Camp changes lives.

Today we picked up my son from two weeks of summer camp. For two weeks he got to spend time with other boys, doing things boys like to do. I am convinced we have never made a better investment.

About two weeks ago, we dropped our oldest off at camp. This camp has been around since 1929, and is under the same corporate umbrella as the conference center where I work. I know the folks that run this place and trust them completely. These guys know camp, love camp and live camp. Their commitment is to make camp a safe, but adventurous place, where boys can be boys, skills learned, relationships developed, fun can be had and each camper can go away having strengthened their relationship with God.

I am a firm believer in camp. As a child and teenager I never attended traditional summer camp. I went to soccer camp and then church camp, but never had the privilege of going to a traditional summer camp with canoeing, archery, camp outs, bonfires and other basics from most camp programs. While in college, I worked at a boys' camp that had many of these elements and I saw the "power" of camp. Take people away from every day distractions, put them in a position where they do new or different activities, provide them with a staff of energetic and young staff members, and great things can happen.

While sitting in the closing ceremony at Camp Ridgecrest for Boys today, I was reminded of how fantastic camp can be. Sure there are silly songs, some facilities are rustic and there is often the obligatory crying at the end. The staff led a song that has been used since the 1930s at Ridgecrest. Each tribe did their own cheer/chant and song. Which to be honest, the staff seemed to enjoy more than the campers! There was a presentation of some campers that had achieved the top rank possible as a camper, which is a source of great pride. The part I was most impressed with was the mention of the alumni.

The alumni raised enough money to build a chapel a few years ago. Many of these alumni had kids attending this week and took part in some of the festivities. There are families where 3 or 4 generations have attended Ridgecrest. The camp leadership values these former staff members, and treasures the relationship between alumni and camp. These guys want their sons to have the same experience they have enjoyed in the past. It is my opinion this is the way all camps should treat their alumni. Not all camps have this same type of relationship and that is a shame.

I do not have as much contact with the folks from Crestridge camp for Girls, yet I do know they run a similar program. While not quite as old, they have a tremendous tradition and program. And their alumni program is just as strong!

In these days, when our kids are more and more sedentary, we need to look for ways to get them outside. We can't just let them ride their bikes all over the place and we need to keep an eye on them. It is my opinion that is another reason camp is so important. I would encourage anyone to find a good, quality traditional camp and watch the joy of camping through the eyes of their child. You won't be sorry!



http://www.ridgecrestcamps.com/boys/index.shtml

Like he cares...

Anyone who knows me, is well aware that I am a huge college football fan. I follow the season closely, yet feel the way a champion is decided is a farce. While I fully believe the system needs to be changed, I do not support the idea that our government should be investigating the BCS. I have attached an open letter I sent to Senator Hatch from Utah, who seems to be spearheading this ridiculous "investigation" into our current system. Feel free to send him one as well. I have attached his contact information here as well. Remember, be courteous!
http://hatch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Offices.Home


"Dear Senator Hatch,

I recognize you are not one of the senators that represents my state. Regardless, I feel compelled to request why exactly you insist upon investigating the BCS? In this day and age, when our nation is faced with so many challenges, do you honestly believe this is an issue that deserves oversight from our federal representatives and senators?

Any college football fan will agree that the lesser known conferences have less pull and influence on the sports world. All a team needs to do is win. Follow the model Florida State used in the late 70s and 80s, play anybody anywhere, win more than lose and you will be recognized. That is the way to build a new football power.

I implore you to drop this investigation. I know your constituents may encourage you, however they must surely realize this issue is not nearly as important as many of the other challenges facing this great country that could use your attention.

Thank you for your time."

I have no illusions that this letter will make one little bit of difference, yet I sure feel better. At least my voice was expressed, if not heard.

Now on to the rest of my day. Next maybe I will petition God to stop the Earth from spinning. This is just as likely as

Because I'm bad...

As everyone knows, recently we have recently lost some celebrities. Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon, and of course Michael Jackson. While it is sad for their families, does it really have an impact on our lives? I can understand a simple mention that someone died, yet what I don't understand is the infatuation many seem to have with these people.

I wonder if so much attention has been given to MJ's death because that many care, or because the media thinks we care, the media thinks we should care or simply because the media cares. I cannot fathom getting upset about the death of someone with whom I had no connection. Why are so many upset? Is it simply because they see this celebrity die, and it brings some attention to their own mortality?

Remember when Princess Diana died? I remember people around me being distraught. I could never understand it. It was sad for her kids. It was sad for the citizens of Great Britain. However I am not one of her kids, and I am not from Great Britain. Someone I knew really well asked me at the time if I was upset, and I responded with a simple, "No, why would I be." She got emotional and told me I was insensitive. Well I know that.

Michael Jackson was incredibly talented. He could sure dance and sing. For much of my formative years, he was THE entertainer. The Thriller song and video were awesome and there was great anticipation on each new release from him. While I liked his music, I never knew him. I knew he was in the Jackson 5 previously, and I knew he was from a big family. I never met him, and have never had a desire to attend his concerts or really cared anything about him.

We all know the more recent stories about him and there is no need to rehash them here. I have no idea what he is guilty of, except extremely poor judgment. So many "stars" suffer from the same affliction, yet it never should have any effect on the lives of us "normal" people. If for no other reason, this lack of judgement is a reason to not hold celebrities in such high esteem. They are normal people, with normal problems, however their problems seem to make the news.

I won't watch the memorial service. I don't really care about what happens to his estate. I do have a concern that his kids will be tortured by the same media that seems to promote the worship of these celebrities. I won't lose any sleep about the way he died, or how much he was worth, or if there are any secret songs locked away in some vault that can be released. In death, just as in life, MJ will have no bearing on my life. We, western culture, need to worry more about us and less about famous folks. This is insensitive. This is heartless. This is the way I feel.

So, instead of wasting a couple of hours of my life watching some pretty famous entertainers on TV memorialize someone I never knew, I will work on me. I'm starting with the man in the mirror.

Couldn't resist.

Home renovation

I have heard it said that one of the most stressful times in a marriage is when a couple decides to build a house together. We have never done that, but we are currently in a home renovation. Our projects are:

1. Remove the wall between our dining area and den

2. New carpet

3. Central heat and air

Our house is a little over 30 years old. Every room has the original carpet except the den. I call the color of the carpet "Pentecostal Gold." I don't think that is an official Crayola color, but it should be. While we wanted to change the carpet, we ended up doing a major renovation. The idea with taking out the wall is to make a bigger living space. The openness will do several things, not the least is to add more value to our home. So the wall was the first step.

The wall's last moments.

Home renovation: The game the whole family can play!

In a matter of minutes the sheet rock was down.

After the beam was in the ceiling.

Before the carpet guys could do their job, we had to get the small things from our rooms out of the way. In case we need anything, it is probably located in the sun room.

So now we are waiting for the carpet guys to come and finish. Then next week, the heating and air is going to be done. Thank goodness for my father-in-law who has done a lot of this labor for free. Then of course, Amy handles the painting and some other details. I just do what I am told. More updates, coming soon!

Here we go...

Well, here we are. The beginning of the summer. My days are crazy. So much to do, so many items that need attention. Each late spring and summer sees thousands of folks come through my place of employment and that is when we are tested. Each week hundreds, sometimes a couple of thousand, adults, children and teenagers come through Ridgecrest. We try to make them all happy, with each age group providing its own set of challenges.

As recreation manager, this time of year I get busy. There are many demands on our space, and I am charged with juggling who gets fields or volleyball courts or gym space and when they get it. Different events require different amounts of space and meeting planners often "forget" to request recreation space until the last minute. So schedules and calendars are often just recommendations and not set in stone.

While I have the ultimate responsibility for this area, this job could not be done without the assistance of summer staff. These folks have given of themselves for the summer. We start in mid-May and do not end until mid-August. Mostly, these guys and girls are college aged, and get a relatively low salary for all they do. They demonstrate the true meaning of what "servant" means. These folks work in the rain, heat, mornings, evenings, and whenever our guests need. They provide snacks, sports tournaments, facilitate laser tag and high ropes and have to put up with me. That last part alone proves they are true saints. And while I cherish the opportunity to invest in their lives, they probably sometimes wish I would "invest" a little less.

So, if you will, occasionally offer up some prayers for: Brandon, Jim, Ian, Brittany, Rebekah, Sarah, Jeremy and Jonathan. They could sure use it.

And if you are in the area, come by and let us treat you to a Cheerwine slushie.

Have we lost our minds?

The western world seems to have gone crazy. Any kind of wholesome values and even the basics of common sense are no longer apparent. Here are a few examples:

• We all probably remember the horrible massacre in Binghamton, New York on April 3. During the event, an adjacent building was locked down for four hours preventing the 370 workers from leaving for any reason. James Kauchis, an employee in the building, has filed a formal complaint seeking compensation for missing his lunch break. Thirteen people were killed, four others were wounded, but all this guy cares about is his lunch break. During the four hour lock down, pizza and beverages were brought in by department heads, however apparently this was not good enough. Anyone surprised this guy is a member of his union?

• Tom Tancredo, former Colorado Republican Representative, was forced to end a speech early on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Protesters shouted profanities and accusations of racism during Tancredo's introduction and once Tancredo began to speak. Police had to remove several demonstrators from the room, and then sprayed pepper spray to disperse those in the hallway trying to enter the overcrowded room. The protesters gathered outside the classroom and one fine young man broke the classroom window. In a statement that probably makes his parents so proud, UNC graduate student Tyler Oakley, who had organized the protest, said, "He was not able to practice his hate speech." "You have to respect the right of people to assemble and collectively speak." So, you want people to have the right to speak, yet only some people apparently. Now that is logic for you. By the way, the speech was about illegal immigrants getting in-state tuition rates for state colleges. Illegal immigrants, law breakers, get the privileges of law abiding citizens. Sounds peachy.
  

• In Quebec, a girl sued her father for grounding her, and was victorious. The girl was discovered surfing websites he had forbidden and was posting inappropriate pictures of herself online. Her father told her she would not be allowed to go on her class graduation trip. The girl then contacted a legal-aid lawyer who took the case. A court ruled in favor of the girl.

• Here we are in a recession, and lawmakers asked for nearly $200 billion in "pork-barrel projects" in 2009. Both parties get involved in this. The first and third place respectively were Senators Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker, both Republicans. Harry Reid, Senator from Nevada gave this wonderful explanation: we have always had earmarks, so we should have them now as well. Well, we have always had people living in poverty so I guess we should do nothing to help them. Same irrational logic!

Our politicians have gone over board. Our populace is as well. One reason our "leaders" think they can get away with this is because they know Americans are more concerned with who wins American Idol or what kind of dog is living in the White House than in what is happening around them.

What will it take to make a change? We must hold our representatives accountable for their behavior. Write letters and emails. Organize rallies. We must make our voice heard. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Normally, the fringe members of any group are the only ones heard. If we make our opinions known, things will change. If things do not change, vote out those who do not listen. Get rid of dead weight in Washington and in your state capital. Run for office or work on a campaign. Whatever you do, advocate common sense and the following of the Constitution.

I am afraid if we do not do something America will be lost. Maybe not in name, but certainly in principal. Who's with me?

It's not you, it's me...

There are ways to break off a relationship that are open and honest, and then there are absolute lies that both parties recognize as complete fabrications. One of those is to say this simple phrase, "It's not you, it's me." The person breaking up is trying to let the rejected party down easy. This approach is designed to not destroy the self esteem of the "victim." And it is crap.

Today we heard about the automobile industry from President Obama, and we heard about his plan to save General Motors. Among other things, the CEO was asked (ordered) to step down. Most likely Mr. Rick Wagoner was informed he would be allowed to resign, or he would be fired. The result would be the same of course, just the resume would look different. Fired looks much worse than resigned when applying for a new position.

Call me cynical, but this announcement came right before the President said, "Let me be clear: The United States government has no interest in running GM; we have no intention in running GM." Now I don't know much, but I do know that giving someone the order to terminate their employment sounds like you might be trying to run things. Just saying.

In his news conference, President Obama said, "This is not meant as a criticism of Mr. Wagoner, who has devoted his life to this company; rather it's a recognition that it will take a new vision and new direction to create the GM of the future."

So let me get this straight, you want me out but I really did not do much wrong? Sound like a line of garbage to you? I don't think it passes the smell test.

On January 2, 2001, I went to work expecting a normal day. A few hours later I was home and no longer employed. My boss decided he wanted to move in a different direction and did not feel I had the skills to perform the new duties he wanted someone in my position to have. That was his prerogative, he was the boss. As I look back, I agree with him and he did me a favor. I began to recognize and work on some things that would prepare me for such a position in the future. Certainly, I was not happy, yet never was I bitter. Essentially what he told me was it was not me, it was him and the organization as a whole would be better if someone with a different skill set was in my position. I knew my boss was a man of integrity and I believed he was serious.

Back to today: I don't know Mr. Wagoner at all. He could be a despicable human being and maybe he deserves swift and harsh punishment for poor management at GM. He could be a good man, caught up in a position in which he could not be truly successful. Union contracts and government intervention may have created a situation where Rick Wagoner was destined to fail.
Most likely, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

What I do know is when Mr. Obama said no criticism was meant of Mr. Wagoner, that is a load of crap. This was said at the same time Obama said he did not want to run GM, yet we are firing the CEO. Other changes include new members on its board. So we don't want to run General Motors, but we are going to run GM. That is the same as when someone says, "I don't want to say anything bad about that person, but..."

We have all heard things in our past that just don't add up. This speech from the President today is certainly one that does not add up.

Mr. President, I am having a difficult time believing much of what you say and agreeing with your policies. But don't worry, it's not you, it's me!