Mentone Saturdays

One of the special things about being unplugged at camp is that often boys don’t even know what day of the week it is. Saturdays look remarkably similar to the “weekdays” around here. Sunday is the only day that is set apart with a varied schedule and special traditions. So today boys attended 5 more activities, 3 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon.

This afternoon I walked “uptop” to check out some of our more remote activities. Picture the steep hill where you exit camp - that’s the road that leads to our farm area. On the left, just above the pool on the right, is our bus turnaround, holding three 15 passenger buses. Campers finding Horseback, Fishing, Fly Fishing, or Golf on their schedules, make their way the few hundred yards up the hill and board these buses. Less than half a mile up the hill and gravel road on the right leads to these activities’ homes. One one side of the gravel road stands our horseback barn and stables, home to our 17 equine friends. We have two riding rings and ample pasture for the horses to graze “after work”. Bailey Adams leads our horseback program. Bailey is a longtime teacher at the McCallie School and has been riding horses his whole life. He also runs McCallie’s equestrian program.

Across the gravel road holds more pasture land, in approximately the middle of which sits our fishing pond. A few years ago we drained the pond, enlarged it, and had a local fishery come in to stock it with bass and bream. According to the boys I talked with at fishing they were not biting too much this afternoon. But apparently have been earlier in the week. Some of our older boys have a chance to learn how to fly fish if they would like. There are no trees or bushes around the pond so it’s a great place to learn how to fish.

Next I wandered down the road a bit farther to the Mentone National Golf Club. Which is to say our very rudimentary and rustic driving range and practice green. The older boys have a chance to take golf. They love it because it’s not pretentious at all and a low pressure way to learn golf. Several of our counselors are really good golfers and love to teach it as well. Parker Tenent, one of our golf counselors, is playing for the golf team at Rhodes College.

I drove the fishing boys down on the bus from the pond during the last period of the day. The hot debate was what Mrs. Gail and company would be serving us for dinner. We were happy to be greeted by hot serving bowls of homemade lasagna, buttered Texas toast, and a green salad with ranch dressing. Uncrustables are available to any boy who might not prefer a lunch or dinner on any given day. We use the Uncrustables because they come in sealed packages, a bit more contained and less messy for our peanut butter allergies.

I’m now currently sitting on my screened porch directly across from the gym. I can hear cheers and hockey sticks banging as our Warrior age group competes in a cabin v cabin floor hockey tournament. Adjacent to the gym, on our team sports field, the Chief 2’s are competing in a spirited game of Jedi Ball. Think dodgeball but each team has a Jedi knight with a lightsabre (pool noodle). If you get pelted with a ball you sit down on the field on the spot. But if your team’s Jedi touches you with his lightsabre you are back in! Our Scout age group is using the other half of the field for a highly competitive game of Capture the Flag.

As I mentioned, tomorrow will feel very different and that’s on purpose. Sundays are set apart here. Now it’s not a day of rest like you and I might think about it - these are hundreds of active boys after all. But the pace changes and the schedule looks different. We will sleep a bit later, have a tad longer Rest Hour after lunch, and pause our regular activities for the day. Our camp pastor, Andrew Mauney, will lead our all camp church service in the morning. Andrew is currently in seminary and also works with college students at Auburn University with Reformed University Fellowship. On this particular Sunday, our friend and professional photographer, Lane Taylor, will be here to take cabin and individual photos of boys in their Sunday whites. Those are not posted online but are printed and given to you at the end of the Term.

Sunday also brings many special, and longstanding traditions. Pancakes for breakfast probably reigns as the oldest camp tradition. Gail and her team make the batter from scratch and flip every single pancake on our gas griddles. We will consume thousands in the morning. In the afternoon Richard Cox, our program director, will slice cold watermelon as always.

Thanks for reading and good night for now, Glenn