Doublecreek's Got Talent!!

This week was Doublecreek's Got Talent! While some of our talent is not ready for prime time, they're ready to perform at Sing-Song. Actually, Sing-Song is our Prime Time! We have one serious issue with Doublecreek's Got Talent. It's not finding talent, it's deciding which talent to use. If we let every camper perform that wants to perform, sing-song would start right after the pledge and we wouldn't end until we board the buses. Obviously, that isn't practical! Sometimes we audition. That seems like a reasonable plan except for one detail. You have to tell some campers they won't be able to perform. That's a tough one. So, we relied on a tried and true method. Drawing names from a bucket. Campers describe their talent to their group counselor and they are assigned a number. The number is drawn from the bucket and like magic, we have our talent show roster. And what a roster it was! Tell me -  have you ever seen a camper who could do tricks with his stomach?!? Well, we did!! Have you ever had someone burp the alphabet?!? Well, we did! Have you every watched a counselor drink a concoction that looked and smelled like something you should run from? Well, we did!! Now, the acts I just described were definitely out there, but we also had acts which could be classified as "normal". We had singers, gymnasts (really good gymnasts), dancers, stand up comedians, martial arts demonstrations, a three piece band, and on and on. If this were the Gong Show, the gong would have been silent! (Except for counselors who provided between-act entertainment) It's amazing to see campers who range in age from 7 to 14, who will get on stage and perform without any outward signs of nervousness. They're not shy, they didn't have to be coaxed; they just went on stage and had fun!

Our campers are what made this week terrific. The performers had fun and the audience had fun. The campers who performed didn't go onstage for money, or to win a contract. They had fun! When you're having fun, you feel good about yourself. Helping campers feel good about themselves has always been our goal. I'm not sure how many talent shows we've had at Doublecreek, but they always end the same way, with smiles and laughter!

- Joe Ray