Live by the Code: Servant’s Heart
Positive Attitude, Servant’s Heart, Moral Compass, and Warrior Spirit: these are the four values that make up our Falling Creek Code. Living by the Code is what we strive for as members of the Falling Creek Community, teaching and modeling these values through our activities and interactions every day. We see examples of those in our camp community living by the Code each day, so for the next four days, we’ll be highlighting each of them. Today, we’re focusing on Servant’s Heart.
On Tuesday our Assistant Program Director, Zach, set the tone at Morning Watch by sharing the importance of being a good friend. “In the description of Servant’s Heart, we’re told to ‘make friendship a fine art,’” Zach began. He explained how kindness is the first step in any friendship, and how everyone sitting there was tremendously loved, unique, and special. “You are a kind person,” he told everyone in the community, “and you need to share that with the world by creating friendships and spreading kindness to others. No one can do it alone.”
It takes a lot of people to keep the wheels turning at Falling Creek, and no one could keep up the daily operations of camp alone. Many of the key people who keep each day moving forward are behind the scenes, silently serving others in our camp community without being prominently in the spotlight. Wally is one of these people, serving the community by driving campers to their trips each day, and doing it always with kindness in his heart.
Wally is a bus driver for Henderson County during the year, and drives many of our vans during the summer. He transports campers and staff to the trailheads or river put-ins, and picks them up after their adventures are over. He happens to be a great storyteller as well, and is very knowledgeable about the history of this area (this blog he wrote is a great read!) Our outdoor adventure program wouldn’t be nearly as successful without Wally, and yet you’ll rarely see him in any photographs, nor will he make any announcements in the spotlight of the Dining Hall or Morning Assembly. Wally is a great example of someone who displays Servant’s Heart daily, without expecting public recognition.
On Tuesday, Wally was driving a van full of young paddlers to the Lower Green. Among the boys in his van were Carlton, who would be in a kayak for the first time, Edward, who had just gotten his roll down, and William J., who was bonding with Wally over the fact that they both had “William” as their first name. Wally was cheerfully helping them load into the van, happy to serve by getting everyone to the adventure they were so eager to begin that day.
Our kitchen team is another great example of daily Servant’s Heart, since freshly prepared food can so often be something we take for granted. Led by our Director of Food Services, Diana, the kitchen team is preparing breakfast early each morning, long before the wakeup bell rings. Diana is helped by our cooks, DJ, Derek, and Shar, as well as our D.A.S.H. crew. DASH stands for “Dining And Service Heros,” and has traditionally been a role filled by former campers in the “dash” between camper and counselor. We have several former campers who have just graduated high school, and will be heading to college after the summer. They’ve chosen to return to camp to help in an alternative role in the kitchen, giving them a unique perspective on a different side of camp. The DASH crew also has several international staff, joining us from Mexico and a few South American countries. Though they don’t interact with the campers as regularly as cabin counselors do, this team is essential for the success of each day. Last night while we enjoyed vegetable lasagna with kale salad and garlic breadsticks, Liss was happily handing out refills for bread, and Jesùs was the first one out of the kitchen to start sweeping as we dismissed to Evening Program. No one could be happy without their hearty, healthy, delicious meals!
Finally, our facilities team is another group who serve the camp community behind the scenes. As Director of Facilities, Doug Smathers’ role is to oversee the many facets of maintenance that 900+ acres of fields, forests, roads, bodies of water, and structures require. Doug is leading the team of three, who continually work to make improvements to our program and setting, our aesthetic, and our high standard of safety in activity areas. Drew Boggan is an essential part of this team, and his knowledge of camp, resourceful ability, and can-do spirit are key to keeping camp in top shape all year. Drew is a talented soccer player who loves to both play and watch the game, and he is also skilled in arts and crafts, specifically in tie dye! He shares his knowledge on tie dye days at camp, helping boys make the most vibrantly colored shirts possible. Simon Wilson is another facilities manager who is behind the scenes every day, making sure camp continues running smoothly. With decades of Falling Creek experience, Simon is no stranger to camp, and has been part of the team since the early 90s. From carpentry to plumbing, blacksmithing to landscaping, he knows how to do it all. Simon is also knowledgeable in key camp activities, especially when it comes to our horseback program. Simon ran our horseback program as head of the barn for many years, and still lives on camp property to help care for camp’s 19 horses during the offseason.
Though you could argue that helping camp is just part of the job for these teams, they help the community with a level of kindness and service that goes the extra mile. Roles that are out of the spotlight can often feel like thankless work, but we are eternally grateful for each member of our camp community, and the many ways they display their Servant’s Heart each day. Tomorrow we’ll be continuing our series on the FCC Code, and highlighting more ways that the four values can be seen throughout the community.