Live Love Laugh: December 2013

To the lucky inheritor of the leadership mantle of the beloved teen group of CK BYU:

I have a few points of advice that may prove useful in the upcoming months before the eighth year of Camp Kesem BYU. Take them or leave them as you wish; I offer them as learned from experience.

Plan everything as far in advance as possible. Most importantly, pick a campsite big enough for everyone to play together but still have privacy; ensure insured transportation can transport both kids and supplies; plan simple activities that encourage team-building. Think realistically about what food is needed and what is feasible on a camp-out. Make sure you or someone you know will let you borrow the necessary supplies: tents, grills, sleeping bags, water coolers, ice coolers, firewood. Brainstorm cabin chat questions, some funny and some serious. Try doing the hike before the week of to see how difficult it is, how long it takes, where it starts and ends.

End formal letter. But really, most of that stuff I didn't do quite right. But where I fell so short, my counselors and teens made up for it (I feel like I'm bearing my testimony). Dang it, I forgot to think about cabin chat questions again, and here we are around the campfire, ready for cabin chat. Squirrel is all over it. Wait, Oboe and Reader just collided in the game of glow-in-the-dark capture the flag that results in injuries every year?? No worries, Hawkeye has the medical skills and Poseidon and Fisher take care of comforting. We're told we have to keep the rule of three even going to the bathroom and the teens are awesome at adjusting without complaining (unlike me). Oddish is falling behind on the hike, but oh look, DK is right there talking and encouraging. Hmm, I really don't want to drive back and start dinner. Good thing Baloo and Chowder offered to. How are we going to evacuate if the wildfire gets closer? Nobody could help with that, but luckily we didn't need to. I couldn't be everywhere and do everything, but I didn't need to be.

You have a lot of responsibility, future #redswag coordinator. You wear a watch and have the schedule of events and tell people when to be where and what to do. It might not seem as fun as last year when you were just a regular counselor and goofed off and went with the flow of things. But live in the moment! Yeah, you're going to be late regardless of how many times you radio your co and tell him/her to get their boys/girls to the meeting spot. (Oh, and having a radio is awesome.) But chill out. Be as prepared as you can before camp, and then go and have the best week of your life. Hint: even if you don't prepare that great, it's still amazing. Because it's the kids that make camp, not you. And even though you have no idea what you're doing, they love you so much, and you can't help but love them until it hurts.

Give them my love,

Pepper

Some picture mementos: