 "I Got to Cut
Bananas!"
"Uh, let's see - we
made a stepping stone for the yard, ankle bracelets, a volcano - Oh! And tie-dye
butterflies! We could make them any color! Mine was pink, yellow and burgundy!"
Last Saturday afternoon, my young
friend Heather was telling me about the week at Brownie Day Camp she just spent with Troop
#1256 and their leader, Angela Walsh at GS Camp Timberlake, in Stilwell, Kansas. At camp,
Heather was a member of the Milky Ways. They had a good time, she told me.
Apparently
the crafts were a big hit, as Heather carefully described how each was
made. She showed me the alien face she made from stringing black and white beads. It even
glows in the dark (and looks like an alien from the movie Communion).
Heather seemed to enjoy everything she did at Camp. It didn't matter that the Lava Lamp
she made wasn't a real one - what mattered was that hers was "green and
beautiful". It didn't matter that the chocolate was too melted to make s'mores - the
girls just ate all the ingredients separately! "And they tasted good."
When talking about making a friendship bracelet, she also shared her joy at meeting new
girls outside her Troop and making new friends - named Danielle, Chelsea, and
"MayMay".
As we hope most Scouts would say, Heather
said her Leader, Angela, is nice, and friendly, and fun. "She lets the Brownies play
games and do all sorts of fun things."
Heather's eyes lit up every time she thought of something else that happened at camp or
another craft she had made. She sang me the marching song of the Milky Ways, and told me
every item her mother had packed for her lunch each day. As an afterthought, while telling
about the camp food, she volunteered, "Oh, I got to cut bananas!"
I asked her to tell me the worst thing about Brownie Camp
- and for the first time during our conversation Heather didn't respond
immediately. Then, "I liked everything! Well, no, I didn't like finding out that
there was poison ivy and lots of ticks around!" Her mom had made sure she went off to
camp with sunscreen and bug spray, though, so it "...wasn't a big problem!"
Even though I consider Heather to have a charming personality, and an exceptionally
pretty face, I have to admit that she gave a "typical" answer to the last
question I asked. She answered it like most Scouts would answer. She answered in a way
that reminds us that not only is the word Scouting 3/4 outing - but reminds us why, all
over the world, the program is based on outdoor activities.
I asked Heather what she liked the best about Brownie
Camp. Immediately, she said, "The Woods - hiking in the woods, seeing
all the plants and trees and learning their names. Yes, being out in the woods!"
*
* * * *
If you have a summer
camp experience you'd like to share, I'd like to hear about it.
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