Seniors Day Hits the Target!

Pardon the pun in the title - I just couldn't help myself.

You may wonder what is so punny about the title so allow me to explain. Monday was one of our favourite days of the year - it was Seniors Day at Camp Evergreen! Yes, yes - we spend a lot of time talking about how summer camp is one of our most favourite too but if our staff could pick a single day to be their favourite in spring - I bet that they would choose Seniors Day.

The day is quite wonderful - especially because we eat so much good food! Fresh baked cookies in the morning, full table service for lunch, and then fresh baked cinnamon buns (the size of your head) in the afternoon. Now if that doesn't make your mouth water just thinking about it - I don't know what will.

After coffee and cookies in the morning - we tour around the camp a little, showing our cabins to folks who haven't seen all of the new ones and the spots where some of our old cabins used to reside. No matter how many times I hear the stories about when buildings were built, or about the bear in the kitchen (which is now the Fallen Timber Lander) - it will never get old. Our Seniors had a hand in building the camp that we now work at and to walk with them is something special.

There was a senior this year that I had never met before, Frank. Frank was part of the group of men that first did work on our site. It was awesome to walk around with him as he talked about how different everything was.

After lunch came the fun part. We adventured out to the barn where we met some horses and Travis, our Head Wrangler put on a riding display with Munchkin. Next we travelled back to our Archery Range. We had our bows and arrows out for the Seniors to try their hand at shooting. The balloon targets were in place and just needed some shooters. Bob encouraged participation with chocolate but one after one, Seniors stepped up to try their hand at shooting and trying to hit the balloons.

Every balloon we put out was hit. Their aim was precise (especially the ladies, if I do say so myself!). I don't know if they had more fun or if the staff did. How exciting is it to see the Seniors step up and do things that they've never done before?! So often we are helping kids who are shooting for the first time - this was a special day to help some wonderful seniors, unsure of their own abilities, step up and do something very different.

After archery, we retired to the Dining Hall to our giant cinnamon buns and coffee. Mirjana shared about how she came to work at camp from Germany, Taylor shared about camp and the exciting things happening this summer (like the 702 campers that were registered by Monday...100 more than last year!) and then I shared about how I seen things change over my coming on 15 summers at Evergreen...which seems like a short amount of time when I look at Frank. I talked about how camp is a little like our Fallen Timber Creek which has seen lots of changes through the years and the floods - moving and changing because of the seasons, but its purpose is the same - it flows strong and in the same direction. Much like the creek, camp has changed a lot since my first year in 1999, buildings are different, programs have changed and grown but our purpose and vision has remained true - to see Lives Transformed by the Power of Jesus. And we see the participation of many people like Frank, Jake Doerksen, and Bob Thiessen who have helped build the camp and seen it through those changes which is such an encouragement to all of us who are involved in Evergreen now.

And THAT is why Seniors Day at Camp Evergreen is one of our favourite single days at camp.

 

...that and the AGM...which is coming up...did you know that? Hmmm...you didn't? Well - you should check that out HERE and see why that is also one of our most favourite days at camp. We have a lot of favourites. Like you, reading this...you're one of our favourites too...

...I think I'm going to go find one of those cinnamon buns now...

Jogee