As Thanksgiving approaches, I reflect on the many gifts that make Camp Woodstock possible. I am the father of three children, who are growing up way too quickly, so I well understand and appreciate the competing demands for time and money that families must balance. For many, Camp Woodstock can be a substantial investment. I am grateful to you for being part of Camp Woodstock, and entrusting us with the care of your children.
Camp Woodstock is a community that prides itself on being Caring, Honest, Respectful and Responsible - what we call CHoRR (pronounced "core") values. We live the CHoRR values in everything we are and do at Camp. They're how we connect with campers, and they're how campers connect with themselves and other campers. In this season of quiet reflection, giving thanks, and serving others, I want to share with you a few ways in which we instill these skills through the Camp Woodstock experience.
Traditionally, the centerpiece of the Thanksgiving holiday is a communal meal, with family and friends. I am sure you all have your own traditions associated with the meal - certain recipes, or perhaps the "special" plates and bowls. Before the meal, you may also as a group bow your heads to say grace or pronounce a blessing.
Saying grace is an important part of daily life at Camp Woodstock too. A Woodstock camper's day is marked by the ringing of the bell in the Bell Tower fourteen times, from morning to night. The second, sixth, and tenth bells - at 7:45 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 5:45 p.m. - mark breakfast, lunch, and dinner, respectively. All campers eat together in the Lakeside Dining Lodge. Before each meal begins, campers stand quietly and, all together, say or, more often, sing grace. An old Camp favorite is the "Johnny Appleseed" grace:
The Lord is good to me,
And so I thank the Lord,
For giving me the things I need --
The sun and the rain and the apple seed --
The Lord is good to me!
I wake up in the morning,
As happy as can be --
Because I know
The Lord will care --
My apple seeds will still be there.
The Lord is good to me!
Hallelujah! Amen.
Lines from a poem by Joy Harjo, Perhaps the World Ends Here, might best capture why the Camp Woodstock tradition of saying grace together matters:
"The world begins at a kitchen table. No matter what we must eat to live.
"The gifts of the earth are brought and prepared, set on the table. So it has been since creation, and it will go on.
"It is here that children are given instruction on what it means to be human."
Indeed, being at Camp Woodstock is something worth giving thanks for. Our Camp tradition of grace before meals is a reminder, several times each day, of how fortunate we are to be there, in the presence of nature and the company of great friends and caring counselors.
But there are other opportunities for campers to look inward as well. The 14th bell at 9:30 p.m. marks lights out, and time for Reflections. Counselors raise topics for reflection that are appropriate to the age and mood of the cabin group, and that are designed to help campers share thoughts and feelings that strengthen bonds and help foster the lifelong friendships that have been formed here at The Friendship Camp since its founding in 1922.
Also, on Sunday mornings, campers gather for Chapel services in the quiet and peaceful woods near Black Pond to reflect on the CHoRR values, to sing (think of the sounds of "Amazing Grace" being sung in this setting), and to hear from counselors who have participated in the World Service trip to the Dominican Republic, or from the international counselors about their global experiences.
From our Thanksgiving table to yours, we send our best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving!
Anthony Gronski
Executive Director