Reformátusok Lapja, 1971 (71. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1971-10-01 / 10. szám

Successful Youth Camp in Pennsylvania

The annual Calvin Synod Youth Camp for this year was anticipated with excited and time-consuming preparation. During the 1971 Synod Meeting there were new decisions made concerning the organization and operation of the Camp which were to serve as policy guidelines for its successful management; this year’s Camp was the test-case attempting to use those guidelines.

The detailed preparations were rewarded. New campers made up over 60% of the total participants which ran by week’s end to 130. Ministers in their local churches, along with official Synod leaders, evidently offered enthusiastic support and promotion of this year’s Camp. There were many churches represented this year who have been missed in the past.

The Synod Meeting’s decisions, essentially, professed its responsibility for the Camp in terms of organization, administration and supervision. Hence, as of this year, the Synod involved itself more than ever with its coming generation. And the participants of the Camp thoroughly accepted the guidelines and were able also to whole-heartedly operate the Camp on a basis of shared responsibility. This means that the official adult leaders of the Camp were responsible for ultimate decisions but that the working sinew was provided by the conscientious leadership of the college-age youth. They were the immediate supervisors of the younger age group and they fulfilled their positions with exemplary dependability.

The particular success of this Camp was its pulling together of the post-Confirmation youth, ages 12-14, which today in America is the most

challenging population group. This one week, in some part, not only retained them for our churches but gave them some training for responsible lay functioning.

We believe this short week immeasurably increased our youth’s interest in religion and the church and therefore deserves its high priority on Synod Agendas.

The number of ministers and lay adults who gave of their time during the week demonstrated that the life and success of the Camp was a real common concern. Ministers who were present served as the link which tie Camp to the Synod; Rt. Rev. Rishop Arpad Beretz and Mrs. Beretz, Rev. Joseph Kecskemethy and Mrs. Kecskemethy, Rev. Elek Aaron, and Rev. Zoltán Kovács. By their presence, but also by their involvement via Workshop assignments, did these clergy and wives testify of their love for young people. In addition, Rev. Victor Orth led the Vesper devotions with devout competence and impact and Acting Pastor Mrs. Medgyesy, presented each day different facets of the Camp theme, “The King And I,” using a variety of interaction methods.

What made this Youth Camp successful? Advance preparation, the participants’ responsible self- governing, a loyal and capable Youth Cabinet, and unceasing leadership from laity and clergy. This one-sentence summary illustrates the fact that our Synod has found the right path for re-formulating its youth work.

Rev. L. Medyesy, Camp Director and Chairman of Synodical Youth Committee