It’s shoulder season here at camp. Fall is not quite ready to give in to the winter winds and winter is not yet convinced that its time has come. Oak trees still shimmer golden in the late afternoon sun, but ice is creeping across Burr Pond, ever farther each day. It’s a very interesting time of the year!
And of course, it is shoulder season for the fall/winter holidays. Thanksgiving brings feasting and family in good measure. Walking around camp, one is inspired to give thanks for the sumptuous land upon which camp sits. Those of us who live on the borders of camp, who can walk the land frequently, join returning camp people who just can’t stay away in celebrating our good fortune in being part of the camp community.
Most of us think that “Thanksgiving” translates to “Giving Thanks”. And to be sure, most of us have a great deal to be thankful for, even with the challenges that life dishes up in all seasons. However, a broader definition is interesting to ponder. How could the camp community give more back to the environment in which we work and play, to the people who have greater needs than we do, to the towns in which camp plays a role.
This year, the camp community gave back in several ways. Those of you who were at camp for the first session will remember our service afternoon, when every cabin group worked on some form of service. One cabin worked with warm, colorful fleece, making hats and scarves to send to Syrian refugees. This fall, an opportunity presented itself to send these items to people who did not or could not leave Syria. Their lives have been torn apart in so many ways, and those of you who created the hats and scarves should take pride in knowing that your work will translate into a warmer life for those who receive these offerings.
There is a group of people in Western Mass who rented a shipping cargo crate. They are packing it with food, clothing and other essentials that will be sent off early in the new year. Our scarves and hats are already in the container along with food that we didn’t have time to consume during the summer. We all should feel as if a way was found to be helpful and supportive in this messy world in which we live.
Another service day activity, you may remember, involved a cabin group writing letters to President Trump. Each girl could write whatever she wished about any issue that she hoped the President might address. Just in the past few days, it has been very exciting to see letters of thanks coming from the White House arriving here at camp, ready to be forwarded to the authors of those letters. BC girls taking stands! It’s really very exciting!
On a more frivolous note, in early October, camp welcomed the Wonderfeet Kids’ Museum community for an afternoon of activities involving Trolls and Fairies. (https://wonderfeetkidsmuseum.org/) Lizzy Woolf returned to the Crafts Cabin to help participants create fairy houses. They were fantastic! Fairy tales were read in the Tree House. Troll Tether Ball tournaments went on and on. Fairy/troll walks happened on our paths and trails, and many visitors traveled the labyrinth for extra inspiration. It felt good to welcome neighbors from Pittsford, Rutland, Castleton, Fair Haven, Chittenden—all our local communities! You would have loved being a part of the festivities!
So…here at camp we offer thanks for our many gifts and glories, and we find ways of giving in equal measure. Thanksgiving, on multiple levels.
And now it’s on to the December holidays! Did you know that there are a dozen holidays/festivals across the various spiritual traditions in our world? More on that in subsequent Blog posts! As winter takes stronger hold of the land here at camp, and fall breathes her final warmer breezes, we look forward to the colder, darker months and to the warmth and joy we have the power to create as a community that knows how to apply imagination to any situation!
