Expect Courageous Choices

That's the theme of this year's camp. Three important words and message laying behind it. Expectations. Courage. Choices. From the very beginning Nativity wants to set the bar high for the students giving them at the same time all the support they will need to accomplish their goals. However, even with that it requires a lot of courage from the boys to take up that challenge and follow that path. Each day they will have to make choices which will either confirm or deny their commitment to the values behind those expectations.

Camp is a great time to do that. The expectations are set pretty high - the daily schedule is filled from 7.20 am to after 10 pm with activities varying from cleaning the cabin and helping in the kitchen to classes, swimming and long hikes in the mountains. Even more is expected from raising 7th and 8th graders, as they know the reality of the camp from last year and are expected to teach the rookies the way the camp works.

They need a lot of courage as well. Sometimes it may mean a courage to wake up at night, get out of nice and toasty sleeping bag and make a trip to the bathroom through rather dark main field. On other time it may be a courage to overcome a dislike of tomato soup, grilled cheese or other type of food which a camper doesn't like. It may be a courage to jump to cold pool and let your body float as you don't feel the ground under your feet or taking a leap from one rock to another to climb some of the highest mountains in New York State.

Cabin 2 had today especially a chance to prove their choices on the last ground, as they were on the first hike this camp season - hiking the Blueberry Mountain. For some of them it was the first mountain in their life and they did pretty good job putting their best effort in climbing it. They definitely raised up to the expectations, were very courageous (especially at more steep moments...) and made enough good choices to climb up and down the mountain. It was impressive many times to hear a camper saying that his legs hurt, and immediately after being asked "so what is your choice?", answering "I'll keep on going". It was impressive to see how students were taking other's backpacks, sharing water and supporting each other with a good word.

At the same time, back in the camp the other students were trying to build up a brotherhood in their cabins by playing different games which required a lot of teamwork. They also needed to have courage to forget sometimes about their own needs to let the whole cabin succeed. It's not always easy to do... all of us need to learn courageous choices...

If you want to see some of the photos from the hike, click here, and from the day at camp - here.