Fun in the son

Michele Marr

It’s official. It’s summer. School’s out. Kids of all ages are giddy

with freedom. If they know what their parents know about just how long a

summer can be, it doesn’t show. But as days become weeks and the weeks

drag on, the whiny voice of boredom will inevitably rise above their

laughter and shouts.

And that has a lot to do with why Drew Lockerbie, the administrative

pastor of Central Baptist Church, founded the church’s Summer in the Son

camp 16 years ago.

“It provides a safe, fun and loving environment for kids instead of

them having to be at home all summer,” he said.

This year the camp opened on June 17. Three days later 215 children

were enrolled and Lockerbie, based on past years’ experiences. The number

is expected to climb to more than 300.

The camp is designed to be practical for families. From now through

Aug. 31, the camp is open Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

It provides grade appropriate programs for children in kindergarten

through eighth grade. Parents can enroll their children for any number of

days they wish.

Children can attend camp and still be with their families for vacation

or other family events.

The camp also aims to be affordable. The fee for two days of camp for

one child is $75. For five days the fee is $105. The fees include the

costs of all on-campus activities, arts and crafts, field trips and most

lunches.

“The program is a ministry. We don’t go in the red, but we also don’t

make money from it,” Lockerbie said.

The program also leaves no time for boredom. Every Tuesday and

Thursday the campers are bused to off-campus parks or beaches that

include Wild Rivers, Newport Dunes, Universal Studios, Knotts Berry Farm,

Disneyland, the Long Beach Aquarium and many more popular local

attractions. Each Wednesday the kids are bused to a local pool for

swimming.

Lunches are provided for all on-campus days. Every Monday lunch is

brought in from McDonalds. On Friday the campers eat pizza. Sack lunches

are provided for nearly all off-campus outings.

Parents are asked to provide lunch money only on days when the

children visit one of several theme parks, such as Disneyland, Sea World

or Knott’s, that doesn’t allow lunches to be brought in. Then lunch fees

range from $5 to $8.

“We get so much positive feedback from parents about the costs of the

camp being so all-inclusive. We don’t nickel and dime them for the field

trips, bus fare or swimming,” said Lockerbie.

Another policy, popular with parents, is that the church pays for

their admission when they accompany their children on field trips. Many

of the same families return to the camp summer after summer and their

word-of-mouth praise for the program brings others.

“We don’t really advertise or seek publicity,” said Nick Fisher, who

has co-directed the program with Dave Whitmire for the last six years.

The only thing close to advertising is a banner that hangs outside the

church announcing the camp, its summer dates and hours.

Along with the families that return year after year are counselors who

come back to work at the camp each summer. Some are teachers from the

church’s Liberty Christian School. Others are college students who are

members of the church and their friends.

Many children ask if their favorite counselors are coming back, said

Lockerbie. And more often than not, they are.

“The kids fall in love with their counselors,” said Fisher.

The church trains all of the camp’s counselors according to a

philosophy it developed and dubbed SPIRIT -- for Summer Program

Instilling Responsibility, Integrity and Teamwork.

In Lockerbie’s mind, this is the foundation for the growing success of

the program.

“It enables us to provide an atmosphere where we can help the kids

develop socially, physically and spiritually while they interact with

other kids their age,” he said.

* MICHELE MARR is a freelance writer and graphic designer from

Huntington Beach. She has been interested in religion and ethics for as

long as she can remember. She can be reached at o7

michele@soulfoodfiles.com.f7

FYI

WHAT: Summer in the Son -- A Ministry of Central Baptist Church

WHERE: 7661 Warner Avenue

WHEN: June 18 through August 31, Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 6

p.m.

INFORMATION: (714) 841-3816, for a brochure or enrollment and policies

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