A deep silence and stillness pervade Camp Hollow Rock today. For the first time since the middle of June the woods and hills are not echoing to the sound of happy voices singing the toast to Hollow Rock.
The fourth Young Women’s Christian association camp has passed into history, and into the upbuilding of the communities to which the girls have returned.
During the summer more than 325 girls and young women have enjoyed the pleasures and privileges of the camp, coming from Bahama, Bethesda, Mebane and Raleigh as well as Durham. The board of directors of the Y.W.C.A. wish that every woman in Durham could have visited the camp and seen something of what it meant in the lives of those who attended.
It is not a difficult matter to give a schedule of the days as they were lived there, but it is always impossible to put into words the fine things of the spirit that the days have built into the character, or the strength which has flowed into the bodies through the healthy out of doors life. The fourfold development—physical, mental, social and spiritual—was kept in mind in all the plans and activities.
There was swimming in the river twice each day, tennis, and croquet, to say nothing of the hikes, one when Prof. Totten of the University went with the girls and explained to them the wonderful plant specimens in which the surrounding woods are rich. More than 60 varieties of trees, plants and shrubs were identified. Another time Prof. Cobb, also of the University, told of the geological formations.
The camp is situated in one of the loveliest spots around Durham. One young woman remarked that anybody could be happy there; an artist could find marvelous pictures to paint; a poet that could not be inspired by the beauty would not be worthy of the name; a musician could find notes in the bird songs and the running waters that would either inspire or fill his heart with envy. At least some poets must have begun their careers out there judging from some of the fine specimens that appeared in the weekly issues of the “Hollow Rock Echo.” Just a plain every-day person could find rest and refreshment for body and soul.
The spiritual and social are so closely intertwined at some points that it is hard to separate them, but in the realms of the strictly religious, each day began and ended with a little devotional service, and there was the Sunday school class each Sabbath morning and a vesper service in the evening.
One of the most beautiful things about the camp is the spirit of cooperation and friendship shown in everything. Girls from all churches mingle together in God’s out-of-doors were brought to realize that real religion is a bigger thing than just one creed, and yet at the same time each one was made a better member of her own church.
One of the most beautiful and impressive ceremonies of the camp life was building of the “friendship fires.” Each girl built her own fire and as it began to burn she brought [line obscured] community.” As she presents it, she throws into the fire something symbolic of her gift. Among the gifts brought were love, friendship, helpfulness, courage, faith, forgiveness. etc. The “friendship fires” on the hillside have died down, but in the hearts of the girls the gifts live on, and because of the new strength of body and spirit that has come to them, they help Durham grow into the “beloved community” of [line obscured].
From page 2 of the Durham Morning Herald, Sunday, Aug. 31, 1924
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn84020730/1924-08-31/ed-1/seq-2/#words=AUGUST+31%2C+1924
No comments:
Post a Comment