Ben “Flapjack” Hershey
These words were heard consistently throughout cabin challenge and adventure times during the 2024 summer program season. In the past they could only be heard outside as 2-3 campers climbed the rock holds on the outside of the pavilion chimney. Thanks to generous donors, and climbing wall staff, these words were also heard inside on rainy days as more campers climbed more often thanks to the completion of the indoor climbing wall.
As one of the final remaining loose ends of Mission Possible: The Pavilion Project (2014) it was long past time to install the climbing wall. Designs, styles and colors were researched. Bids received from various companies and finally Eldorado arrived for a week of work back in April of 2024. (insert the time lapse videos?). The group of 3 guys worked diligently to erect the BBC indoor climbing wall complete with ? # of holds, 4 “panels” 2 auto belayers and mats for the bottom. Generous donors helped us purchase additional harnesses and climbing shoes. Bring on a summer of climbing!
Recruiting and training additional staff was a key to utilizing the indoor climbing wall. Ben “FlapJack” Hershey was coming back for a third summer of counseling and was asked to be one of the climbing wall managers for the summer. Managing includes teaching campers about the wall and the equipment we use to climb, keeping children (and staff!) safe, and helping campers to improve their climbing skills while encouraging their appreciation for the sport. He accepted the challenge and offers some reflections on his experience.
“Running the rock wall quickly became one of my favorite activities of each week, and something that I looked forward to doing. However, it was not just my mastery of a new activity that made the rock wall a highlight of the summer for me. Getting to witness the campers’ enjoyment of the new rock wall each week from my role was truly what made it stand out at camp for me.
In examining the core values of BBC, I find that the activity of climbing the indoor wall rests on each of these values in a unique manner. While the wall itself may be man-made, scaling it successfully and making the transition from easier to more difficult routes requires the boldness to step outside of your comfort zone. I believe that this boldness extends beyond the wall and is present in the challenge of living outdoors in nature at camp that campers take on for a week (or multiple weeks in some cases) and that staff take on for a summer. Those of us who have had that experience to any extent know how wonderful it can be, but it requires us to go beyond what we know to be comfortable and familiar to appreciate nature in that way. Similarly, climbing the wall is based on a principle of faith. When you begin climbing, you have to trust that your equipment, the ropes, and your belayer on the ground will keep you safe and will catch you if you fall. Though it may seem trivial, this exercise is analogous to trusting in God and His promise to carry us through every storm that enters our lives. The wall also embodies a certain sort of community. Climbers have to be able to work and communicate with their belayer (and vice versa) and to be able to accept the help of staff in making sure that their equipment is functional and safe, and it was not an uncommon occurrence this summer to watch campers who had already climbed the wall give advice and tips to their peers who had yet to reach the top. If you’ve ever climbed a rock wall, it is almost challenging for it not to be fun. There is nothing quite like the feeling of hearing cheers and encouragement from an audience of campers below, or the sense of accomplishment that you receive once you reach the final hold.
An added incentive of the rock wall for campers this summer was a reward of “cabin points” in the weekly Crazy Camp Cabin Competition for climbing to the top of the wall. One of my own campers this summer was determined to get to the top of the wall, despite never having done it before, to earn those points for our cabin. He didn’t make it all the way on his first attempt, and nearly resigned himself to the conclusion that it was too difficult of a challenge. But with some encouragement from myself and his cabin mates who were also participating, he gave it another shot. From the ground, the other campers and I tried to direct his attention to good handholds and footholds, all while encouraging him to take his time and trust in his abilities. After a few minutes, he found himself looking down at us from the top of the wall with a smile on his face, satisfied with the feat he had just accomplished. Throughout the rest of the week, he continued to talk about how his ascent of the wall would be one of his favorite moments from camp that year. The wall only adds to the wonderful camp experience at Bethany Birches that I have had the privilege to be a part of as a counselor for three summers and that campers come back year after year to enjoy. I am grateful that I was able to witness this new aspect of camp in the role that I did this summer, and I have no doubt that climbing will continue to bring camper smiles for many years to come.”
Thanks to the many people who helped make the rock wall a reality. Consider a visit to BBC to try out the indoor climbing wall for yourself!
Leah Beachy found herself spending the second half of her summer at BBC because she had heard positive reports from friends and appreciated the established connection between the two camps as both are part of the Mennonite Camping Association. When asked what she was taking away from a summer of dual camping ministries she responded, “Spending time in camp ministry is an amazing respite from the “real world”. Camp provides a space to reflect on the life you live the other nine months of the year, and it never fails to remind me of what is most important, like building meaningful relationships and consuming as much baked oatmeal as possible. Camp ministry also gently coerces you into doing some of the most silly and undignified things for the sake of the children…which has taught me to be better at just having fun with life, and to care less of what others may be thinking.”
This summer, I had the great privilege to serve for two weeks as the Camp Shepherd at Bethany Birches. The first week when I was with the older teens, they kept asking me to go to basically every event they had. Which I was honestly surprised by. But, of course, I had to say yes! After doing a few, long camp days, exhaustion finally hit me about Wednesday when I had to crash and take a nice long nap! Not only did I want the campers and counselors to know that I cared about the experiences they were having, I was excited to be embraced and included by them into those experiences too! Experiences like trying and failing on the blob, hiking through the riverbed, playing countless games, and going to dance parties and talent shows. Everything we did was anchored in caring, genuine relationships. Because that’s what camp is really all about. Developing Christ-centered relationships so that each participant can grow in faith. This, to me, is the anchor of the BBC experience; real, genuine relationships and experiences that renew people.
