Building lives through Bible camps

One ah de reasons why ah became ah Boy Scout was to get to go on camps, sleep under ah tent on hard ground; eat food cooked over de open wood fire, wid de pot hanging from ah tripod made from sticks. One ah de greatest prank on camp is “to Moosh” or “to get moosh.” Yuh wait till all else is sound asleep, sneak around armed wid tooth paste or shoe polish, and gently yuh do ah facial make up job on everybody. Camp is intended to nurture de young minds in positive disciplines. “Camp has made ah difference in my life,” so says my wife. As foh me, was on Scout Camp way ah learn to kneed flour and mek ah mean bakes widout oil. Nowadays Summer Camp is widespread: Cadets, Scouts, Guides, Brownies, my lickle Brownie niece went to Union Island last year, she tells me dis year dey going to Antigua; ah never had it so good, de fur-dis ah went was Bequia.{{more}}

Even de churches are into camp life big time, some more recent dan others. De Gospel Hall Assemblies Vacation Bible School (VBS), has been around since 1973, hosting contingents from other Caribbean islands. VBS Camp is about de development ah de whole person, physical, mental and spiritual. Elsa Velox remembers like yesterday, de first VBS Camp at de Layou School, and foh de next twenty years de Camp moved within different communities thru-out SVG. Ah remember also, surveying lands at Cane Hall foh de late Lloyd Gunsam in de mid 1970’s, ah blessed soul who counted his pennies. He freely gave ah sizeable plot to the church, to build dey own Camp Site. De members wuked hard and faithfully and by 1993, de Cane Hall Camp Site swung open its doors and over 100 (local and regional) campers attended VBS dat year. Ah massive two storey structure valued at approximately 1.5 million dollars; two dorms, cooking and dining areas; offices, an auditorium or church convention centre and a hard court. Junior and Senior Camp is in progress right now, but come next weekend, de organization will celebrate 40 years ah Vacation Bible School wid an Awards Dinner at de Camp Site. Ah peep de menu, nuff dishes, ah got to fast foh two days before de event.

DOUBLE JEOPARDY

Lie-Za got names foh dem as dey come. Duggie De Freitas raid was “Operation Day Break!” Dis recent one is “Operation Lunch Break!” Oh what ah burning shame how dey trying to destroy V-Knee Frederick. Ah thought she was ah Senator. Lie-Za one-dah-ring if is because dey accuse her and she brother foh carrying BBC Calm-raw men to Pee-Eye pon Book-Ma. De story Lie-Za giving me is dat all de charges against V-Knee were dismissed by Man-is-straight Ricky Burnett. (Dat budding Christian Man-is-straight). She says dat before V-Knee could even sit down and celebrate ah victory lunch, close to ah dozen Police was on de scene and arrested her. Dis recent arrest is Gis-stop-yoh style, ah serious Statement! Lie-Za story is interesting wid or wid-out de 50 per cent discount. She say dat V-Knee’s new charges are de same as de ones dat were dismissed; and she will face de same Man-is-straight. She even quoting USA Law foh me: “Double Jeopardy” ah procedural defence that “forbids a defendant from being tried again on the same (or similar) charges following a legitimate acquittal.” Dat leaves Lie-Za one-dah-ring if dey trying to put de Man-is-straight, Burnett pon try-all. Somebody bungling, and is embarrassed, like dey using de police to clean up dey mess. Commissioner Charles, welcome! Yuh might be new to de big Pose-say-shun, but not new to de mess. Protect de image ah yuh Force, and protect yuh good image dat yuh bring. Ole people say “han plat rope, de same rope tie han!”

DE RIGHT HAND OF GOD

When ah entered Grammar School, ah was terrified from de “swearing in” dey had foh “First Year Students.” Yuh walk down ah man made corridor and in ten seconds ah got hundreds ah clouts back ah me head,. Our first period was Latin, followed by French; we waited foh de Master whose name suggested dat he Presses yuh and Cuts into yuh. From de moment Pat Press-cut entered, dey was ah stillness, a spirit of peace and quiet took charge ah de class-room! We learned our first Latin word “Mensa” pronounced “Men-saw” meaning ah table (feminine). But in Latin foh each word de Case changes, from de Nominative to de Ablative e.g. Men-saw becomes men-sigh, den is men-see-rum and men-seize oops, dat’s men-sow-rum and men-cease. Real fun it was. Immediately after Latin was French, and it was more fun wid Mr Press-cut again; men got into trouble to pronounce “la fourchette!” By de next day when it was Music, we couldn’t wait to see what our Music teacher coming wid. He had lots more fun in store. We did music theory: “Natural Sharpes Tie Flats and Rest”. We loved “Beat” beginning wid : “Ta-ta-tati-ta”; and den it got more tricky: “Ta-ta-tafi-titi-tafi-tafi-taaa!” Ah believe dat all de fun ah had at Grammar School began on my first day; thanks to Mr Pat Press-Cut, now in Heaven, playing music at de “Right Hand of God!” And wid dat is gone ah gone again!

One Love Bassy

Bassy Alexander is a land surveyor, folklorist and social commentator.