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RENDEZVOUS

Confessions of a First-Time Camp Counselor

Carol Pomelear, Hamilton

At the ripe age of nearly 50, I ventured into a cabin with eight 11 and 12 year old girls for a week of camp. What a wonderful and rewarding time! One lovely young camper has a large, undiagnosed, bump on the back of her head. She tires easily and has frequent headaches. She comes from Libby where all the controversy is about illnesses due to the vermiculite mines. You wonder... and you pray... and a TV news item hits you closer to home. She wrote me after camp, and her letter is full of prayer requests for other people, only briefly mentioning her own need which may include surgery.

My second story is of "the carpet pool queen." I had made poster board "medals" based on each camper's qualities. This young lady came up to me and said, "I'm so happy to get this award from you. I like it better than a real one because a real medal is just a medal, but this one means love." She then added, "I'm so glad I got an older counselor this year. I like the teen age girls I usually get, but older people explain things better."

Will I volunteer as a counselor again? You bet!