The Threshold of Camp

Two weeks went by fast.

Today was no different. I blinked and it was lunch. We held normal activities in the morning as girls completed projects and checked off a few last tasks. A few campers came up to me proud as can be showing off their green swim band since they passed out of swimming in the very last activity period. President John Adams was known for appointing his “midnight judges” at the very last minute. These gals are our “midnight swimmers” who made the most of their last few hours in the swimming activity to get that coveted green band. I’m proud of them and love that they are proud of themselves.

After lunch and rest hour, our many talented activities performed for camp in the Rec Lodge. This includes the gymnasts, our dancers, the puppeteers, and the ladies in Drama. It made for a great afternoon under cloudy skies to celebrate the hard work these artists have put in over the last two weeks.

Without Sparks to head up our Final Banquet, the kitchen staff and JC’s put on a Fiesta for us! The kitchen crew went all out, hand-crafting chocolate pinatas for each table for the campers to break open revealing their deserts! It was an awesome celebration of a great session and the perfect prequel to the closing campfire.

All of camp lined up after dinner to walk to Dohivi Noche, our centuries-old pine tree to do as we always do, gather around a fire to share stories and sing songs. Campers and staff were nominated by their peers to give wishes for the campers. Each speaker did a fantastic job articulating why camp matters, and speaking about love, inclusion, friendships, and transformation. We concluded the evening hiking the final trail through the 100 Acre Wood to the canoe lake where we floated wish boats and said goodnight, not goodbye.

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For our campers and counselors, camp can feel like a threshold. It marks the transition between the past and the future.

There are many transitions that these girls are undertaking while at camp:

• Between 5th grade and 6th grade.
• Between when she was afraid of heights, and when she conquered the 50-foot beanstalk.
• Between when she only knew a few girls from her neighborhood and now has seven close friends from all across the country.
• Between being insecure and unsure of herself, and coming home strong, confident, and overflowing with joy.

The liminal spaces of life can be intimidating, but yet they are the most important and transformative moments in our lives.

Belden Lane is a theologian who has explored the relationship between spirituality and the natural world. In his book The Solace of Fierce Landscapes, he writes:

“In wilderness, people discover liminal places suggesting the threshold between where they have been, and where they are going.”

Camp is a wilderness of sorts and these August girls have discovered much within it. The August session is where we typically see the silliest girls, but also the most homesick girls. Thinking back 9 days ago, there were always a few girls crying on the wall, looking to talk with Gretchen, overwhelmed by the experience, wanting to leave camp and go home.

But they pushed through, and tonight, I didn’t see any girls who wanted to go home. I saw girls get up and speak in front of three hundred people with poise and passion. I saw girls start to tear up when we sang those true words “I want to linger here, a little longer here, I want to linger here with you.”
I saw girls give long-lasting hugs. I saw girls who have changed for the better.

We hope that when you pick up your daughter tomorrow, there will be parts of her that you don’t recognize. Not dirt, scratches, or tangled hair, but newfound skills, confidence, and conviction. Grateful for these August girls.

Cheers to the transformation of Illahee!

Lucas