tent. But that’s what we did and I think it turned out okay. At least, I haven’t heard any complaints.
Due to the excessive wet year we’ve had, the river next to camp was running high and fast. A couple of weeks before camp we were warned it could be muddy, cramped and filled with mosquitoes. The campground dried out quite a bit before we got there and it wasn’t muddy or cramped. However, we didn’t luck out with having the mosquito population suddenly dwindle in numbers. They were out in full force and seemed to mock our attempts at keeping them at bay. We called our assigned camp spot “Nauvoo,” because it was swamp-like, yet, we tried to make it beautiful.
This was only my third outing as a leader and I’m still learning. I haven’t quite learned the balance between spending my time with busy work and bonding. It would have been nice if I would have spent a little more time with the girls. One small regret I have is I tried to fulfill our lone sixth year’s wish list (she doesn’t ask for much and just wanted to do three things at camp) and acknowledge our birthday girl’s special day. It came down to trying to do two things at once and both girls got a little shortchanged. But again, neither complained.
The girls in our ward truly are an amazing bunch of kids. I’m not being superfluous, I truly believe it. I have the privilege of associating with the future leaders of church and community and I am here to reassure you, we are in good hands. The youth today are remarkably strong with a strength I’ve never known. Some of them have known their fair share of heartache, but they don’t give up. So, yes, I love my calling and no, I don’t feel qualified yet. But I guess when I do it will be time to face a new calling. For now, I’m going to enjoy my time I get to spend with some good kids.
ck's days 