Family Bible Camp

I spoke with my parents this week and they talked about their summer schedule. The last week of June they will be going to family camp for their denomination. This is the same camp I went to when I was a kid. Back then it was always over the fourth of July, we went to family camp at Warm Beach Camp (now called Warm Beach Conference Center).

With fireworks banned on the grounds of the camp, firework displays were only things I heard about from others or saw on TV. When I finally saw a fireworks display it was 1976, the bicentennial year. That display was so huge that every year since I have been disappointed.

Back to Bible camp, below is a poem I wrote when I was 18:

WARM BEACH FAMILY CAMP

Stanwood, WA

-Every year we come to camp and see all of God's beauty, everything looks so luscious

And to prove to others that we could all make sacrifices, we left at home our electric toothbrushes.

-When you are a counselor at camp they tell you the rules and then they give you liberty

And then they put you in charge of of eight young men who are going through puberty.

-The A-frames are OK but they are not the greatest sensation

It is nice they keep out the rain but have you ever tried to sleep with flow through ventilation.

-Every year we would come to camp, mom, dad, and seven children, in a VW van, it seemed so far

Every year I would ask my dad, "dad, when are we going to get a real car".

-Every year the pastors would get up on front of the folks

And then insult every one's heritage by telling Norwegian Jokes.

-At every meal we would sing the table prayer, as a small child I would close my eyes and move my lips

And pray to God I wouldn't get on KP for these Norwegians don't leave any tips.

-The food at camp has been pretty good, except for that one year where the cook quit and head groundskeeper took control

That year it was really sad, the food took it's toll.

-That year we all agreed the food was pretty poor

All I noticed that they did a bang up business at the candy store.

-Every year they had the married/singles softball game

You never knew who would win and the score was rarely the same.

-The young women would root for the men that were single

for they were the men that made their hearts tingle.

-Over time they change their tune

But that is normally after they have been on their honeymoon.

-Every year I would fill out the camp registration form and sign my name with a pen

And every year I would have to to ask my mom, "how in the world do you spell the Lutheran Brethren?".

-Whoever designed Cedar Lodge must have been pretty clever

It's a nice building but if you had to go to the bathroom you would have to walk forever.

-They should be ashamed, why they put the bathrooms so far away, they made a huge mistake

For many times as a child, on the long walk, I came so close to making my own lake.

-Memories of camp lingered in my mind all year long, the fond memories I couldn't dodge

For example whenever I smell coffee it reminds me of Cedar lodge.

-We always hated to see it end but Sunday came and we all had to go home

I have also reached the end here, for this is the end of my poem.