2018 TFP Call To Chivalry Camp Great Lakes - Day 6 Report

Dear Parents,

The day started at 4:00 AM with a Vigil of Arms.  As the announcement was made over the loudspeakers, roommates woke up their partners and everyone shuffled to the main room for the vigil.  Surrounding the image of Our Lady of Fatima, we sang passiontide songs in honor of the relic of the true cross.  Appropriately, 4:00 AM was the hour that Our Divine Redeemer was arrested in the Garden of Olives  and the ability to spend one hour with a relic of Our Lord’s passion was highly symbolic.  The time seemed short and was very blessed until the time, too soon, that Our Lady had to leave us for the day.  Most of the boys went back to bed for the remainder of the morning till the official wakeup time, but many did not. 

This day was given over to sword battles.  Even the Dads got involved today by taking on the boys during the games.  These battles are done with pvc pipe covered in insulation and then wrapped in duct tape to make a fairly resilient “sword” that can be used to do what every boy instinctively wants to do...whack people with sticks.  The advantage is that no bones are generally broken and a certain amount of skill is necessary to avoid getting hit so reflexes are honed.  Another skill that is fostered in the mock sword battles is teamwork.  When one is mobbed by ten young men vigorously swinging a weapon of some sort it is very comforting to have a team behind you. 

The talk after lunch was about the beginning of the Sexual Revolution that received its greatest impetus using the slogans formulated by the Sorbonne University.  This talk began with a slight overview of the current crisis of morals and then got into the root cause of the chaos we are surrounded with by analyzing the slogans of the Sorbonne Revolution.  The psychological aspects of the slogans may have been a little deep for some of the younger boys but there were plenty of questions to keep them on their toes.  I am sure it did not help that many of the boys had been active since four in the morning and this was their first down time in the day but they were troopers and kept up their heads for the entire talk.

After the talk, most of the Dads continued the discussion for over an hour, bringing up many varied and extremely interesting topics more in line with the modern cyber technological aspects of the revolution and some of the harmful effects they can have on families.  We discussed getting internet filters and accountability using programs like K9 and Covenant Eyes.   The book Glow Kids has been a real eye opener for the staff at the Academy and we cannot recommend people to read it enough...get the real book not the e-book and then pass it on.

Swimming has been a big part of this camp because of the terrible heat and the difficulty with keeping the boys hydrated while doing outdoor games.  After swimming, we all changed into casual clothes and then headed down to a pizza dinner at the picnic tables.  Following dinner, Mr. Thomas Schnieder read an epic story from one of Peter Capstick’s books about hunting a vicious breed of freshwater sharks located in a lake in Central America.  The boys , and the Dads, were hooked throughout the entire story and did not want to end. 

Upon completion of the story, we all lined up for a solemn rosary procession, in which we carried the relic of the True Cross, as we marched slowly down the driveway and back.  Customarily, after the rosary is finished, there is always some time given for indoor games and tournaments, which on this day were all finished, excepting the final sword bout.  After the final debate class and a presentation on the customs of the different regiments of the British Army, the boys headed for a well deserved rest, perhaps to dream of fighting alongside Richard the Lionhearted or Godfrey of Bouillon in the conquest of the Holy Land.

P.S. I am attaching a link to the book that I mentioned earlier when speaking with the Dads.  I cannot recommend it enough and I have also included links to the two of the more effective internet filtration programs out there.

https://www.amazon.com/Glow-Kids-Screen-Addiction-Hijacking/dp/1250146550/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1532053186&sr=8-1&keywords=glow+kids

http://www1.k9webprotection.com/

https://www.covenanteyes.com/

2018 TFP Call To Chivalry Camp Great Lakes Day 3 Report

Dear Parents,As each morning program generally remains the same, there is no need to reiterate.  The first talk of the day after breakfast was given by yours truly about the English Crusaders, focusing specifically on King Richard the Lionhearted.  He is a fascinating character and a truly unique individual.  We spent the majority of the meeting dealing with his most famous battle, the relief of Jaffa.  One can easily find this particular story online in some detail so I will not bore you in this email, but for those who have never read his story, I can assure you that it makes very interesting reading.  Harold Lamb’s book The Crusades: Iron Men and Saints is probably the best source if anyone is looking.  With the lessons of the valiant Crusader King in our minds, we went out to practice swordplay and archery, in weather not much different from the inside of a burning furnace.  We could not help but remind people of the scorching heat over in the Middle East at the time of the Crusades. The major difference is that we are not wearing armor and have the luxury to eat our lunch in the air conditioned refectory of the manor.  How things have changed from the days of the real Iron Men till today.The fathers took a quick lunch this day because we were going to initiate the new Dads into the mysterious science of scuba diving.  For those who were here last year, diving in a pool was a little too tame but I think the ones who had never tried breathing underwater really enjoyed the experience.  There are plans to deepen our knowledge of this craft at some later time in more adventurous regions but as of this camp we had to be content to swim through the clear water of a nine foot deep pool.  As we were peacefully submerged and enjoying the quiet calm of the deep end of the pool, we heard the muffled sounds of a full scale barbarian invasion. The boys had arrived. I must say that the pool looks big...until you cram forty people into it.  Thankfully, Mr. Thomas Schnieder took command of the situation and started competitions.First there were relay races across the deep end of the pool to get the boys tired out, then pyramids  were constructed.  Everyone held their breaths while two boys clambered up the struggling, soaked human bodies, striving with all their might to get to the top first.  There was a struggle, a shriek and then one team crumpled into the water, laughing and panting for breath.  Glancing out of the sides of their eyes they noticed that the second team had a young participant firmly standing on the shoulders of his teammates, waving in triumph.  Meanwhile in quieter sections of the pool, individual people were practicing diving and a few were learning the rudiments of underwater swimming.  All too soon, the order came to vacate the pool and the boys swarmed up the sides, to face the cold spray of the garden hose on their way to the showers. Dinner was served promptly after showers were complete and then the boys headed outside once again to pray the rosary graced by the presence of the International Pilgrim Virgin Statue.  We formed two long and not very straight lines, then marched in procession down the driveway toward the entrance.  Halfway through the rosary, we turned and headed back to the place where Our Lady’s statue awaited us.  Forming in front of the statue, we sang the moving and sublime prayer of Catholics to their Holy Queen from times immemorial.  The Salve Regina rang out vibrantly, the high pitched voices of youth mixing pleasantly with the more sonorous voices of the adults.  Then the statue of Our Lady was taken inside and indoor games and tournaments commenced.Each Summer Camp we offer a variety of tournaments, including Chess, Pingpong, Archery and of course Fencing.  The one who defeats all his opponents may win a prize.  So indoor games can be Inside the bell has rung for debate class and the liberal professors of yesterday have changed their tactics.  This time they will not defend abortion but will go on the offensive.  The real problem, they explain to the boys, is that the Catholic Church is the source of all the violence in the world today.  At this stage the boys were divided into two teams, and had to present counter arguments as a team, after having deliberated together.  Both groups did very well and their answers were convincing...but I may be just a little biased...against the liberal professors.  And since I am writing this history, the record will stand as:Participants 2 and Liberal Professors 0After the “Good Night” talk the participants, very worn out from many activities went thankfully to their beds for some well deserved rest.  And there also go I...till next time.In Jesu et Maria,Michael C. Shibler
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2018 TFP Call To Chivalry Camp Great Lakes - Day 2 Report

Dear parents,

Wake up time is at 7:00 AM, always to the squealing bagpipes and a drum.  The racket is indescribable and the worst thing is, if you sleep in the room close to the beginning of the hall, you can wake up just hearing the piper blowing up the bag.  Of course, covering one’s ears doesn’t blot out the cacophonous sound and eventually one just accepts the inevitable and gets out of bed. Heaven help the one who delays because he may be on the ground doing pushups before the fortifying effects of breakfast and a strong cup of coffee have done their salutary work.  

As the boys shuffle to the restrooms to change, discipline is strict.  No talking till fully dressed and ready. Beds must then be made and shoes put under the beds.  Clothes must be folded and put in the dresser drawers or suitcases. Everything must be tidy and clean.  When the inspection begins, the rooms are not perfect but generally the boys try their best and get a pass.  The veteran attendees, though, must be more vigilant. Since they should know better, there is very little leniency for them.

From the rooms, the boys file out into the flag corridor for some choir practice.  Songs like the Credo, We Want God, Immaculate Mary, The Mighty King and The Marines Hymn are practiced until they are almost perfect.  All the songs are sung with voices of manly piety and youthful vigor and while we may never win any prizes for being the most on tune, we might earn several for enthusiasm and pure volume.   During the singing of the Credo we raise the American flag, the Papal banner and the ruby and gold standard of the TFP after which we process into the refectory for breakfast. So far pancakes have been the all around favorite but there is always a wide variety of foods to satisfy any taste at every meal.

The first talk of the day, which covered the Protestant Revolt, or First Revolution, was given by Mr. Rex Teodosio.  It seems that everyone understood the meeting but, it is always interesting to notice the difference between each camp and group of boys.  The crowd this year is a bit younger than the previous one and it shows. There is more hesitation to venture questions and comments about the material at hand.  On the other hand there is no lack of enthusiasm, coupled with an intense desire to learn new things, something sadly lacking in many older teenagers. It is fascinating to watch Mr. Rex draw them out of their shells and stimulate their young brains to think about other things besides food and games.

Our first official fencing classes started today and went very well.  Picture the rudy face of a young teen looking down the bent blade of a fencing foil at his adversary.  His muscles tense, his eyes dart from side to side, he steps cautiously forward and back, analyzing his opponent shredly and looking for an opening.  Then a clash of steel is heard, the wrenching, scraping sound of two rusty swords sliding into each other is similar to the sound of ripping cloth. The first thrust slides past the centerline of the blades and heads for its mark.  A spot three inches below the heart would be a solid target but then the impossible happens and the sword is flung aside by the opponents longer reach. Recoiling a foot or two, the pair again lock blades, moving forward and backwards, each trying to gain the advantage.  The blood rises in the head, the heart beats faster and then there it is...an opening. A vicious thrust towards the torso and then the satisfaction of feeling the steel blade contact yielding flesh. The enemy drops his blade in consternation, flush with effort and dripping sweat.  The helmets come off and the two erstwhile enemies compliment each others style while shaking their left hands. The right hand is never used as it is occupied with holding the sword.

Lunch at noon and an announcement.   Our Lady was coming to visit us. Thanks to the tremendous generosity of Mr. Patrick Sabat. We currently have the International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our lady of Fatima attending our summer camp.  It was this statue that cried real human tears at New Orleans in Louisiana in 1973. We are greatly honored to have her presence here at the camp and are doing vigils at her feet asking for graces for the Camp, the participants and also their parents.  We are all praying that she shed tremendous graces upon the remainder of the camp and that these graces received work toward the sanctification of its members.

After lunch we greeted the statue as it came and then said a rosary kneeling down in the presence of the image.  Our Lady’s expression is serene and serious with a note of sadness yet one seems to notice a certain amount of tender solicitude for all these rough and tumble lads who stand in silent admiration at the feet of the miraculous statue.  Time was given after the rosary to pray quietly and examine the image before orders were given to change for games.

The fencing continued after lunch for a while, then the boys were split into groups and played various games.  Once they were good and soaked, the day was hot, an order came to change for swimming. I never saw such gusto in the fulfillment of duty.  There are no slackers when it come to water. Pandemonium reigned in the pool. More experienced teams competed in various games while some individuals learned the rudiments of swimming from “experts” and everyone generally had a grand ol’ time.  But after the swim comes the most dreaded exercise of the day. Getting hosed down with ice cold water from the hose to wash off all the chlorine from clothing is not most people’s idea of a happy ending but the day is hot and few complain.

Showers were followed by dinner in the refectory.  Before dinner, Mr. Thomas Schnieder gave rules of etiquette and good manners to the assembly regarding their actions at the table.  Although I would love to be able to say that all of the boys come with the most perfect manners one could ask for...well you know them better than I do so I will let you be the judge. Old Mrs Post would be turning in her grave if she were to see the infractions against her rules committed blithely by camp participants every day but that is exactly why they are here, to learn something new.  

After dinner we had a solemn rosary procession which walked slowly down the driveway and ended facing Our Lady’s statue while the entire group sang the Salve Regina.  We once again thanked Our Blessed Mother for her protection and maternal gaze before setting her back in the place of honor in the main room.

After the rosary procession there were indoor games.  Charades was the order of the day as each participant tried to make himself understood by his team so they could score a point.  Not to be outdone, the dads were convoked by Mr. Rex to play the part of a group of liberal professors from college to confront the participants with some tough questions regarding abortion.  Debate raged, at first quietly and then in a rush of arguments for and against. The dads hung stubbornly to their faulty logic and the boys tried with all their might to raise up arguments to crush their sophisms.  As the debate progressed, even the shy and timid ones came out of their shells and began to loudly proclaim the truth. The hardest thing for the fathers to do at that point was to keep themselves from smiling at the eagerness of the boys to overcome them.

Camp participants 1 and Liberal professors 0

A final short talk was given shortly before going to bed which follows a custom of St. John Bosco.  Each night he would gather his boys around him and tell them something useful for their spiritual lives and set the tone for the night.  We follow this tradition, and whenever possible we tell an interesting story right before the boys are sent off to bed. This serves a double purpose.  First the spiritual advice and example is priceless. Second it gives the boys a chance to slow down the pace and prepares them better to sleep the night in peaceful slumber.

So with that I will also say good night and retire into the land of Morpheus.

In Jesu et Maria,

Michael C. Shibler

2018 TFP Call To Chivalry Camp Great Lakes - Day 1 Report

Dear parents:

It is hard to believe that an entire year has gone by since the last email.  But here we are again at the Great Lakes Summer Camp. The main crew left our Headquarters in Spring Grove Pennsylvania on Saturday Morning and drove through the day till we arrived in Indiana where we started picking up the young men who had arrived by plane.  Saturday night was spent at the house of a friend whose hospitality was prodigious. After getting settled in, our friend, Mr. Martinez took us all, staff and participants, to a Mexican restaurant where we had some amazing food and the more adventurous boys decided to try their manhood to a test of hot peppers.  There may have been tears shed but we won’t tell from whom they came.

         Since the night air was cool, we spent a pleasant night in the screened in porch of Mr. Martinez’s guest accommodations.  The next morning we had to hurry up and wait while breakfast was prepared and people showered.  The participants chipped in to help set the table and then later to wash the dishes.  After a staff meeting, we packed the vans full and headed out to the camp.

        We were greeted at the camp by the smiling face of Mr. Jacob Weber, waiting patiently with his father, who had kindly driven him down to help us.  All the boys who were with us jumped right in and started helping clean out the vans, the fact that we were not going to eat lunch till the vans were empty may have had something to do with it but we’ll just say that they were a great help all the same.  Lunch soon arrived in the form of pizza from a local shop and was promptly devoured down to the crumbs.  Assignments were given out and the setup went without a hitch.  By the time the majority of boys started arriving, we were putting finishing touches on the decoration. 

            Some tours were given to parents...wait I don’t need to tell you about that.  Anyway, after all the boys arrived, there were some activities in the game field.  Then we prepared for Sunday Mass by putting on our best clothes.  The priest, Canon Coggeshall, member of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest arrived to celebrate the immemorial sacrifice of the Mass according to the ancient usage of the Church in Latin.  First, the boys were invited to go to confession in order to set the tone for the camp and offer the sacrament to those that wished.  Then came the the Mass, solemn, sacred and devout.  The sermon, following the theme of Our Lord’s warning about wolves in sheeps clothing, was singularly appropriate for our confusing times.  The priest clearly explained Catholic doctrine regarding our duties and obligations towards our shepherds meanwhile giving excellent sources to go to for future study.  

After Mass there was dinner that had a Tex-Mex character to it, though any purist would probably deny that there was anything Mexican about it.  I cannot judge the national merits of the meal but can say that it certainly filled an empty void that needed filling.  Ice cream for dessert with cherries and chocolate syrup on top may have pushed the meal into the realm of intemperance but we are preparing for tomorrow's battle here so please grant us a little indulgence on that account. 

After Mass there was dinner that had a Tex-Mex character to it, though any purist would probably deny that there was anything Mexican about it.  I cannot judge the national merits of the meal but can say that it certainly filled an empty void that needed filling. Ice cream for dessert with cherries and chocolate syrup on top may have pushed the meal into the realm of intemperance but we are preparing for tomorrow's battle here so please grant us a little indulgence on that account.  

       Dinner being completed we had a short welcoming talk by Mr. Bob Dressler who lives on the property and is in charge of the smooth running of the facility.  Mr. Rex Teodosio then complemented this intro by bringing in the spiritual aspects of the camp.  He talked about the spiritual pollution that is contaminating the world and how we must counter that by enriching our spiritual lives and practicing the code of chivalry in our daily battles.  Then all were invited to play one of the all time favorite games at TFP Summer Camps...Prison Break. 

Guards with flashlights must track down hiding prisoners who do their best to keep the prisons clear while avoiding capture. Meanwhile, the attending fathers were discussing various topics of extreme import to the future of the world while liberating some poor spirits that had been trapped in glass bottles for decades.  We may not have solved all the world’s problems last night but we considered it only fair to leave some for the next generation to try their hand at. Then, long after the last boys had gone to sleep, we decided it was time to call it a night. That is all till tomorrow.