Son's Success at Camp

It is wonderful to finally have my ES home from camp. On the last day of camp, there was a final concert and awards ceremony. We were invited to attend and, at first, I intended to go. However, when I realized that my husband would not be able to accompany me with the two little boys (because of work) and that it would take over two hours to drive to the camp, I changed my mind. I really would have enjoyed going, but had to decline.

Instead, we headed to our local corps, the Indianapolis Eagle Creek Corps, to pick ES up on Saturday evening. (I say local, but it takes us 25 minutes to drive there!) There he stood, wearing his Indiana Music Institute shirt and two medals around his neck. It turns out, on his first year at music camp, he made the A level band (top band). Plus, he was one of five A-band campers who were asked to accompany the faculty band.

He participated in the solo competition. He hadn't intended to, but one of the faculty members (Glenn Welch) wrote up a solo for him to perform. ES was amazed that he was able to write something like that up in just about 15 minutes. Some day, I'll have to sit him down and tell him my stories of Glenn Welch (sitting on the logs at camp and listening to Glenn play original songs on his guitar).

Curiously enough, both my husband and I have connections to Glenn. My husband didn't grow up in The Salvation Army, but met several Salvationists while he was in school at the University of Illinois. Then, when he attended Indiana University's School of Music in Bloomington, Indiana, he met Glenn and used to go over to the corps building in Bloomington to practice his trumpet. Glenn would invite him up to his apartment (over the building) for Thai food.

I asked ES if he mentioned who his parents were, but he didn't. Anyway, by playing Glenn's little solo in the competition, ES managed to earn second place. In addition, he earned third place for all-round camper (this award is judged based on musicality, deportment, attitude, participation, etc.). He was thrilled with the awards, but has his eye on the prize. He told me he wished he could have won a scholarship to Central Music Institute, but he wasn't old enough yet. That would be thrilling.

I remember my dad commenting on how it made him feel to drive my brothers and I to CMI every year. My dad attended CMI when he was a teenager, so it gave him a great sense of satisfaction to see us carry on that tradition. I felt that way, when I began taking ES to CBLI. I had attended CBLI for three years as a teenager (and was only vaguely aware of the family track). It was fun to see my own offspring enjoying camps I have loved for years.

Our corps was very pleased with ES's accomplishments. The Eagle Creek corps also managed to win an award for having the most band students at the camp (surprising, since we don't even have a band at the corps). Perhaps, they will start one. I know that ES is rounding up all his friends, who now wish to go to church with us, so that they can go to camp with ES next summer. Ha!

ES also took a guitar elective class. He was excited to learn how to play actual chords. Then, he asked me if I knew what a chord was! HA! Kids can be sooo funny! He also said that his instructor praised his abilities. He only acquired the guitar a few weeks ago, and yet he has learned and advanced as far as some people who have played two years (at least that is what ES says the instructor told him). I know he certainly has a passion for it. The summer reading was not much of an issue that last week prior to his camps, because I had picked up two books on guitar playing at the library. Of course, he spent just as much time on You Tube, finding videos to teach him how to play things on his guitar.

He enjoyed paintball at camp again. This time, he even said one of his injuries was so bad it bled (no pictures this time around). He went fishing again. He really had a blast and has spent most of his time at home telling his friends all about his camp experience (that and showing his friends the funny Jib Jab video on my blog - ha!). They all want to go, too, now!

Let's see, our van holds how many? Perhaps, we'll have to look into a bus. Then, the Eagle Creek corps band will resurge to life again (they had a vibrant band back when I was a teenager). Oops, sorry! Slipped into another Becky Bloomwood moment! Happy just to say he enjoyed fun and success!