Heading to Music Camp

Over the past five years, Bryce has relished the opportunity to attend The Salvation Army's Indiana Divisional Music Camp.  We've been grateful for his involvement.  When he entered high school, he learned that you had to be in the marching band if you wished to pursue the band class.  Thus, given his intense schedule with football and wrestling, he opted out of participating in band.  He's an outstanding drummer, with intense natural ability, and this camp is perhaps his only chance to play music in an organization (okay, our corps wishes he would volunteer to play drums with the Sunday morning praise band, but his attendance is sporadic and he doesn't wish to be involved).

This is the first year, however, when I will be able to attend the camp with Bryce.  I have so many fond memories of my childhood and teenage years, attending Salvation Army music camps.  I would count down the days until the next camp every year.  I have never before been on staff.  This year, I was asked to lead the 9-12 year old chorus and the Puppetry elective class.  I will admit that I am a bit nervous about my abilities to fulfill these leadership positions.  I haven't led a singing company (Salvation Army-speak for youth choir) since my graduate school days, over twenty years ago.  I've never taught a puppet class, or even ministered with puppets all that much, but I have been collecting small puppets here and there over the years.

My husband could really be teaching the puppet class.  For years, he would regale Bryce with puppet performances by Ronald McDonald (a puppet we received when we scheduled Bryce's 4th birthday party there) and Dopey and Woody.  Each of them had their own distinctive personalities and he did an outstanding job of altering his voice for each character.  Of course, they were sometimes naughty.  Woody did teach Bryce a little ditty that went: "Roses are red, violets are blue, poopies are stinky and so are you."  I was mortified when Bryce stood on his chair at church and repeated Woody's silly poem.

I am hoping and praying that we will have a really good time and that the students will benefit from whatever it is I can offer them in the way of instruction.  The main supervisor told me not to be nervous because "this isn't university ... it's just camp!"  I'm also praying my boys will be well-behaved in my absence.  I have two sitters lined up for Saturdays (when John works) and my mother-in-law is covering three days during the week.  It will be neat to have this memory with Bryce and fun to be involved in a music camp again, after so many years.