Camp chaplains

[shortridge 184]

 

John-in-KC makes some good arguments for having a chaplain on summer camp staff or very close by. I've never had an experience, as camper or staff, with a camp chaplain. All services were run by the regular staff. Sometimes it was a case of "Hey, are you doing anything tonight?" but in some years, there were some enthusiastic staffers who took it upon themselves to organize services.

 

Does your local camp have a chaplain? Is he or she on permanent staff or a local religious leader who volunteers? What are your experiences? And (to provide some context) how large is your camp?

[Eagle92 110]

The camp I worked at in the former New Orleans Area Council, now SE Louisiana Council, did have a designated chaplin every year. Usually it was a seminarian from the local archdiocese. His job was to A) arrange for formal services, usually Catholic, but also Protestant, B) lead daily services, C) act a counselor and friend to the homesick and depressed of our campers and staff.

 

The one chaplin I remember best was "Padre." He was the only staffer who got away with wearing his straw hat and not the staff hat. You could see him around camp walking the trails and talking to folks. When ever we had a major counseling problem it was Padre to the rescue!

[John-in-KC 311]

Each of our Scout Reservations has a full-season Reservation Chaplain. He or she is on site whenever the Reservation has staff or campers on property.

 

Each of our CAMPS within the Reservations has session Chaplains.

 

The first duty of the Chaplaincy is to minister to the staff.

 

The second duty of the Chaplaincy is to minister to the campers.

 

The third duty of the Chaplaincy is to lead worship. As I've stated before, my Council is able to do major faith-group specific (LDS, COC, RC, Christian-Protestant and Jewish). Some Chaplains will travel the 2-3 hour drive, when it's not their session in camp, to cover a faith-specific worship service.

 

The fourth duty of the Chaplaincy is to promote religous emblems.

 

If your Council does not have an active Chaplaincy during the camp season, IMO your Council Relationships Committee has its head where the sun does not shine. I pray you never have a camper killed, or a staff member die, or a staff member lose a parent/grandparent. I promise you, the reaction of any of these events ripples through the staff and the camper population.

[momma_bee 10]

We have a local minister who comes once a week to lead a vesper service. I couldn't tell you his name and don't recall of seeing him anywhere except at the service itself.

 

However, this year there is also a staff Bible study that some boys have planned.

 

I don't know of any other provisions.

 

Now, I have to say that my observations are based on past years, not this year and I will need to quiz m'boy to see if that holds true this year as well.

 

 

 

 

[SSScout 1616]

The responsibility of a Chaplain is complex. It is not merely to help with the observance of their original faith but to assist in encouraging the faith of every Scout.

This duty takes a unique individual. For instance, in helping to organize a Budhist or Muslim ceremony, a Christian Chaplain must be willing to acknowledge the validity of a faith foriegn to his or her own. This can be difficult for some, impossible for others.

It includes telling folks that one need not be Christian (or Hindu or Lutheran) to be a Scout, but that some Units might insist that you share their particular faith to join their particular group.

It means realizing that the Creator's creation is all around us and it is possible to be grateful for it's beauty in many different ways.