A Welcome Rest

Sundays at Alpine feel very different than the other 6 days.  Most any other day of the week if you ask a camper what day it is they will probably reply “I have no idea?”.  We first know it’s Sunday because we roll over about 7 expecting Reveille only to notice that all is still quiet.  An extra hour of sleep comes in handy after a busy week of activity.

When we are on the road in the offseason talking to current and former campers we often ask them what traditions they remember best about camp.  Sundays are almost always brought up in the first 2 or 3 favorites.  And specifically pancakes on Sunday morning.  Mrs. Crow’s pancakes, and now her daughter Mrs. Gail’s, are known throughout the Southeast by men and boys alike.  At our house during the school year, it is tradition that I fix our girls pancakes on Saturday morning.  Very early on they let me know that, though they enjoyed mine, Mrs. Gail’s were better.  I was not offended.

Sunday morning also lends time to an extra special “white glove” cabin inspection, also much needed after the busyness of the week.  Somewhere in mid morning a bell rings and the entire camp lines up single file, clad in white Alpine shirts and any variety of white short.  A second bell calls us to silence and we process into church one by one.

Adam Webb, who is our summer Waterfront Director, gave our homily this morning.  Adam is a father of three, has taught at St. Nicholas School in Chattanooga and is the newly announced Director of Day Admission at McCallie School.  We are grateful to have him.   This morning he preached on Jesus healing the blind man, Bartimaeus, from Matthew 10.

After church we head to the dining hall.  Baked chicken, green beans, rice and homemade gravy, pears, and rolls await us.  But most importantly, Moosetracks for dessert.  Moosetracks hold a special place in the hearts of many an Alpine camper.  Mayfield Dairy’s most popular flavor, it combines vanilla ice cream with chocolate fudge chunks and tiny peanut butter cups (vanilla is offered for boys with allergies).

At the end of the meal Program Director Roderick announces the winning tribe for the week, reward for which is an extra scoop of Moosetracks (judging by the screams of delight you would think it’s a million dollars).  Today the Cherokees reigned victors, though it was close.  Two tribes at Alpine, the Cherokees and the Mohawks, compete for the prize.  This week is a new week and the Mohawks will be out for revenge (but really extra ice cream).

Sunday afternoon brings time to run around and play some games or go on a hike with your cabin.  We reunite at the end of the afternoon on the Team Sports field where Roderick cuts up cold, juicy watermelons.  Is there anything better on a  summer afternoon?

This afternoon as I walked around cabins played 4 square or Viking Chess (yes that’s what it’s called), and even board games on cabin porches.  One creative counselor donned his boys in golf shirts and they played a gentlemen’s game of Frisbee golf.  I watched them tee of on hole 7.  They were completely bought in - golf claps after each drive and all.

Sunday night holds a vespers service for each cabin area, led by a different counselor each week, similar to the morning watches held each morning.  We hope campers learn about the Bible in the devotionals and services held throughout the term.  But we know they will not remember a lot of what is specifically said.  I remember very few specifics of what was said by my counselors when I was a camper.  What I do remember, and what we hope these campers remember, is that a very cool, fun college age guy opened the Bible with them each night.  That’s what I want for my girls.  I want them to see it’s not just something that Carter and I do with them, or some other mom or dad teaching their Sunday school class.  I want them to see that the same counselor who has been playing games with them all day, the same one they look up to and want to be just like, that this counselor is willing to spend time with them talking about and reading the Bible.  It is a normal part of life.

Thanks for reading,

Glenn