This past July, I volunteered to be a senior volunteer at Camp Q, a five-day summer camp hosted at Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School in Potomac Shores.
I was assigned the role of group leader and initially I was nervous to meet the 28 elementary school campers with whom I would spend the remainder of the week. As I was being met with a myriad of different personalities, the campers were being met with virtues that they would come to know as the “daily virtue” for each day of camp. These included the four cardinal virtues: prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance.
At the start of each day of camp, a pair of senior volunteers would initiate a group discussion on the daily virtue. When it was my turn to present the meaning of fortitude along with my partner, I was relieved to know that most if not all of them understood what this virtue was about. Many of the campers raised their hands and gave examples of situations where they would have to be strong, including when a peer isn’t playing fair or when they must go to the dentist.
In our discussion, we focused on how they can apply fortitude to every game and activity they participate in throughout the week. We encouraged them to try new things even if it seemed difficult and this came to fruition when a few of the shy kids in my group asked if they could go first in one-leg races and soaked sponge relays. Putting the daily virtues to practice in a way that was fun for them helped them understand why God gives us virtues. I could tell the overarching sense of community and friendship stayed with the kids during the camp.
As a group leader, my position expanded beyond supervision. I saw in real time how the virtues we taught the campers extended to the prudence they showed during activities throughout the day and their encouragement toward one another. In that respect, Camp Q’s purpose is fulfilled.
Summer camps are, in their design, meant to be a place of friendship and liveliness, but not all encourage the practice of virtues that can instill moral strength and foster good habits. Through presentations and group discussions, living out the virtues was taught as something built through practice instead of an elaborate concept. Even behind the scenes, the collective effort of the volunteers, students and staff members alike, fostered a quintessential experience for everyone who participated.
