Sunday, December 17, 2006
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Helpers
Oh Helpers may your tribe increase,
to lead the campers through the trees,
Up the mountains & down the Vales,
Entertain & Enthrall them with your tales.
to lead the campers through the trees,
Up the mountains & down the Vales,
Entertain & Enthrall them with your tales.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Do these names ring a bell???
1) The Barometer Hill
2) The Buffalo Falls
3) Beetles Home
4) The DEAR Falls
5) The Garden of Eden
6) The Saddle
7) The Sausage Mountains
8) Valley of Stones
9) NAB
...If yes, then you must be one of us who've shared in the Khandala Family Camp experience. Welcome Aboard.
2) The Buffalo Falls
3) Beetles Home
4) The DEAR Falls
5) The Garden of Eden
6) The Saddle
7) The Sausage Mountains
8) Valley of Stones
9) NAB
...If yes, then you must be one of us who've shared in the Khandala Family Camp experience. Welcome Aboard.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Fr. Robin Selwyn sj - The good Shepherd
I first met Fr. Robin when I must have been no older than 8 or 10 knowing only that he was a priest who conducted family camps in Khandala which my sister frequented as a 'helper' and that we coincidentally shared the same birth date -January 15th.
I'd been to the camp at St. Marys Villa, Khandala twice along with my family and my recollection of those times are still vivid: St. Marys covered a sprawling area with clusters of rooms at 4 ends, The Cozy Cottage, Chapel Wing, Kitchen Wing and The last cluster off the Dining Hall side. I remember hundreds of people belonging to their families, eating, living ,playing, praying and having fun together over a week. There was the Hens Coop for girls who came to camp by themselves and the by then defunct Pig Sty which was initiated for boys but then the system was done away with.
Fr. Robin managed the activities of the camp with efficiency, Mass, Morning hikes, trekks, swims, meals, evening games, Rosary, night walks to see the dazzling "Lights of Khopoli". He had a floating team of 'helpers' consisting of 15-20 young boys or rather young men who would voluntarily assist with managing the camp activities. These helpers were larger than life icons who were effortlessly able to do everything from playing games, refreeing, singing, dancing, leading us along the hikes into jungle, over mountains or down into valleys, lighting campfires, and keeping everyone entertained throughout the camp. In my little mind they became legends I was inspired to follow.
I'd been to the camp at St. Marys Villa, Khandala twice along with my family and my recollection of those times are still vivid: St. Marys covered a sprawling area with clusters of rooms at 4 ends, The Cozy Cottage, Chapel Wing, Kitchen Wing and The last cluster off the Dining Hall side. I remember hundreds of people belonging to their families, eating, living ,playing, praying and having fun together over a week. There was the Hens Coop for girls who came to camp by themselves and the by then defunct Pig Sty which was initiated for boys but then the system was done away with.
Fr. Robin managed the activities of the camp with efficiency, Mass, Morning hikes, trekks, swims, meals, evening games, Rosary, night walks to see the dazzling "Lights of Khopoli". He had a floating team of 'helpers' consisting of 15-20 young boys or rather young men who would voluntarily assist with managing the camp activities. These helpers were larger than life icons who were effortlessly able to do everything from playing games, refreeing, singing, dancing, leading us along the hikes into jungle, over mountains or down into valleys, lighting campfires, and keeping everyone entertained throughout the camp. In my little mind they became legends I was inspired to follow.
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