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Summer Camp

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by North Carolina Tentmaker, Jun 18, 2007.

  1. mcdirector

    mcdirector Active Member

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    That's one of the things that always made me feel good about sending my kids off. We got calls about stuff like headaches and other ails. We had to go pick Joe up once in Hendersonville with a virus. We got a call in the middle of the night because Brandon had to be taken to the hospital because he was dehydrated from throwing up and we needed to talk to the doctor. We got a call from Paris of all places (this was in college). He was in the hospital there with food poisoning - mission trip. Now remember - our kids are grown and both are not only out of college, but one is married and the other has his MDiv and at least three trips a year for upteen years all over the country and half way around the world. I'm tickled with those three calls. :thumbs:
     
  2. gb93433

    gb93433 Active Member
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    That is the reason why they should have counselors in the same room.

    The quicker you teach independence and proper decisionmaking the quicker the child will grow up and know what to do. I am a believer in letting your child fail and succeed in small ways so that while they are in your home you can help them to make right decisions. I am convinced that most parents do not have very many if any frank discussions with their children. Students want good discussions with adults. One of the resons parents should do ministry with their kids is because kids can see how other families live. Kids can see that other people smoke and drink and how they live. I have used those times to explain how their money and health is eaten up by those things. I have used things like that to explain how insurance and many other things cost more because of smoking and drinking. Yesterday I explained to my daughter what to look for in a guy who asks her on a date and not be afraid to say, "No." This year there have been two people who have come by several times to talk with me who are in the process of a divorce. I explain to my daughter about what happens in many ways when a person goes through a divorce. When we did errands yesterday I explained what happens to a person psychologically, emotionally and physically when people engageed in premarital activities that are not proper. I explain how important it is to build friendships first.

    My daughter has been going to camps since she was a little kid. This year she is going to a camp for high school students who are more serious. She has complained about how parents and kids do not take their faith seriously. So we are sending her to a camp out of Colorado Springs owned by the Navigators. We are hoping the counselors will challenge her even more.

    I am a believer in leading people in the right direction rather than waiting until they get there. When someone gets on the freeway they need to get their car up to speed so they can enter the traffic easier. All of us have seen people who try to get on the freeway without getting up to speed and then decide they cannot fet on. It is the same way in life with our children. Adult life is a whirlwind of activites, choices, responsibilities, and things to entice them to spend their money foolishly. We must get them up to speed so they do not have to make many adjustments.

    By the time I was 10 I could cook a simple meal. I could bake some things in the oven such as a cake. I could do some simple sewing. By the time I left home I could bake and cook just about anything I wanted. Leaving home was easy for me. In fact I found it easier than living at home. Leaving home meant I no longer had to get up so early to milk cows and help around the farm. All I had to do was to go to the dining hall and classes. When I got to college I was surprised at how little other students knew about living. My parents had a "can do" attitude.
     
  3. rbell

    rbell Active Member

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    SOunds like they should have put the camp director in the fridge (just kidding).

    Thanks for the additional. Yep, you had a "stinker camp" there...an incident waiting to happen.

    I can't imagine an overnight camp for kindergarteners. That gives me the willies.

    I understand...and that's why I was almost reluctant to say what I did...because I do not want to be misunderstood as minimizing a serious problem. Sounds like Joe has his head on straight with this issue. I was pointing out the two extremes that we could take:
    • Everybody's out to molest our kids (paranoid).
    • There's no worries. Nobody's gonna bother my kids (stupid).
    Ya'll said it well.

    I think one issue that, if thought through, will handle much of the problems:

    IF the people in charge (camp directors, youth ministers, children's ministers, camp staff would realize the following:

    You have been entrusted with these parent's MOST IMPORTANT "possessions." The amount of trust it takes to allow them to allow YOU to do this is ENORMOUS. Do NOT abuse, violate, or make light of that trust. Ensure as much as humanly possible that the trust you've been given is well-earned.

    Jesus' "millstone" comments also come into play...
     
  4. PastorSBC1303

    PastorSBC1303 Active Member

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    Actually I had a father at home. Yet the camp issue was all my mom.

    I do not mean to come off like I had bad parents. Actually the exact opposite is true. My parents both loved me and provided a good life for me growing up. I just feel like my mother especially was overprotective on some things, camp being one of them.

    In their defense, my older brother (24 years older) was allowed to basically do anything he wanted, and ended up in some major messes that some of which still exist today. So when my parents had a second chance with parenthood they did things different. I cannot blame them for that.
     
  5. Joe

    Joe New Member

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    I can see why your Mother would want to protect you, makes sense.
    So.... let's blame it on your brother instead :thumbs: :laugh:
     
  6. Joe

    Joe New Member

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    gb93433

    I agree with most of your post but still can't endorse the camp thing in general with kids under 13. Of course, it depends upon the camp. I believe kids should be in JR high school at the very least to be away from their family for 5 days or more.
    Many parents are not able to discipher a good camp from a bad one. When I was a Counselor with the 7-8th graders, it appeared all the kids in my cabin were blessed to have the experience.

    That's great to hear you have discussions with your kids about the hard topics, the ramifications of their decisions etc...It is difficult, and often embarrassing to talk to teens about certain subjects but they need that preparation so badly.
     
  7. Joe

    Joe New Member

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    Sounds like your daughter is having a great time! I agree with your post and especially like that Scouting rule where a leader is never alone with a child.
     
  8. SaggyWoman

    SaggyWoman Active Member

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    Yehaw!!! Let's go to camp!!! I love it!!
     
  9. gb93433

    gb93433 Active Member
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    I worked for a summer at Hume Lake Christian Camps years ago up in the mountains in CA. If a kid got in trouble at the camp the staff put that boy or girl to work for a few hours cleaning. The campers were always with a counsleor who was trained by some of the camp staff. The campers started at first grade through college. I cannot think of any time that I was told of any problem with a camper. That camp is one of the best in the US. They bring in some of the best speakers in the world each week. My daughter went there several times and came back different. She noticed a big difference compared to most church camps she attended. Hume Lake was a great place and the kids had a lot of fun but they were expected to abide by the rules. The food was great. The speakers were great and the activites were great.
     
  10. Joe

    Joe New Member

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    gb93433,
    It's interesting how different the camps can be. It's nice to hear of so many camps which offer so much to the kids while striving to maintain a safe surroundings for them.


    First grade, that is too young in my book. But each child is different
     
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