June 1, 2006 (Thursday)
Day started off by waking up at 5:55am so I could pray the Angelus at 6am. After the Angelus I took a shower and then prayed my morning and Evening prayer. Flags were at 7:15am and once flags were over we had more meetings and I also got to talk to Mike about what I am actually doing on the First Year Director. Later in the day I got the day we started non-stop work on the camp sites. Once all the work was done I was dead tired and very ready for bed.
June 2, 2006 (Friday)
Today was filled with more meetings, but the good news was I got to leave early because of an ordination in Knoxville. At Father Tony Dickerson's ordination I got to be candle bearer along with DB Alejandro. I had a lot of trouble keeping my candle lit, but everything went well with the Mass. It was great to talk with Bishop Kurtz again and to also see another man be brought into the order of the priesthood. I should also note that my mom picked me up at the camp and filled me in on everything that out new pastor, Father John, is doing. For the first day on the job he is changing the Mass times, changing the office location, making the servers kneel, use the bells for the consecration, no more holding hands with the priest during the Our Father, moving the tabernacle back into the church, along with many other changers. The future of Notre Dame does look very good under its new leadership.
June 3, 2006 (Saturday)
Saturday was a day devoted to camp set up. I cannot beleive that there are still tents to set up, but they keep on coming and coming. At the end of the day we did a mock campfire and everyone shown the skits for their program area. The First years came up with pretty much nothing, so ours did not end up getting picked for the actual campfire.
June 4, 2006 (Sunday)
Had to do my service early in the morning and things went well seeing how I did not have a song prepared, so I ended up singing Psalm 23. After my service all the Catholics headed off to Notre Dame Catholic in order to attend Mass. The place really is looking good with Father John in charge. He had a great homily which taught a lot from the Bible and the teachings of the church. After Mass the twins went with their parents to go back home and have some food while the rest of us went out to eat and then went to Wal-Mart to pick up a few items. Once we got back to camp the kids that were up for ROTC Camp were starting to arrive. That night we had the actual campfire and I had to do my service with all those from ROTC.
June 5, 2006 (Monday)
ROTC Camp is under way and I finally got a chance to catch up on some sleep. Out days off were picked today and I ended up going with Tuesday. Paul and Blaine also took Tuesday off, so it looks like we will be going off somewhere together tommorrow.
June 6, 2006 (Tuesday)
The day was spent doing more work, but the good thing was that today was my day off. Once Blaine got off from COPE I took off with him and Paul and the three of us headed to Greeneville. In Greeneville we ate some Mexican food and then went off to catch a movie. The only bad thing was that nothing was starting at the time we arrived so we ended up spending two hours in Wal-Mart playing Guitar Hero. After Wal-Mart I went home and picked up some blankets because the camp has been very cold at night. After home it was the great joy of going back to camp.
June 7, 2006 (Wednesday)
Things were very warm last night. I guess that is what I get when I am prepared and have something with me to keep me warm.
June 8, 2006 (Thursday)
Finally all the tents have been set up. It took us forever in Bobcat to get them done, but they are finally done!
June 9, 2006 (Friday)
The day was spent working with my program area for the morning. In the afternoon my crew ended up spreading hay around one of the new shelters. As the day ended the twins and I had a falling out and things are not looking good between us so please pray that out friendship will be healed.
June 10, 2006 (Saturday)
Freedom came today at 10:30am. I spent most of the day with my mom and dad and then had to be at the church for a 3pm meeting that I set up with Father John. The point of the meeting was for Spiritual Direction and I ended up feeling a lot better once the meeting was over. This priest is really here to serve the people and it is just amazing to get to know a priest of his nature. We ended at 4pm and will hopefully meet again in two weeks. I got to serve at the 5pm Mass and things went well. After the Mass we had a small reception to welcome Father John to Notre Dame. My next journal entry will be next Saturday, so keep me in your prayers and please check back here in a week.
June 11, 2006 (Sunday)
Started my day off with the 8am Mass which I got to serve along with Ashley and Savannah. Once Mass was over I had to head home and grab items that needed to come with me to camp and also got dressed in my uniform and then it was back off to the church. A little bit before 11am Blaine showed up and I went back to camp with him. We stopped along the way to get some lunch at Wendy's and we made it to the HQ building right at the stroke of 12. I got to show around Troop 27 who came from Cleveland, Tennessee. It was their first time at the camp, so I had to show them everything. At 7:45 I held my service and made a plug for the Camp Davey Crockett Relegious Program. After the service was the campfire which was cut a bit short due to a pressing thunder storm.
June 12, 2006 (Monday)
After looking at the role sheets and seeing that my program area had at the most 57 kids I really thought things would go bad. At the end of the day everything came together and the program worked. Actually the smaller class in the evening was worse then the morning class. I held a meeting for the Relegious Pragram today and ended up have the amazing number of 60 scouts interested in the pragram. Today I was also given the job of Unit Commisoner which is just where I walk around to one of three campsites and make sure everything is going find with everyone. Also, I have to view skits and pick which ones will make the campfire and which ones will not. I was out doing this job till 10:30 at night.
June 13, 2006 (Tuesday)
Looks like my problems with the twins are over, and hopefully they will stay this way. Today rocked because it was my night off and I ended up doing with Blaine, Paul, Jeremey, and Hunter to see a movie, grab a bite to eat, and go to Wal-Mart. The movie that we went with was Over the Hedge which was really good, but was not worth the $7.50 that was paid to see it in the theater.
June 14, 2006 (Wednesday)
I held a chapel service today and the chapel was filled with campers. Evening Flags was clear of people because of Staff having a night off and because most troops cooked inside their campsite instead of earing at the Dinning Hall.
June 15, 2006 (Thursday)
It has been a very long week and I am very happy to have everything come to a close with the First Year Camper program. A scare came to the staff today when their was one of out boats found out in the lake doing donuts without a driver. It turned out that the staff driving the boat were knocked out, but everyone turned out being OK. As always Thursday was the day for the big Staff vs. Scout Masters volleyball game. The Scout Masters came out on top this week, but staff will bounce back for the win next week. I wrapped up my Relegious Program with a total of 23 campers finishing my program.
June 16, 2006 (Friday)
The day started off with merit badge make up. My program area did have a few people come up because they were in need of earning their Totin' Chip. After Merit Badge make up I finally got a well deserved nap. After my nap I had lunch at noon and then it was back to the shelter for our event in the Crockett Challenge. The fist year camper staff decided to have the campers tie a timber hitch around a log and then drag it for a certain distance. Once this event was over my staff had to make the fire for the campfire. The campfire started at around 8:15pm and troop 1656 from Richmond, Texas was voted Troop of the Week. I along with many of the other guys on staff earned the extra mile award for all of my hard service.
June 17, 2006 (Saturday)
After the 10am Meeting I was on the road with Blaine headed back to Greeneville. He dropped me off at Notre Dame Catholic which was having a huge yard sale today. Earlier in the day the youth had a pancake breakfast and from what I here everything went well with that event. All the money from the huge yard sale will be going towards our new parish life center. Once getting done at Notre Dame I went and grabbed some lunch at McDonalds and then went home to get cleaned up and ready for Mass. I must also say that my cassock came in yesterday, so Father John let me wear in when I served Mass. I served the 5pm Mass with Stephanie and the two of us did a great job. Once Mass was over the yard sale was open back up and once things were done with the yard sale my family went out to a BBQ place called Stans. As always tommorrow I will return to camp, so I will not journal again until next Saturday night.
June 18, 2006 (Sunday)
Served the 8am Mass while wearing my new cassock to kick off the day. After Mass was over I went to Food City to pick up a few needed food items for camp. After Food City I was on my way back to camp, but made a Subway pit stop for some lunch. This week of camp is around the same size of last week, and my program area has the same amount of kids as last week. My mom and dad along with the twins parents made a suprise visit to the campfire. After the campfire was over we hung out for awhile, but they had to leave shortly after the campfire.
June 19, 2006 (Monday)
My Baden Powell Evening Class has a parishoner of Notre Dame in it. I told him that I will get him a paper for my relegious award, so that I could test his knowledge of the Catholic faith. After supper I met with all those who are interested in the relegious program and it looks like I will have about the same amount of kids finish it up as did last week.
June 20, 2006 (Tuesday)
Seeing that Blaine was away for a wedding I just went back home and Paul tagged along. My mom had my favorite food waiting for me when I got there. I spent the time home playing on my mom's MAC and also making a Wal-Mart run so that I could get Meredith's birthday present made. This year I am taking her great apple picture and putting it on a Wal-Mart gift card along with $18 seeing how she is turning 18.
June 21, 2006 (Wednesday)
Seems like all of staff is off on Wednesday night. Wes yet again picked First Year Campers to wash dishes. I ended up helping to wash them because I beleive that one must pitch in and help in order to be an affective leader. At 7:30pm I had to rush away for my chapel service which had a small crowd probably because the Sunday crowd was so big.
June 22, 2006 (Thursday)
After lunch I made a happy birthday call to Meredith and got to talk with her for awhile. I wrapped up the relegious program today by meeting with everyone who finished the paper work up. I had a total of 18 finish this week and my program also included one Muslim. A pool party was thrown for staff, but I was to busy to attend because of meetings that I had set up all through camp.
June 23, 2006 (Friday)
The last full day is here and wow am I just tired of Camp Davey Crockett. I cannot see how some people would want to work this weekend for Fun with Son and not get the chance to get that 24 hour break from the camp. This week's Crockett Challenge had 21 teams and we did the same event as last week where the patrol had to tie a Timber Hitch around a log and then pull it a certain distance. This week Troop 124 was voted as Troop of the Week and to think they were also from Texas just like last week's troop. I also must make mention to all the paperwork crazziness. Keith lost all his roll sheets, so he had no idea who was in his class. We ended up having to have the class come up after flags in order to get a list of people in the class. We also had some problems with a few of the staff who turned in blank papers to the mail boxes. Week 3 will be a smaller week, so hopefully the First Year Camper Staff will get ontop of things.
June 24, 2006 (Saturday)
Finally home sweet home. Mom slept in all day because she was up all last night for the Relay for Life. I served at the 5pm Mass and then went out to eat at Fatz with my family and with Father John. I was really great to get to spend time with him and hopefully he will be able to make it to tommorrow night's campfire. It was be so awesome for a man of the collar to be sitting in the back row for all to see.
June 25, 2006 (Sunday)
Served the 8am Mass and once that was over I returned home to grab a few things to bring with me to camp and then was off on my way to Week 3 of Camp Davy Crockett. This week is a very small week and only brought us 13 troops and around 130 scouts. The First Year Camper Program along with all the other classes were very small this week which was a blessing compared to the huge classes of the other two weeks. Father John and my parents showed up to camp just in time for my chapel service and for the campfire. It was very crazy to do my program infront of a Catholic priest.
June 26, 2006 (Monday)
Was told last minute by Wes that I would get to talk about my job as Chaplain to a large group of people who contribute a lot of money to keep the camp open and going strong. I only got to talk for a few minutes because I had a 7:30 meeting with those doing the relegious program. I had to leave before the twins got to talk about what it is like being on staff for the first time.
June 27, 2006 (Tuesday)
I stuck around camp on my day off this week. Most people went off to the Greeneville Astros baseball game. I decided to just stay at camp because I dont really like baseball, so it would have been a big waste of my time. While eating I was asked if I wanted to wash dishes and I said yes seeing how I had nothing going on. With the small amount of people we were able to get the dishes done by 7:30.
June 28, 2006 (Wednesday)
Sunday's Chapel Service was very huge and as expected I had a very small crowd for today. I think a may of had a total of about 15. After the service I had a scout stay and pick up a relegious program.
June 29, 2006 (Thursday)
The scoutmasters went down if volleyball again this week. I had a total of 9 scouts finish the relegious program which puts the three week total to 50 who have completed the program. After this I had to view a skit in Elk which was OK, but not great. It did make it to the campfire because of the size of the week. The skit was about brains. Their were three brains and a guy wanted to buy one. The first two were on the cheap side of things, but the last brain costed a lot of money. The punch line of the joke was that the last brain was never used so it was worth more money. The next thing I got to do was eat with a fellow staffers troop. They made us some homemade ice cream and cobbler.
June 30, 2006 (Friday)
This day really reminds me a lot of the seminary. Towards the end of the year all the seminarians are ready to kill each other and it looks like the same thing goes for the staff at a boy scout camp. I really thought the campfire was going to be short and to the point, but someone had to pick a skit that took 30 long minutes. Usually 5 minutes is pushing it! After campfire we only had one paperwork issue with Curry making a small mistake which the scoutmaster went crazy over. The troop of the week stayed out of council again this week by going to Troop 494, I think, from Florida.