The start of the summer holidays traditionally marks the launch of camps for our young people. More than 160 children, young people, leaders and carers came together from 7 to 15 July in the heart of the Ardennes for this long-awaited event.
Organising a camp requires the collaboration of several people with complementary skills. The first thing that springs to mind is the animation, but the practical and logistical organisation also requires vision and anticipation on the part of those in charge.
This year, several challenges complicated the basic task. Baraque de Fraiture, one of our two favourite camp venues, opened its grounds to tourists. The camp leaders therefore had to share their space and step up security behind the scenes to ensure that the youngsters were not affected.
In terms of logistics, the transport and return of the equipment caused a few problems. Maintaining, tidying and sorting an entire hangar full of equipment takes time. Then you have to select the equipment you want to take with you, pack it in trunks, load it, unload it… All this takes manpower. A workforce that is already busy preparing for the activities…
Once again this year, the animation teams have shown their creativity. The Adventurers camp (children aged 7 to 10) plunged into the heart of nature, discovering the flora and fauna as well as some ‘survival’ techniques. The Pre-Pathfinders camp (10 to 13 year-old) chose to go back in time with its ‘Back to the Future’ theme. The more adventurous campers were delighted by a tree-climbing activity. As for the Pathfinders (13 to 16 years old), they developed their sense of reflection and strategy thanks to a game based on the theme of the tribes, a theme which enabled them to take a biblical journey with the 12 tribes of Israel.
All three camps were a success, with no major incidents to report despite the sometimes stormy and wet weather.
Our heartfelt thanks go to all the young people for their active and constructive participation, and to their parents for their renewed confidence. Let’s thank all the leaders for their creativity and kindness, all the cooks and stewards for feeding the troops, the nurses, the chaplains, the drivers… for their indispensable help. And let’s not forget Jérôme Raucy for the general coordination, which is no mean feat. Above all, let us thank God for all those blessed moments that brought them closer to him.