After a snow jinxed start to the CYO Basketball Championships and rescheduling of 3rd and 4th grade championships, I think we are ready to make it happen today as we hand out the heavy hardware this afternoon and evening!

Stay tuned for 3rd, 5th & 6th championships today.  Next week we will have 4th, 7th & 8th championships!

As a child of the 60’s and 70’s, I remember Sunday mornings before Mass in Grass Valley, OR., catching glimpses of Billy Graham on TV.  I remember my Mom’s appreciation for him over the years and I admired him as well.  He was different from a lot of TV preachers and that “difference” earned him the label of “America’s Pastor”.

I agree with the strong sentiment that we were blessed to live during the time of such a special, God loving man who had a unique method of delivering God’s Word.

I recommend you read his obituary, it is an excellent read and very inspirational!

Well, of course it doesn’t hurt that the conference is in Orlando and the snow is flying in Portland…80 degrees here – timing is everything!!!

The CYO/CH team split up all of the sessions we wanted to see this week to make sure we would get as much information as possible.  The schedule began this afternoon with a keynote address given by Florence Williams.  She told us a lot of things we knew but amplified it with more information and it was very interesting.  She talked about how the playground space of kids has changed over the years.  Those of us older than probably 45 or so remember our playground being a lot of space, as far was we could walk or ride (motorcycles, horses, bikes, etc.)  It has decreased in area over the years till it is practically totally inside the house.

She went on to talk about how important it is for kids to be outside and how camps give kids such valuable variety of outdoor adventure opportunities and free play.  It was really edifying and very valuable to hear.

Sessions we took in included: Hunters and Farmers, Why ADHD’ers can thrive at camp; Opening the Curtain; What the best leaders at camp really do; Serious, that happened at camp? a sharing of problems at camps around the USA as shared with the American Camping Association this past year; Measuring Outcomes 101, how to survey and do analysis of the data!

As the snow falls in Portland and surrounding environs, Portland area schools are closing left and right. I sit and drink a cup of coffee in the Pepper Market Cafe in Orlando Florida as I wait for the opening session and keynote speaker for the American Camping Association national gathering.

I am here with Nora our Camp Director, Karen, our Property Director, Leila our Health and Safety Director and Shawna, our Assistant Camp Director.

I am concerned about the 3rd and 4th grade tournament but know the CYO staff will get things prepped and ready for contingency.  I feel for them.  It is a big job!

Our staff at the convention will be fanning out and taking in as many topics as we can between now and Friday.  I will share along the way and I think you will find it interesting.

Pictured below: Shawna and Leila