Dear Old Sooner Youth Camp, I'll Remember You.

• Author: Wewe, Keith N.
• Position: FROM THE PRESIDENT

Ah, nostalgia.

As an adult, I have many fond memories of summer camp. The all-night swimming sessions with the girls' camp (a huge no-no at a church camp), the occasional raids of the mess hall, the raging bonfires (tantamount to a felony in the Texas heat), the organized sports and the made-up songs.

At my favorite camp--Sooner Youth Camp--we sang the following ode to summer fun:

Dear Old Sooner Youth Camp, I'll remember you. When life's evening shadow, hide life's morning dew. Oh! To your traditions--noble, pure and fine. Deal Old Sooner Youth Camp, glad that you are mine. When life's evening shadow, hide life's morning dew. Dear Old Sooner Youth Camp, I'll remember you. And "remember" is definitely right. Of all my summer memories as a child, it is the most vivid.

Summer camp was a fun, light-hearted escape from the tyrannies of a strict household. It also offered renewal and energy. Each year, I left camp with the goals of maintaining strong friendships, being a more obedient son, working harder on my studies and volunteering more time to those in need. Yes, these goals were aspirational, and many I did not achieve. But that's perfectly okay. As each new summer rolled around, I knew I had a chance to re-experience...