Girl's Camp 2021

I was called to be the Secretary in the Stake Young Women's Presidency in January. This is the first time I have ever done anything with the Young Women, so I was nervous and unsure of how I would handle it all. I have definitely gone through ups and downs as I have tried to grow into this calling. It is far outside of my comfort zone, but I hope I am learning from it. 

One of our biggest responsibilities as a Stake auxiliary is to help plan and carry out Girl's Camp. I had no idea how much effort went into that one week. We started holding meetings with the YCL's in January and had multiple meetings every single month to plan out various aspects of the camp. The Church has really started to emphasize youth-led activities, which meant that the YCL's were mostly in charge of camp. I understand that leadership opportunities are great for the youth, but it sure makes it a lot more work for the adults. We sat through many meetings that took hours and hours because the girls were indecisive and just didn't quite know how to plan big events like this. Our camp director (who is awesome, btw!) was brand new too, so she wasn't sure how to do it either. I admit to some frustration along the way, but I learned a lot, and hopefully I will have more patience and understanding next year.

The YCL's are amazing young women. They have so many talents and really stepped up to make camp wonderful. I struggled a little bit with not being able to connect with them as well as I wanted to, but that has always been one of my weaknesses so I wasn't surprised. My insecurities about not being "the fun leader" came up a couple of times, but I just have to remember that everyone has their own talents and gifts that they bring to callings. I might not have been the fun one, but I hope I was helpful in my own way. 

One of the biggest struggles with planning camp happened early on. Due to COVID, we were told our reservation at Camp Mia Shalom probably wouldn't happen. We had to reverse course and find a campground somewhere else that could hold all 150 of our girls and leaders. After a lot of stress and research, we reserved a bunch of campgrounds at Old Folks Flats campground and began to prepare for a different kind of camp than usual. In April, we found out that Camp Mia Shalom would actually open, and we had to decide what to do. The YCL's all voted to scrap our previous plans and go to Mia Shalom. In the end, it was a great decision, but it was a lot of added stress.

Girl's Camp for our stake is a whole week long, so on Monday we headed up with the YCL's to set up camp. Mia Shalom is in the Manti-La Sal Mountains above Fairview and is such a beautiful place. I immediately loved it up there. It was especially lovely because we had running water, bathrooms, a huge pavilion, and cabins. That is my kind of camping!

We got everything set up and ready for the rest of the girls to arrive on Tuesday. That night the girls stayed up until 2 am. I about lost my mind. It was a very poor night's sleep, and I think that really played into my grumpy attitude toward the end of the week. Lesson learned for next year!

Over the course of the week we did a lot of really great activities. Every morning started with a flag ceremony and every evening ended with one. The YCL's were in charge, and they were amazing! Their energy, singing, leadership, and excitement helped everyone have a great time. I loved flag ceremonies and especially enjoyed seeing all of the wards come up with their own cheers for each one. 

On Wednesday, we went on a hike to Lone Pine. We divided the girls into years and headed up the mountain. I was with the 2nd and 3rd year girls. We started off on the hike and after a while came to a fork in the road. Heidi, the YW president, said to go left, so we all went. After about 20 minutes, we started to question that decision, and realized we had gone the wrong way. We had a bit of a detour, but it made for great memories and a lot of laughter afterward. Along the hike, we came to various stops where the YCL's had prepared devotionals about the Young Women's theme. They did a great job, and it made the hike slow enough for everyone to accomplish. It was long and quite warm out, but it wasn't a terribly hard hike. At the very top, we reached Lone Pine. The view of the valley and camp was beautiful and well worth the effort!

Another day we got to do archery. It was my favorite part of the whole week. I was terrible at first. My arrows were flying all over the place, and I was starting to get frustrated. Finally, on my last turn, I figured out the technique and did awesome! I think my last turn was the best of anyone in our group. I got one arrow almost exactly in the middle of the bulls-eye. I wish we could have done it again. I think the girls really enjoyed it as well.

Twice during the week, we got to go down to the lake to use canoes and kayaks. I wanted to try it, but there was a huge water fight at the docks, and I definitely didn't want to be wet for the rest of the day. It was still nice to sit by the water and watch though.

Thursday night we did Singing in the Trees. When it got dark, everyone sat around a pictures of Christ and sang hymns that each ward got to choose. We also sang our camp song for the year "The Olive Tree." It was a beautiful opportunity to feel the Spirit through music.

On Friday, Jonathon got to come up as part of the Bishopric. I was happy to see him and spend some time with our ward. I like the stake girls and leaders, but I feel so much more comfortable with my own ward. We had dinner and a testimony meeting with them. It was a lovely spiritual experience. I came away realizing that nearly everyone there was struggling with something and needed to be uplifted. It isn't a new idea, but it really hit home because even those little 12 year old girls were dealing with difficult things. I was reminded once again how important it is to be kind and a support to everyone because we don't know what they are going through.

On Saturday morning we got up and cleaned the camp. Then Jonathon and I left to go get the boys who were staying with Joe and Kym in Price. I was so thankful to Kym for taking care of them all week. What a selfless person she is. I love her so much! Andrew and Hyrum had the best week ever with their cousins! 

Overall, camp was a great experience, and I am excited to do it again next year! There were many great memories and some good bonding that happened. One of my favorite moments was when I got to help one of the YCL's (Kirsten) with her devotional. She shared some of the hard things that she had been going through, and I was able to talk her through them and how she could use them in her spiritual thought. I really felt that if I was called to this position only for that one experience, it would be enough because I felt needed in that moment. She gave a powerful devotional, and I like to believe that I was able to help her through it at least a little bit. I also felt more understood and loved through our talk.

That doesn't mean that Girl's Camp was all roses, but the good experiences definitely outnumbered the bad. I learned a lot and know what I can do differently next year to hopefully have an even better week next time. I want to write them here so that I can look back and do better.

First, I definitely needed more sleep. Haha! The girls had a great time staying up all hours of the night. Three of our girls had birthdays during camp, so they celebrated at midnight. Some of the women slept in the back of their cars after the first few nights, and I wish that was an option for me. Next year, I am going to take the seats out of the van so that I can have some peace and quiet, if needed. 

Also, there were some disagreements among some of the leaders about how to do things. One person was in charge of all the meals, and I think she was a bit overwhelmed and bitter about it. I tried so hard to help, but she was constantly being asked what needed to be done and ended up just doing a lot of it herself, but with a bit of a chip on her shoulder. There were a few hurt feelings that I think can definitely be helped by spreading out the responsibilities better next year. 

I also need to learn to have a little fun and not need to be perfect. At the last minute, the leaders wanted to put together a skit. Everyone acted out something that happened at camp that related to them. I was left with nothing to do for the skit. I felt really awkward and silly. Because I was so tired, it became a lot bigger of a deal than it should have, and I shed a few tears. I finally just decided to embrace the fact that I am not the silly or crazy one and play to my strengths. I ended up being the organized one in the play. I made fun of my labeling OCD... which is true, so it is what it is. The skit actually turned out really cute, but I had some major insecurities come to the surface that I didn't realize were still there.

Lastly, I learned how important it is to take some time for yourself during Girl's Camp. I have a wonderful friend named Amy Schofield who gave me some great advice before camp. She said that it was important to take a break and go out into the woods to read scriptures and pray. That time away can recharge you and help you get through the ups and downs. When I was feeling particularly low one of the days, I did exactly what she suggested, and it worked. I just needed some time away from the drama to be by myself. Living in a house full of boys is much different than spending a week with 150 women. At one point during the week, Amy's daughters dropped off a little package from her with candy, chapstick, and a little note of encouragement. It meant so much to me to know that she was thinking about me and knew what I needed. 

And that's a wrap... until next year!