Presbytery of Coastal Carolina – Summer Program at Camp Monroe

Training Week 2 – June 8^th

To paraphrase Garrison Keeler “It has been a good week at Camp Monroe!” I got the full treatment – heat and an introduction to a new way of life in the woods. Oh, I’ve been in the woods before but not like this. Robert caught a snake before I got there on Tuesday night and he didn’t tell me until Wednesday night that it was in a bag in our cabin. After I realized that I had survived a night without knowing it, it just didn’t seem so important. We spent part of the week building a showcase to keep the snake in – he or she (don’t know which) kind of likes its new home.

The Program Directors put the Counselors through their initial training exercises and Robert and I just stayed out of their way for the most part. Beth Elliott, former Associate for Youth Ministries, came by and gave the staff some training in the Presbytery’s sexual abuse Policies and how to respond to issues that may develop during the camping year. The staff were introduced to the horses and canoes on Friday and then got a well deserved dip in the pool. Robert and I will be delivering some very important – at least we think so – training sessions this week – mine is on “What it means to be Presbyterian” – some of our Counselors aren’t but that’s alright.

The big event today was the “Open House” where over 100 people came out to see what this year at camp is all about. When I arrived at about 3 PM it was just over 100 degrees but that didn’t deter campers and parents from visiting cabins, Hafer and Boyd Halls, riding horses, canoeing and spending some time in the pool.

The pool is where I would have spent my time if I had had a bathing suit. They frown on skinny dipping at Camp Monroe!!

We had a drawing for a free Campership so the number attending camp this year continues to increase – currently approaching 320. There is still room for more so don’t hesitate to call the Presbytery office and get enrolled in a great camp that you’ll talk about the rest of your life.

One thing we’ve worked on during the past week is bonding the Counselors together into a cohesive working unit. Actually this picture says it all. After the Open House was over this group that did not know each other on Wednesday morning sat around and talked, joked, played music and sang songs. If we had any concerns, they quickly disappeared as we watched these individuals become a very able team destined to deliver programs to a very lucky group of campers this year. This is a team that we will be very proud of when summer camp is over. See you on the web next week.