My week at camp, 2008

I never take enough pictures. I think the problem is I'm too busy doing other things to remember to take pictures. I did take some video though. And this is basically my excuse for a journal -- it got a little long. Sorry!

Nine of the most incredible 2nd YCLs ever! Top: Chrissy, Gianna, Jana, Katrina, Madalyn; Bottom: Lisa, Jennica, Kim & Megan. They're standing outside our longhouse, in front of silhouettes of themselves (they have clues on them and the other girls at camp are supposed to try and guess who's who. Check out the cool poster Chrissy made in the top right. Totally worth the ink, Kim!!)

As I said before, camp was great. We faced a lot of opposition though. One of our level assistants left on day one because she hurt her back. The assistant nurse left on day two because she had a family member become gravely ill. One of my YCLs left on day three because she became ill. Our camp director had to leave on Thursday because her grandpa died & she had to travel to the funeral and our stake cooks (along with their daughter who was the camp MC all week & one of my YCLs) had to leave Thursday because of a death in their family. All of that in the space of like three days!

We were incredibly short-handed but the great thing is, the 2nd YCLS were so totally with it. They made it easy for me to pick up the slack where it was needed because they had everything completely under control. They were doing things before I even had to ask and they were always where they were supposed to be. It was such a huge improvement on last year. HUGE! I feel so very blessed to have worked with them, to see them serving & loving it, to see them work together and get along.

From the top: Rebecca, Arielle, Lisa, Katrina, Kim, Megan, Jana, Ali, Michelle, Soana, Chrissy, Gianna & Jess (everyone except Jennica!)

As I said before, our weather was kind of crummy. It rained Wednesday. It was a drizzly, light rain but enough to be an annoyance and to have us grab our ponchos and trash bags to sit on. It also got really cold Wednesday and into Thursday. We woke up Thursday morning and it was around 40 degrees outside so we canceled that day's Polar Bear Dip. I've never been so cold at camp before. We had sweatshirts and jeans on most of the week.

My assistant this year, Tammy, really was fabulous to work with. She took care of so many things for me up at camp and I think if we get to work together next year, it'll be even better because she'll have a good idea of what leading the 2nd YCLs entails.

The chipmunks were everywhere at Ensign Ranch and so totally brazen. They'd run up the ladder to the lofts of our longhouse and then down and across our beds to get out. ICK! We contemplated making suicide traps but were reminded that wasn't part of God's plan. (Whatever! ha) I made the mistake of leaving one of my containers open and came back to find one eating the peanut M&Ms I had stashed in there. Tammy grabbed a broom and got it out. The M&Ms went into the garbage. Tragic, I know! One of the levels saw a skunk in their camp area so I consider us lucky to have only had the obnoxious chipmunks to deal with.

Re: the plethora of chipmunks, the second level girls made up a roll call (a little chant/song they do every morning & night, always different) to that song "Low" and part of it said "Chipmunks with the fur, with the fur." Ha! I need to get more of the words down because it was pretty funny. That group also had a roll call to the tune of "Bleeding Love." There are so many creative girls out there! Here's a roll call my girls did one day to "Good Morning Baltimore." (I played that song to wake them up in the morning.)


The 2nd YCLs do a skit about one of the YW values during each flag ceremony. I video'd some of them because they were so stinkin clever. In this one on Choice & Accountability, Soana is taking flamenco dance lessons but they're on Sundays and her parents are concerned. I really love the Saturday's Warrior type song near the end! (A couple of others are on facebook, if you are my facebook friend and want to check them out.)



The girls also write a new camp song every year that goes with our theme. This year's song was to the tune of "I just can't wait to be king" from The Lion King. The first couple of days, hardly anybody was singing. That comes from two things: the girls being shy and their not knowing the song at all. So the YCLs decided they needed to incorporate dance moves into the song and guess what? Everybody loved it and all started singing. More video for your enjoyment:

Because the camp director left, I was asked to give the camp stewardship report to the stake presidency & bishop's on our final night of camp. It helps that the stake presidency is made up of my home teacher, my former bishop and a guy I used to work with. I also do okay speaking in front of people, pretty much, but the challenge was figuring out what to say AND writing it out longhand. (sure made me miss my computer!) I was nervous but I think it came out okay.

So I have contemplated all year about whether or not I want to go back next year. Next year's YCL group is going to be a huge challenge. They are night and day from this year's group. I've decided that as long as I don't get released, I'm going to continue on but I will be firm & clear in stating our expectations of them. I will also invite them to really think and pray about whether or not they want to be 2nd YCLs and if they don't want to be, they will be asked to say so up front. I don't want to have to deal with the issues their leaders this year dealt with. I know they are good girls who love camp but I don't want to have to hunt them down when they aren't where they're supposed to be, I don't want to have to demand they give me their cell phones because they are texting in the longhouse and I don't want to have to pull them out of bed each morning or afternoon when they should be up and doing other things. I want them to have a great experience and to learn how to be leaders and to be there because they want to make the camp experience great for the younger girls, NOT because they are at camp out of duty or habit.

So there you have it. Camp is over, finis, done. At least it's done until October or so when we start meeting again to discuss staffing.