Unreasonable Hospitality

The sun came out! All day yesterday we basked in the sunshine, with some occasional cloud cover. Pretty much the same for today with a few short rain showers this morning that did not disrupt activities. The sun is shining as I type this. We are so thankful that most of the heavy rain the last few days has come early in the morning, pre-dawn. Rain on these tin roofs is actually the perfect natural noisemaker for a good night’s sleep.

One of the most interesting books I’ve read in the last couple years is Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara. It’s the fascinating story of Will and his team taking a middling, struggling restaurant in Manhattan to the #1 restaurant in the world in a fairly short amount of time. And they mostly did it through crazy acts of service and hospitality. (fyi, it’s not from a Christian perspective and there is language and other adult themes). We actually heard Will speak this winter at a national camp conference in Dallas. He was captivating and clearly understands that food is about so much more than sustenance and energy provision (not less though). One of my favorite quotes of his, “the table remains one of the few places where we can still come together. It’s where ideas are born, relationships deepen,and memories are made. It’s a place to tell stories, and to hear them.” I could not agree more!

This sums up how I feel about the Dining Hall experience at Alpine. Now let’s be clear, I’m not comparing Alpine to Eleven Madison Park. No white table cloths and certainly no fine wine and rare cheeses. But because we eat family style, it feels very communal. Large bowls and platters of food are passed around the table (all to the right, as directed by Carter). Boys must learn to take an appropriate amount to ensure that their friends each get some as well.

Food at Alpine has always been a big deal. When Mr. O, Carter’s dad and our founder, started camp in 1959 his father gave him one piece of advice. His father, by the way, was Dr. Carter O’Ferrall (hence my wife’s name) a much loved physician in Jackson, MS who had delivered most of the boys who camped at Alpine those first few years. So his advice was that no matter what else you do don’t skimp on the food. Serve quality food that boys will eat. And so that is our goal every summer.

We enter the dining hall in a shockingly orderly manner for over 300 hungry men and boys, each receiving a squirt of hand sanitizer on the way in the screen door. Standing behind our chairs, we resist grabbing that loose hanging piece of bacon as we await the Program Director’s call to sing the blessing.

There are 3 blessings, one for each meal, that we have been singing for as long as I’ve been at camp. The last note of “Amen” is usually mixed with the beginning sound of 300 plus chairs pulling back as we take our seats, eager to pass what’s in front of us and catch the next bowl headed our way.

Our high school Work Crew serves out the food and waits tables. This is a group of high school boys, most former campers, who live and work together, lead by their upper class college Crew Chiefs. They work exceptionally hard and have a lot of fun.

Back to Guidara’s description of the table. I love looking over a dining hall full of boys and young men and seeing laughter, stories being told, and new friendships developing. No electronics in sight. It’s a joy to witness.

A good topic on the ride home would be to ask your boys what some of their favorite meals were at camp. This morning for breakfast we dined on scrambled eggs, hot grits, sausage patties, and large, fluffy biscuits. At my age I have to moderate myself a bit compared to the college boys I eat with (man, those were the days of high metabolism) but I couldn’t resist a big biscuit with a sausage patty and some grape jelly.

Lunch was a favorite, pot roast, roasted carrots, and small, baked potatoes, along with homemade cornbread. You may notice that Gail still serves her big, hot meal at lunch, harkening back to the pre-industrial days when farmers came home for “dinner” at lunch. It reminds me of eating a hot meal at my grandmother’s table for lunch growing up. Word on the street is that she is making her homemade lasagna for supper this evening. In fact, I need to head that way so I’m not late!

Another old tradition we have hung on to is Retreat. We gather in front of the flagpole, lined up by cabins, and say the Pledge of Allegiance, as the flag is lowered. We face west and when the sun is out (like tonight!), we can see the sun fading below the Lodge in the background.

Thanks for reading and enjoy your night, Glenn