Oakcrest - Second Year

At first I wasn't sure if I could return to Oakcrest for a second year. I was still in the age range, but my stake sometimes had a policy where girls could only go to Oakcrest once. In January of 1999 the new Stake Young Women President, Beverly S, said that girls could go to Oakcrest twice. I was so happy that I could go again.

I filled out all the paperwork and waited until June. I knew how most of the camp would be since I had been there before; however, I was unsure of who would be my cabin buddy. Elizabeth E had been my buddy the year before. She requested to be my buddy again. I didn't request to be her buddy though. I wanted a different experience so I requested Angela D to be my buddy. Angela requested Roxy D to be her buddy, and I think Roxy asked to be Elizabeth's buddy (She might have asked for Angela.) The four of us speculated about what Oakcrest would do with our buddy preferences. We didn't think they would let all four of us be together in one cabin so we tried to figure out how they would split us up.

We didn't find out our assignments until we were at the camp. The staff sang their intro song that included all their silly names. They did the same rule chant as the year before. And then they did the cabin assignments. Roxy ended up as my buddy. Angela was with Elizabeth, but was actually all by herself because Elizabeth hadn't been able to come. I'd always thought of Roxy as Angela's friend so I was excited to get to know her better.

My counselor's silly name was Tade and her real name was Katie. My cabin was named Birch. There were about 8 other girls in the cabin. It was a much smaller group than the year before when I was with about 14 girls. Since there were so few of us we were able to set up the bunk beds so they lined the walls of the cabin. There was a big open space in the middle of the room. One night Tade and another counselor surprised us all by lipsyncing with curling iron microphones to “Bad to the Bone.” They had nylons over their heads and mouths and eyes drawn on the nylons. It was hilarious.

Most of the week was the same as it had been the year before. We sang songs at lunch, played pranks on other cabins, cleaned, and played. One thing happened differently than before. We were able to go on the overnight hike.

There are three hiking options at Oakcrest. They are named after the direction they lead – East, South, and West. West is considered the easiest. I've heard that it is so easy and short that most girls are able to walk back and brush their teeth at the Oakcrest bathrooms. South is the hardest hike. Apparently it is all uphill and the campsite is on a hill as well. I don't know about the South and West hikes for sure because I went on the East hike.

We got ready for the hike by rolling up our sleeping bags and tying them to our backpacks with twine (hardly anyone had a frame backpack.) Then we picked up our sack lunches and started on the trail. The hike was fairly easy. About the hardest part was when we had to go over a stye to get over a fence. We also had to carry a cooler full of the food we would use to make dinner and breakfast. The hike lasted probably about 30 minutes. We ended up on top of a hill that overlooked a beautiful little valley. It was one of the most picturesque views I have ever seen.

We set up camp by laying out a tarp and then hanging another tarp over that one. We were combined with another cabin so there wasn't quite enough space under the main tarp for all the girls. I ended up under a smaller tarp with three other girls and the two counselors. The bathroom was a hole we dug. We hung tarps around it. We had to put the used toilet paper into a garbage bag instead of in the hole. The next day someone had to carry the bag back down. Such fun.

After camp was set up we had solo time where we were alone for an hour and we were able to write in our journals, pray, read scriptures, or other things. I don't remember what I did, but I remember I enjoyed the beautiful surroundings.

That evening we made dinner in a dutch oven. We had a campfire program with the girls from the other 5 or 6 cabins that had also come on the hike. We did skits and sang songs. Our skit was about a Dr's office. Every patient that comes into the Doctor's office gets everyone else's symptoms. Soon everyone involved in the skit is coughing, sneezing, scratching, yelling, twitching, etc. The last person to walk in is a pregnant lady – and everyone immediately runs out.

Eventually it was time for bed. We climbed into our sleeping bags and fell asleep. A few hours later we all woke up to loud thunder. I peaked out from my sleeping bag. There was lots of thunder and lightning. I could see very clearly when ever the lightning flashed. I saw my shoes and pulled them into my sleeping bag so they wouldn't get soaked. I also saw what looked like a journal and I pulled that in as well. It started to rain hard. I wasn't getting wet and I figured I'd done all I could so I fell asleep.

I'm not sure how long it rained, but it had stopped by 6:30 when I woke up. One of the first things I remember is watching the girls from another cabin walk by our camping area. They had had a rough night and they were all heading back down to the cabins for breakfast. I found out that hardly anyone else had slept well through the night. All the girls under the big tarp had kept each other awake by screaming at each thunderclap.

I was well rested, dry, and had plenty of energy. I think I was driving the other girls nuts because they were all tiered, slightly wet, and cranky. We made and ate breakfast and then headed down to the cabins. For some reason we were unable to carry all the stuff we had brought up the day before. So we took what we could. Then several of us, including me, went back up to the campsite and got the rest of the stuff. For that extra effort my counselor rewarded each of us with 3 taffy candies.

The rest of the week went about the same as it had the year before. I enjoyed the time there and I was sad when it was over. I knew that there could be no third year of Oakcrest so I made sure to take a long look around at everything as I left. The last song I heard as I carried my stuff to the bus was my favorite camp song, “Every time that you Act.”

Every time that you Act

Do you believe what you've learned?

Do you really feel you've earned

The life that your living?

Have you though of what your giving in return?

Do you know what it's like to fly?

Have you never flown before?

Has your heart never touched the sky?

Has your soul never soared?

(Chorus)

Oh, spread your wings and fly

The world's a little bit shy on action.

Good intentions we'll never lack

But you can fly it's a fact

Every time that you act with love.

Like feather's on your wings

Like the tune to the song you sing

Are the things that you do

Proving that you truly believe?

The soul of man is like a bird

It has to fly to stay alive

Let it live, let it be heard

Let your heart touch the sky

(Chorus)

So stretch your wings

Look to the sky

Fill your heart with love

Then fly!

(Chorus)

First Year of Oakcrest

I wrote in my journal twice during the week I spent at Oakcrest girls camp. The first entry includes this line, “there are some snotty girls here.” The second entry on the next day starts out, “They are not snots they are so sweet.” I don't remember what caused me to change my mind but I do remember having a good time at Oakcrest.

Oakcrest is a week long girls camp run by the church. It is for girls who have finished Seventh and Eighth grade which meant there were a lot of 12, 13, and 14 year old girls all trying to get along with each other. I don't remember a lot of the specifics of my first year. I can't tell you what we did each day and I can't remember the girls I was with, but I do remember that I had a lot of fun.

Everything about Oakcrest is fun. I mean everything! Eating is fun, sleeping is fun, hiking is fun, playing in the rain is fun, cleaning bathrooms is fun, everything is fun. It is all fun because the counselors are all positive and energetic. They all seem thrilled to be there and thrilled to get to know you.

The first thing I remember about Oakcrest is getting off the bus and hearing singing in the distance. We walked towards the singing and ended up in and amphitheatre. All the counselors were singing crazy songs. My bus was the last to arrive (it had some trouble going up Parley's canyon) so as soon as we were settled the counselors sang a song to introduce themselves. It was to the tune of “Under the Sea” but all the lyrics had been changed to fit the new title, “Under the Trees.” The counselors all had cute nicknames and their names were worked into the lyrics. Here are some of the cute names, Oops, Stitches, Clover, Gator, Splash, Pippy, Wickett, Duckie, Sage, Elba, and Bubbles.

The counselors also explained the rules in a creative way. Each rule was a chant. One went like this, “All the little animals -Don't Touch the Animals.” Another went, “Carving trees hurts them – Ooh Ouch.” They would say one chant and then they would say all the other chants at once so it ended up one big cacophony of words.

After the rules were explained it was time to be divided up int cabins. The assignments were already made. I ended up with a counselor named Zoey (her real name was Amber). There were about 14 other girls in my cabin and the only one I knew was Elizabeth E from my ward.

We took our stuff to our cabin. Our cabin was named Chestnut. After setting up our stuff we went out to do an activity. There were lots of activities. Over the next 5 days we would have fun doing archery, the zip line, crafts, first aid training, fire building, and other stuff. We also did “kapers” which was a clever name for “chores.” We were assigned things like cleaning a bathroom, or the lodge.

Each day started with a flag ceremony/devotional outside the lodge. Then we would all go inside for breakfast. Each cabin had its own table and so we would all squish around one table. We ate meals prepared by the kitchen staff. During meals we would all stand up on the benches of our table and say something in unison. Usually it was a threat or denial of some prank. After eating we would clean up and do activities. After lunch we would spend about half an hour singing crazy energetic songs. After dinner we would sing calmer songs. (See the bottom of this post for the words to some of the songs )

Tuesday night was mutual night and we all dressed up. Bishops from back home could come visit. My Dad was the bishop so he could have come, but he didn't want to break the rule about no parents being allowed so the first counselor came up instead. He brought Hershey's hugs for us girls. He also brought some letters from my family. I was really happy to get a letter from Lindsey.

Wednesday night was supposed to be an overnight hike. However, it had rained hard all week and so the camp director cancelled the overnight part of the hike on account of mud. Instead we all went on a hike along a dirt road. We ate sack lunches and headed back to camp.

Thursday night was a fun activity night. I think the theme was sports. It was the week of the NBA play offs and the Utah Jazz were playing in the finals for the second year in a row. (They also lost for the second year in a row.) After the activities we had testimony meeting. I remember feeling the spirit very strongly.

On Friday we finished up, cleaned up, packed up and went back to the amphitheater. We all sang as each bus was dismissed from camp. It was so sad to leave.

I was able to go back to Oakcrest one more time the next year. In high school I somehow was able to volunteer to go up and help clean the lodge before the start of the summer. My mom went with me. It was fun to show her around the camp that I loved.

Energetic Songs (Most of these songs have actions that go with them.)

German Doctor

Who's the famous doctor comes from Germany

Oono Gillespe here's his piano

Plinka plinka plinka plink

Plinka plinka plinka plink – hey

Repeat Verses using:

Viola – Veeola

Tuba – Umpa

Bagpipes

Trumpet – Ratta Ta

Conductor – Conducting

Audience – Clapping

Princess Pat

The Princess Pat, lived in a tree

She sailed across the seven seas.

She sailed across the channel too,

And brought with her a rig a bamboo.

A rig of bamboon, now what is that?

It's something made, by the Princess Pat.

It's red and gold and purple too.

That's why it's called a rig of bamboo.

Now Captian Jack had a mighty fine crew.

He sailed across the channel too.

His ship did sink, and so will you,

If you don't have a rig of bamboo.

A rig of bamboon, now what is that?

It's something made, by the Princess Pat.

It's red and gold and purple too.

That's why it's called a rig of bamboo.

The Court of King Caracticus

Oh, the ladies of the harem of the Court of King Caracticus were just passing by (repeat 4 times)

Oh, the noses on the faces of the ladies of the harem of the Court of King Caracticus were just passing by (repeat 4 times)

Oh, the boys who put the powder on the noses on the faces of the ladies of the harem of the Court of King Caracticus were just passing by (repeat 4 times)

Oh, the fascinating witches put the scintillating stitches in the britches of the boys who put the powder on the noses on the faces of the ladies of the harem of the Court of King Caracticus were just passing by (repeat 4 times)

Now if you want to take a picture of the fascinating witches put the scintillating stitches in the britches of the boys who put the powder on the noses on the faces of the ladies of the harem of the Court of King Caracticus – You're TOO LATE because they just passed by.

Calm Songs

Children of the Light

We are children of the day

We are children of the light

We are not of darkness or of night

We are children of the light

And we are on our way

Chorus:

We are on our way

We are on our way

We are on our way

Children of the day

We are not children of despair

Though there is discontentment everywhere

We are not of darkness or of night

We are children of the light

And we are on our way

(Chorus)

We can think ahead of joy tomorrow

If we keep our pathway free from sorrow

We are not of darkness or of night

We are children of the light

And we are on our way

(Chorus)

And we fear them not which kill the body

For they will never kill the soul

We are children with a goal

Up and onward we will go

We are on our way

(Chorus)

Love your father and your mother

Freely give you love to one another

Place your light up on a hill

Let your candle heaven fill

Working for the day

(Chorus)

Misty Song

Tell me the reason I was born to roam

Tell me the reason I am so far from home

Tell me the reason only birds can fly

Tell me the reason I was born just to die

How many mountains will I have to climb

How many memories will I leave behind

How many day dreams will I make come true

How many heartbreaks until I find you

There is a valley called peace of mind

There is a river running right by it's side

There is a moment of glory so new

There is a eternity to spend loving you.