Girls Camp Rocks

Its been another fun and energy filled week. I spent the last 3 nights at Girls Camp as the Fourth Level leader, which means I had 23 14 yr old girls to certify in camp skills and hang out with. My girls were great, and I wish I could have more time to get to know each of them better. I think the best part of the week was getting to focus on important details with the girls, and emphasize our theme, “Remember Your PJS (PJS= Prayers, Journals, Scriptures.)J” My girls were anxious to talk to me about the scriptures our level focused on. And my favorite question was, “what does girls camp have to do with the gospel?” So we talked about how GC gives us a chance to stop worrying what others thing of us, and to not think about the outside world for a few days. My teaching is style is to not preach, but raise more questions, and encourage the girls to answer them out loud and discuss them with me and each other. So I asked the girls if they really thought they could change their lives in just one week getting dirty and hanging out at GC? I was so proud of them when they decided that no, you can’t change your life at GC, but you can at least change your way of thinking at GC, and it is up to them to think with integrity. Their words, not mine! For that one brief moment, realizing that I got through to the girls, and that hopefully they will remember that lesson, the whole trip was worth it. I couldn’t be happier.
It wouldn’t be Girls Camp without one or two crazy stories. My favorite story from the week was during the second year hike. (My girls had a service project that day, so I went along to assist on the second level hike- a 5 mile loop, and really NOT strenuous. Don’t tell the girls though, they think they climbed Everest.) After we got the girls up the 2.5 mile trail in record time (less than 1 hour), hung around at the top for 1 hour, had one girls slip, fall, and hurt her ankle significantly, we started back down the trail. These were the 12 year old girls, and please keep in mind they have been in the woods for 2 days, hiking, and well, not looking their cutest at all. And they know nothing about hiking etiquette. So we’re coming down the hill, and suddenly we see a troop of about 20 10 year old boys coming towards us. Instead of doing the obvious smart thing of moving into a single file line on the right to pass, my girls actually stop dead in their tracks, all standing in a big clump, and spontaneously burst into song. But not just any song, they had to sing the worst song ever. “THE CUTEST BOY… I EVER SAW…. WAS SIPPING CIIIIIIIIDER…” etc, etc, etc. These little boys look like they don’t’ know what just hit them. And our girls just keep screeching away the stupidest song ever written. The boys all have to walk around the girls, (because they have yet to yield to the on-coming trail traffic, in spite of my yelling- GET TO THE RIGHT!), and just stare at the stupidity therein. Now, you would think that would be the end of it, but no, once that song was through, my girls keep on singing, “I LOVE MY MORMON BOY, HE IS MY PRIDE AND JOY!” Possibly the second worst song ever written. And the little 10 year old boys keep on walking by… Unreal. Oh, and did I mention they were all Jewish? The “Hebrew Day School” shirts, and yarmulkes gave it away. I am almost afraid to say it, but I really hope I wasn’t that silly and stupid when I was their age…