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And so it begins!!! Welcome to Hye Camp 2004.
An exciting week was kicked off with an exciting day. Parents began dropping off their kids in the early afternoon and the first bus, arriving from Cleveland, created a commotion that signaled to all the staff that camp was indeed underway. Shortly after Cleveland's arrival, two busses from Detroit pulled up, creating an even bigger commotion. However, the sudden addition of around 80 kids to the campgrounds couldn't trump the excitement generated by the blessed presence of His Eminence Archbishop Khajag Barsamian.
His Eminence spoke to the campers about each individual's ability to understand God. He summarized that no matter your studying of the bible or your diligence in going to Church, you cannot understand God until you can love everyone. God's love is shown through you and the love you show one another. So God's love is shown through you, and you receive God's love through the love others feel towards you.
Later in the afternoon, as the open house continued, it was time for a big barbeque cookout. Hamburgers, hot dogs, and brats were grilled and everyone was able to catch up with old friends, and meet new friends. V. Rev. Fr. Aren Jebejian, camp director, called the camp together for our first official meeting at around 6 p.m. During the meeting, the majority of the staff was introduced, guidelines were set, and opening announcements were made. At that point, all parents still on the grounds were asked to say their goodbyes. The campers spent the next hour enjoying an evening snack of watermelon, popcorn, and soda, while the staff went through their orientation.
During staff orientation, Fr. Aren read a passage from Mark 10:13-16, describing Jesus being indignant at his disciples who were trying to turn away children who were seeking His guidance. Fr. Aren related the parable to the staff, explaining that as a staff, we had to accept all of the children and bring them closer to God. Our large staff listened intently and the week is looking like it will be a very enriching environment for the campers.
Our evening activity was an excellent opportunity for the campers in each cabin to get to know each other a little better. Each cabin was given a disposable camera, with the assignment of taking pictures that represented the characteristics of each camper. The pictures will be developed and, later in the week, the campers will use the pictures to create collages representing each cabin. Following the camera activities, each cabin was given a poster board and some markers and the task of making a sign showing the cabin name they were asked to create. As always, the youthful creativity produced excellent results.
