September 23, 2002
More from Carl F. Burke who was the chaplain of the Erie County Jail in Buffalo, NY and his 1968 book called, "Treat Me Cool Lord." These poems are by kids ages 10 –17.
Junior Citizens camps were camps for pre-delinquent youth up to about age 12 sponsored by various American Baptist State and regional conventions around the country. I had the privilege of serving in these camps for perhaps 8 years, first in South Dakota and then in Wisconsin in the late 60’s. It is in essence a small group experience under the challenging discipline, "what we do, we all do and we all do it together as a group." There were 5 campers only and a leader in each group. Boys and girls were separated into different groups. Campers were selected by the various youth social service agencies in the state and financed by local churches and civic organizations. Leaders came from interested workers with youth primarily from the churches. There were a wide variety of outdoor experiences provided as options and the evening vespers were short simple challenges to the youth. The rational for the groups was based on the belief that if the youth could learn to function in a small group of heterogeneous people it would make their rehabilitation to meaningful citizens easier. Imagine yourself in a hitherto unknown group of six, put in a van and asked to travel for 10 days across the country to do anything you wish as long as you all do it together as a group. I think this would be a difficult discipline even and perhaps especially for adults.
Carl Burke suggests that what follows was perhaps the most startling prayer of all given at the close of one of these Junior Citizens camps. An 11 year old asked to give the closing prayer.
His words, "Dear Lord, we thank you for giving us one hell of a good time today." The sincerity of the prayer was so apparent that no one laughed.
How would we react?
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
201 Oak St.
Mauston, WI 53948-1333 608-8474555
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