A
selection of prayers, talks and songs from chapel and meal
time.
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or meal time prayers by clicking on this link to the Camp
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Final
Chapel Talk, August 15, 2004
Be
Strong!
Camp
Prayer
Johnny
Appleseed
Morning
Prayer
Onaway
Hymn
Final
Chapel Talk
August
15, 2004, Mrs Conolly
Seven
weeks ago in chapel I wondered about what you had packed in
your trunks to come to camp. I wondered how you had
packed it and what your trunk said about you and your hopes
for the summer ahead.
Now
I think it must have been very difficult to pack your trunks
yesterday. You are leaving with so much more than you
came with and fitting it all in can be a challenge.
Of course, I would recommend throwing away the socks to make
room for other things because surely they are black by now
and not wearable ever again. That space can be better
used for the many new things you have accumulated this summer.
Most of them don't take up much space but they are
valuable and need to be packed with care.
You
might not be able to fit your woodworking project into your
trunk, but the patches that you earned for all of the many
activities that you did this summer will easily fit into a
small envelope and can slide in between your unread summer
reading book and your left-over stationery. But don't
forget to take with you the incredible pride that you should
all feel for earning those patches or trying out new things.
Hold onto to those feelings throughout the year so that as
you face new challenges - maybe a new school or a sport you
have never done or a particularly hard teacher - you can recall
the sense of accomplishment when you finally overcame your
fears and gave it your best shot.
The
friendships you have formed over the summer will last a long
time. Maybe you wish your new friends here could come
home with you and go to your school or maybe they just belong
here at camp and you want them to remain as part of the summer.
Either way, use what you have learned about being inclusive
and finding the good in everyone whenever you find yourself
in a position to choose whether to reach out or turn away.
Think of the rewards of growing your circle of friends
by never assuming that someone who isn't just like you is
not worthy of friendship. Remember what you have gained here
at camp from the rich and diverse members of our community.
One
of the lessons that I will take away this summer is the value
of simple living. I can honestly say that I have not
missed the television, the mall, the traffic, the luxuries
of home, the fast food restaurants and the pressures of life
in our high tech world. I couldn't completely escape
the phone and email as I did need to keep in touch with your
families and the others that keep camp running, but I always
knew that I could slip down to Offaway and the noise there
was likely to be the water gently sloshing on the rocks, the
wind rustling in the trees and the distant laughter of girls
on the waterfront or out in boats on the lake. Try
to find your piece of Onaway somewhere at home so that you
will continue to take the time to appreciate simple living.
You will not be able to avoid the crash of life in
the fast lane at home, nor should you completely because there
are many exciting things out there to see and do, but carve
out that time, call it Rest Hour or a Moment of Silence, where
you sit back and simply think and feel and reflect on how
you are living your life.
I
would like to be a fly on the wall at your homes this year.
I'd like to hear you say at dinner, "Would anyone
mind if I had the last roll? I'll clear the table.
Please pass the salt and pepper." I'd like to
watch you make your beds and clean up your rooms each day
even though no one will be beaning you. I'd like to
see you notice that the trash needs to be emptied or the lawn
needs to be raked or the floor needs to be swept. I'd
love to see you plunge your own toilets! And you can.
You have learned this summer how much you can contribute
to the overall feeling in a community. You can make
those same contributions at your school and in your home.
When each person gives a little, the jobs become smaller
and the work becomes easier. Try "all camp clean-up"
in your real life and you'll see how easy it can be.
The
biggest package that needs to go into your trunk is probably
your memories. Some of you have photographs that will
help you remember the fun things you did at camp. The
faces in those pictures are those who helped you through difficult
times and shared your happiest moments. Some of you
may have memories written in journals or diaries. Writing
can be such a soothing and productive way of pulling together
all of the pieces from the summer and making some sense of
them. Whether you are describing the grueling climb
up the rock face at Zealand Falls or the feeling of triumph
you had when you completed the timed paddle after seven tries,
once you write it down it becomes a part of your history and
you can look at it over and over again in the years ahead.
The letters that you have written to your parents and
friends are also a testament to your seven weeks at Onaway.
Compare the letter that said, "I'm homesick; I
want to go home" to the one that said, "Guess what?
We got perfect beaning this week and went to the Mary Lamb".
But even if you don't have pictures or letters or diaries,
your head and your heart have a huge capacity for memories.
At the strangest times over the winter, you are likely
to recall a particular counselor who made you laugh, an evening
program that introduced you to new ideas, a special place
at Onaway where you find peace. Carry those memories
with you always and share them with others as they help define
who you are and what you have learned.
When
you unpack your trunk tomorrow or in a week when UPS delivers
it to your door, you will find some pretty smelly clothes,
dirty sneakers, wet towels and someone else's toothbrush.
You will be missing something too because that is inevitable.
You might have lost your raincoat, ruined your watch,
forgotten to pick up your ceramics project. But you
will immediately recognize each of those as symbols of the
summer. At camp your trunk is an essential part of
daily living. It is your bureau, your chair and your
table. At home it will probably be packed away, unused
until next summer. Promise me that you will not leave
anything in the trunk that you can use during the year.
A flashlight or a water bottle and maybe a wool blanket, but
don't pack away your Onaway values. Don't pack away
your enthusiasm, your caring nature, your ability to listen,
your persistence, your civility - in short - don't pack away
your good character because you feel pressure from your peers
and the never ending media. And equally important,
don't pack away your voices. Continue to sing and sing
some more as you have this summer. It will bring you
and everyone around you great happiness.
What
I would like to pack in my trunk is every one of you.
I will miss the sounds you make, the funny things that you
do and the incredible young women that you are. But
I will have to be satisfied with packing all of your letters
that you have written me and I will continue to run the slide
show of memories both in my house and in my heart.
Thank you for a wonderful summer.
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Be
Strong
Be
Strong!
We are not here to play, to dream, to drift.
We have hard work to do and loads to lift.
Shun not the struggle; face it!
’Tis God’s gift.
Be
Strong!
Say not "the days are evil."
Who’s to blame?
And fold the hands and acquiesce,
Oh Shame! Stand up, speak out, and
bravely--in God’s name.
Be
Strong!
It matters not how deep entrenched the wrong,
How hard the battle goes, the day how long;
Faint not, fight on, tomorrow comes the song.
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Camp
Prayer
O, Lord, who hast given
us these stately pines,
these quiet flowers, and these trusting friends,
we thank Thee for Thy love for us, and for the beauties which
surround us.
Bless
our Onaway; help us in our strivings and make us ever willing
to serve Thee.
Enshrine
in each of our hearts that star, that light, which can come
only from Thee. Grant us peace, both now and forever more.
Amen
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Johnny
Appleseed
Oh,
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.
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Morning
Prayer
Lord,
in the quiet of the morning hour,
we come to thee for peace, wisdom, and power
to view the world today through love-filled eyes;
to be patient, understanding, gentle, wise;
to see beyond what seems to be
and to know Thy children as Thou knowest them—
so not but the good in anyone behold.
Amen
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Onaway
Hymn
From
within our chapel walls
Of living pines at Onaway,
God, to Thee we raise our voices
Hear us, Father, while we pray;
Pray
that Thou will ever guide us,
Ever keep us in Thy care;
Teach us truth and teach us honor;
Bless Thy children everywhere.
When
the evening shadows lengthen,
When the sky with stars is bright,
Father, be Thou ever near us;
Keep us safe throughout the night.
Give
us strength and give us courage,
Ever may our faith increase.
Soften hearts of men and nations,
Grant us everlasting peace.
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