Ah, girl’s camp! The last couple of years I have only gone to Camp Ladasa on skit day (I know, I’m a been-there, done-that slacker). I’ve probably gone a dozen times over the years but I do prefer my dirt in smaller doses.So it’s nice to see a new crew of leaders at the helm. Now I’m purely a spectator, cheering on the bishoprics, stake presidency and young women who perform for the Camp Ladasa Talent (defined loosely) Night.
The girls who sign up to do a number aren’t always the most talented but they are usually the girls who look forward to girl’s camp all year, and adore every minute once they arrive. In other words, probably not my daughters (guess the apple didn’t fall far).
The men who perform are enlisted and are not the most talented either but they’re the good sports of the stake, the go-to guys, the kind of men who will drive the 2 hour round trip and potentially embarrass themselves in public simply because it comes with the calling. They are men who agree to serve in a bishopric/stake presidency even though it means mandatory skits at girl’s camp is part of the job (bless their hearts!).
Actually there is some latent talent in both camps (the girls & the men). For instance, I had no idea Ryan Lucas had such a great voice. There are always a few surprises we learn about in the mountains.
But for the most part Camp Ladasa Talent Night is probably akin to most. Every year there’s at least one (pray for only one!) skit that never ends. Every year has a skit that no one can hear and usually a skit you can hear but are still clueless to make sense of.
Talent night is fun and lighthearted but followed up the next night by a girl’s camp testimony meeting. And, while you have an occasional “friend”imony or all-about-me-amony, for the most part, the testimony meeting is tender and sweet and means a lot to the young campers. After a week together the campers have bonded with each other, their leaders, and hopefully developed a better relationship with the Savior as well. After all, it’s hard to beat a gorgeous setting in the mountains to showcase talents and heighten testimonies too.
