Hi! My name is Harley, writer of the monthly Kidz Korner articles.
In July, my family and I took a road trip to Owego, New York. My best friend hailed from that state when she was small and was delighted that I was on her “homeland soil,” but she lived far away from my destination, Mapleridge Ranch.
Mapleridge Ranch was established in 1955 and is a summer camp for kids ages 7 through 17. Although the hilly scenery was thrilling and the weather glorious despite the mud, which I wasn’t used to as a Florida resident, my favorite part was the people around me. The name of our cabin was Nebraska, and there were many campers in my enthusiastic team and intriguing counselors everywhere.
On day one, Sunday, the kids arrived in the evening decked out in their team colors. I wore my green tutu, gloves, and shirt. After checking in, we met our counselors (mine were Rachel, Emily, and Harley) and ate a tasty pizza dinner. Then, we did a scavenger hunt with people (i.e., bring me this or that) to win points for our team. Following chapel was Cabin Pow Wow, then Lights Out at 11:15, which was a special late night.
The next day, we chose three skills to do during the day. I selected Crafts, Horsemanship, and Karaoke. They were all great, and during Flex Time, I loved playing GaGa Ball, purchasing snacks, candy, and Root Beer from the Hitching Post, and sitting on the chapel porch to finish a keychain or work on the songs in the Green Team cheer with Rachel.
Before chapel on Monday night, the Camp Director, whom we called Chief, aka Mr. Duane Blasdel, had a surprise activity. And if you go next summer, you’ll find out how to earn big points for your team and get fun out of it too.
Every day we did our skills, but Wednesday was a break in routine. During Flex Time, we packed our bags and hiked through the woods to the shelters where we would cook out and camp out that night. After gathering firewood, my cabin discovered a stage on the campsite. We scraped the leaves off with branches and created a skit, pretending to be counselors by playing games during morning chapel. We showed it to Rachel, Emily, and Harley, and they insisted that we perform it for all the lady counselors at the lake that night!
After the walk to Lake Patrick, all the camp girls watched our skit and loved it. When it was over, we played games and made flower crowns until it was time to return to the campsites. I hung up my hammock with some difficulty and enjoyed the night.
On Thursday, we ate breakfast at the campsites and sang as we walked back to the cabins. I enjoyed taking a shower and not having dirt on me anymore. On Friday night, the competition blew up as the teams played games against each other and dumped their colors on other people. After Chief crowned the Champs of Camp, the campers, baptized in paint and water, marched to the cabins to take showers and manage their newly tie-dyed clothes.
Then, the campers, taking a brief oath of silence, walked to the campfire for Solidarity. We performed productions of our cabin creeds (mine was compassion, which I struggle with) and listened to two Mapleridge testimonials. Then, counselors bestowed upon Honor Campers their cabin flags, and awards granted, including Future Craft Queen, the Happy Camper prize, and Enthusiastic Bunny recognition, to name a few. I even earned the title of Future Chief.
As the sky darkened, adults lit the campfire, and we sang songs. Finally, we had the opportunity to shout out other people. I declared that my counselor Emily was exciting, which was true.
I made the most of my time on Saturday morning and spent my remaining Hitching Post money. My mother was dismayed. After a closing celebration, I took pictures with my counselors and with Chief, promised to teach more songs next summer, said my goodbyes, and cast a final wistful glance at the Ranch. Next summer will be even better!
Although the themed dinners, skit, and other activities were fun, the entire point of Mapleridge Ranch is to teach campers the Gospel. Our speaker did a fantastic job of spanning the message to make sense to all the children, from younger than preteens to almost adults. The sermons were short and to the point, and we had Quiet Time every morning, doing devotionals from the book of James. We also memorized Bible verses from James to help our teams win. I learned about being a good Christian that week (including learning about managing relationships and trusting God) and am still doing devotionals today. I loved life at the Ranch!
For more info or to sign up for any number of 7 camp sessions next summer, visit mapleridgeranch.org.
Matthew 19:14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
Harley Isabel Smith is a homeschooled 6th grader who has been featured on TV as a philanthropist, has a heart for evangelism, and writes monthly for the Gazette’s Kidz Korner. Visit https://harleyisabelsmith.com where she is constantly adding written and video content to entertain and educate children. Matthew 19:14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”