By Chad Hershberger
This blog post is part of our “Camper Memories” series.
First impressions are important. My first day at Camp Mount Luther most likely led to a lifetime love of outdoor ministries.
I kept a small journal every year I was a camper (see picture below). I wrote down what we did and what we ate. About five years after my first time at camp, I self-published a handwritten book called, “Why Me: Those First Three Years.” I put it in a three-ring binder and went on to write a trilogy of all nine years I camped at CML.
Here is an edited version of my recollections of that first day. All these decades later, there is some comfort to me that our Sundays at camp are very similar to what it was back then.
For some context on what led me to camp: In 1981, there was a Sunday School teacher at my church who was really promoting church camp. She was trying to get as many as she could to go and experience Camp Mount Luther. With my parent’s approval, I decided to go. I had a great week with a neat counselor and a cool group of cabinmates. It was fun, and I couldn’t wait to go back the next summer. For nine years I would travel to Mount Luther to spend some time in the summer sun. Here is how it started, written by my 14-year-old self!
It was a nice day in the summer of 1981. This just happened to be Sunday, July 19, and it was the day I left for Camp Mount Luther for the first time.
I was very restless in church that day. I couldn’t wait to go. After hearing about camp from older kids at church, I was sure to have fun, and I was excited.
My dad had to work that day and couldn’t go with us to Mount Luther. So, my mom called the Richards, another family that was going to Mount Luther that day, and we went with them.
They picked up my mom, my sister, and me around 2:00 p.m. because I remember listening to American Top 40 and the number one song that week was a favorite of mine, “Bette Davis Eyes,” by Kim Carnes. American Top 40 gets over at 2:00 p.m. so that is how I remember when they picked us up.
We went to Mount Luther via the easiest way from where I live (Lewistown) out Route 522 to the first traffic light in Middleburg. Turn left, go to the stop sign in Mifflinburg, turn left again until you get to the Four Bells Church (Christ’s United Lutheran). Turn right at the church and follow the signs to Camp Mount Luther. In years to come I always knew that when I saw the cows painted on the local farmer’s barn, I was almost there.
When we got there, we registered at the A-Center and with the nurse. Then the Richards left my mom, my sister, and I off at my cabin (#2) in Maple Village. We went in via the back door and met my counselor, Tom Rosholt. I can’t remember if anyone else was in the cabin when I walked in or not. But eventually, all my first year cabinmates came.
Once everyone was there, we went over the rules and met Kendra Lentz, our co-counselor (whose name I thought was “Hendra”) and the girls we’d be working with—all then of them. Three of them I knew because they went to my church.
Well, soon it was time for supper. When we went to the dining hall in Maple Village, we had lunchmeat sandwiches. In the next couple of years, I’d learn that this is the usual Sunday night meal at Camp Mount Luther.
After we were done eating, it was time to get our group picture taken on Cabin #6’s porch. After the picture, we got ready for our swim test.
The swim test is what campers take to be in the deep end of the swimming pool. What we had to do was jump in the deep end- swim to the rope and back, then float on our backs. I did and passed. This entitled me to be in the deep end of the pool. If you did not pass or didn’t want to take it, you had to stay in the two-foot part of the swimming pool.
Then we swam around in the pool a little bit and soon it was time to get out and leave to get ready for worship.
During worship at Blacksnake, Tom played his guitar and other staff members played their instruments. At this worship service, the staff was introduced, we sang and read scripture.
Immediately following worship, we had our snack in the dining hall. Tonight, it was pretzels and a drink. After snack, we went back to our cabin and got ready for bed. After everyone was in bed, and Tom turned the lights out, I remember we told jokes almost every night after lights out. After listening and telling some jokes myself, I soon fell asleep. Finally resting from my first day at Camp Mount Luther.
We’ll share more of camper memories in future blogs.