A Day at Camp OLOG
By Laura Rigazzi
The
Sooner Catholic
Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Youth Camp, far from the horrific retrospective vision some may have of their years at summer camp, is lush and green, the wooden buildings air-conditioned, the pool pristine, and there are enough wide, grassy areas for just about any activity. We arrived on Wacky Water Wednesday, and the counselors and some campers were dressed accordingly in layers of bright colors, plaids, paisleys, and leopard print. They were also in the middle of morning prayer.
A few campers stood in the middle of a circle, in their wacky gear, acting out the story of David and Goliath, ending with the statement “With faith in God, we can do anything we put our minds to.” After the group prayer, the third- and fourth-graders stood up, clustered into groups around their counselors, and continued with the busy day planned for them.
For some, this meant Catholic games, which happened to be Who Wants to Be A Millionaire, doctrine/Bible trivia style. The children were very eager to be a “life-line” if the current child in the “hot seat” didn’t know the answer. The questions ranged in difficulty from the persons of the Holy Trinity to the Roman emperor at the time of Jesus’ birth (and yes, they knew the answer: Caesar Augustus). For others, this meant talking to representatives from A Chance to Change about good decision-making. Later on came the water games, hence the name “Wacky Water Wednesday,” which include a water slide and a game of volleyball played with water balloons, and usually ends up with everyone in the pool.
During a time of relatively low activity, I spoke to a few children who weren’t playing four-square or hula-hooping at the moment, and asked about their favorite part of camp. A group of three girls answered, “Everything!” in unison, but as far as more specific answers, some of the activities given were volleyball, water aerobics, arts and crafts, canoeing, and basketball. The most consistent answer wasn’t an activity; most children said they enjoyed their counselors the most. The feeling seemed mutual, as I saw many hugs and heard a lot of affectionate conversation (and banter) at the lunch table. One camper tells her counselor thank you every night, for taking care of them during the day.
The
theme of this summer is “Faith is at the heart of who we are.” This
theme is clearly visible in posters done by campers and counselors
alike, but is also the point most emphasized in daily life at camp.
The children said they pray “a lot.” Large group prayer
is scheduled in the morning and evening, but in-cabin prayer takes
place before every meal and before bed. Reminders of God are
present even in the beginning of announcements, when the speaker
says, “God is good!” to which the group answers, “All the time!”
Gerald Curren, a member of the Mission Team, says the goal
of Camp OLOG, as it’s affectionately called, is to “allow Catholic
kids to come and have fun and to celebrate their Catholic faith,
and to provide a place for it.”