The Troops

Summer camp season requires a lot of planning and preparation. Activities must be selected and tailored to our campers; fire pits have to be built and repaired; cabins are aired out and scrubbed clean; poison ivy, ticks, and snakes should be discouraged from showing up; online registrations have to be uploaded and sifted-through for camper details. Because camp preparations can be so work-intensive, they can sometimes make us groan. "Arrrgh," we are tempted to say, "here comes camp." But then we remember that camp is also the most rewarding time of year at Ferncliff, so we prepare for it with joyful anticipation. 

And one of the most exciting aspects of the start of the season is getting to know the summer staff. Their arrival infuses the year-round staff with new energy, enthusiasm, and youth. I mean, who wouldn't be cheered by someone who is psyched to be spending the summer walking up and down a hill, herding kids and keeping up with them in the devastating heat? I suspect they also do it because it's the only summer job that forces you to sing and scream with abandon multiple times a day, stipulates that you always take a nap after lunch (yay F.O.B!), and invites you to show your campers the love of God through your every gesture, word, and even by your very presence.


I have only begun to get to know this year's summer staff, but so far I like what I see. Do you? C'mon. Just look at these sunshiney faces!

To see this one better, click on it.