Last week was our stake girls camp up in Broken Bow, Oklahoma at Beaver's Bend Resort. Ok so it's not really a "resort" like you think. It is a state park. You can rent cabins, canoe, swim, go horseback riding. We even did archery. Oh and there is even a little train ride you can go on. We didn't do that though. It was a different girls camp. We don't do certification and we really only had one great spiritual, testimony building lesson. Our daily scripture and journal time was really good because the stake leader over our group had good thoughts to share. I love girls camp but I didn't have the greatest attitude this year and I really should have because looking back now, I can see the bad job I did as a cabin leader. I'd like to go back and do it all over again. Seeing how I can't, my new goal is to let my girls know, who were in my cabin, that I do love them. I can't do that everyday, but at each stake activity I can make it a point to go up to them and give them a hug. Let them know I remember them. Some really good things that happened with the girls of my ward was that a few that I thought would not do well actually did really well and there were lots of smiles. I really do love Girls Camp!
Our YCLs sat on the stage every morning and evening singing songs and trying to get everyone else to sing crazy camp songs. Some I remember from when I first started going to camp as a leader. That was 20 years ago!!!!
Our first years are always enthusiastic and willing to always help and have tons of fun.
The first night there, we did a "Hold to the Rod" activity where each girl was blindfolded and were led to the "rod". While they were following the rod, the YCLs aka temptations, were there trying to get them to let go. If the girls did let go, the leaders were there to guide them back to the rod if they repented and had the desire to get back on. Some girls really got it while others made it a game. It was a good activity.
At 5 am the next morning we had a sunrise service. It started out really pretty and after this picture, more clouds started rolling in so we didn't get to see how really beautiful the sunrise can be even though this was still beautiful. A lot of girls slept through it.
Our second years did canoeing. I chickened out because I don't like little boats and water. And they told me that you will tip. Can you just picture me trying to get back onto the canoe?? I think not! They had a blast though.
Marni, our fearless camp director, worked on one of her crafts...tie-dyed camp shirts. They turned out really cool but when I got home and washed mine, it faded away. We tie-dyed with permanent markers. I think that maybe we had to set the dye in before we washed. Oh well. It was fun.
And we did archery. I'm pretty good at it, if I do say so myself. If you notice the yellow headband...we had yellow bandanas for our ward so every day I wore my a different way. You might say it was my trademark. The last day, and on the ride home, one of my Mia Maids lovingly told me it looked ridiculous. I also had my hair in two ponytails. Ya, I can understand where she's coming from but then again, IT'S GIRLS CAMP! Anything goes! I loved my bandana!
So some friends (the girls on the left, Kylie - sp?) told us about how they do funny face pictures. You just start making faces and then snap the photo. This is how ours came out. I love Marni's in the middle.
We got our Bishop to try the same kind of picture and this is how theirs turned out. K just stood there smiling the whole time. Bishop looks like Herman Munster!
Our YW in the Forney Ward! Bishop came up for testimony meeting. Tradition is he brings ice cream for a treat so we all gathered in the mess hall to eat and the girls were good sports in taking this picture. This is the best one of the few that we took. We have a good group of girls. I am proud to be their young women president and am super glad that I was able to go to camp. Thank you Marni for being my camp director!
Just a little side note...one of our girls had to have appendix taken out early Sunday morning. Two days after we got home from camp!! She's having a speedy recovery and is doing well!
1 comment:
I LOVE girls camp! I was sad that I wasn't there this year for the whole thing. Well, ok - not entirely true! It was nice to not have to deal with those gross showers! I liked your first paragraph about no certification and not really anything spiritual - thats how some of our girls feel - kinda like, "why are we up there again?" Its - to the girls - a vacation week where you might get to know a new friend or two. Thats not bad, but the only thing Mag came home talking about was that one spiritual experience she had - she loved talking with President Kimball! I would love for her to have had more of that!
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