things I learned at Ranger camp

I just spent my weekend with some wonderful kids....and they weren't even mine!

I was asked to fill in at a camp for the Ranger group. One of the girls works with me in my Guide unit and so when it came up that they needed another responsible adult to come along to camp....they asked me? Really??? They did say responsible right??? To be honest, there is so much going on right now that I did try and get out of it. I am so glad that they couldn't find someone else...I had so much fun and learned so much from these girls.

I had met the Ranger leader a few times and had talked to her casually, but I was wondering how we would get along. I mean, she is so much younger than me! Closer in age to the Rangers than to me. How would we relate? It seems that I worried for nothing. She is a wonderful person and so good with the girls. She brings out wonderful qualities in all the girls and the conversations that we all had were insightful, at times crazy, and full of laughter. The girls really respect her and feel very comfortable being themselves in her presence. They will miss her terribly next year as she will not be back due to school and work...and maybe a special someone in Vancouver?!

Of the three Rangers on this trip, I had two of them in my Guide unit. However, they change so much from 12 to 17 that they are hard to recognize as those girls. The one girl helps in our unit is very responsible and together. This girl has plans and nothing is going to stop her. I so admire her determination and resourcefulness. She is the leader of the girls and totally pulled this camp together with help from the others. Her younger sister is the other girl I had in my unit. She will be the first to tell you that she has become a beautiful young woman...and she would be right, inside and out. She is full of fun and mischeviousness and can make me laugh till Shirley Temples come out my nose. We made a great team playing Buzz Word and Scrabble...cause we are so SMRT!! The last girl was one that I had met occassionally at different Guiding events. She is a little quieter than the other two, but so very friendly and warm that it doesn't take long to feel comfortable in her company. We spent a quiet hour as she studied for her final exams, and I read my book in the sun. It felt effortless to move into board games and laughter from this quiet time without any awkwardness or shyness involved.

These four young women are wonderful examples of our youth today. Each of these girls have goals, values, and a sense of fun that I want my own children to emulate. I only hope that when I grow up that I can be like them too.