"I" is for Inter-Generational Ministry . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV

OK, so "I" is one of those letters that I had several thoughts for before I started actually writing any posts for my Quaker Alphabet series, but when I finally got to it, well, neither of the ideas I started out with back in January was working for me. And then I had this thought the other day: "I" is for 'Inter-Generational Ministry.'

So, what is inter-generational ministry? It's a ministry which emphasizes relationships between age groups and encourages mixed-age activities. A ministry that de-emphasizes the formal teacher-pupil relationship.

I was planning to post this piece a bit later, but I think I'll go ahead a plug this amazing group of talented (extremely so) Young Friends that we have here in Western Yearly Meeting and I may be totally biased here, as well I should be. This is what THEIR ministry is all about . . .



Road Show at
Yearly Meeting

I'm talking about our 'Youth Cabinet,' they are the leaders of the Young Friends in my Yearly Meeting (High School aged students - 14-18 year olds). The members of the Youth Cabinet get together and come up with a 'message' that they feel that the members of our Yearly Meeting need to hear. They put together several little skits, songs, small group conversations and personal testimonies into a program . . . which they share at various Meetings, no more than once a month, around the Yearly Meeting during the school year . . . known as the 'Road Show.' Their final show is on Friday evening of our Yearly Meeting session in late July.

The various Meetings around schedule the Road Show to come to them. The youth, and adults traveling with them (including the Yearly Meeting Director of Christian Education, Clerk of Christian Education and another member of the Christian Education committee) usually meet up at the Yearly Meeting Office, in Plainfield, load up their equipment and themselves and drive to the Meeting they are visiting. The Road Show crew enjoys hospitality (meals and lodging) and fellowship with the members of the host Meeting and other local Meetings.



Road Show at
Mooresville Friends Meeting

They present their program, usually Saturday evening after dinner. The skits and the songs remain constant throughout the year, as does the topic for the small group discussions, but the testimonies given by these Young Friends changes . . . changes in that they don't all give their personal testimony each time, they take turns. At any one program you will likely hear anywhere from two to three, or maybe more, testimonies. The Young Friends join in the small group discussions and act as moderators . . . asking questions.

The programs are always very well thought out and delivered. These Young Friends have had some amazing messages to share with us . . . and they are amazing actors and actresses! By the time they get to Yearly Meeting in July . . . well, they've really grown into the roles they've taken on!

 

Oh, I mustn't forget the fun element of the Road Show . . . the game! The Young Friends make up a list of items . . . appears to be a rather lengthy list. At some point during their program they divide the Friends, in the audience, into 'teams'. . . then pull out their list. It's a 'Friendly' game . . . which team has the item, get it to their runner and up to the Young Friends the fastest! Gotta remember to follow the rules. There is one Friend (mom) who seems to have a bag of items in her purse, ready to go for this game . . . I think she goes to all the programs, so by the time the Road Show gets to Yearly Meeting she's got most of the items. Some of the items include: a cell phone, lotion, a diaper, a specific amount of change, chap stick, flashlight, a pen and a hair tie.

 

The Young Friends then spend the night either at the Meeting House or at the homes of members of the Meeting. Sunday morning they attend and sometimes time part in the morning Meeting for Worship. I've heard some talk of stops for ice cream on the way home . . .



Sisters in Skit

The Road Show is an amazing ministry carried out by the Young Friends in Western Yearly Meeting. It's always multi-generational in its scope, and is listed as a Multi-Generational Service in the Yearly Meeting program.

 

At the beginning of this post I mentioned that 'I may be totally biased here' . . . well, I suppose I should explain this comment before I close. My oldest daughter, Elizabeth, was a member of the Road Show when she was in High School and now my youngest daughter, Catherine, is finishing up her last year as a member of the Road Show . . . though this amazing experience I've seen them grow spiritually and into amazing young women of God.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

OK, I gave you a main course dinner recipe with my "I" is for Ireland Yearly Meeting . . . blog post, so now here's dessert! Now, I do know who 'Aunt Thelma' is . . . she is one of my Great-Aunts, specifically my mother's father's sister (got that straight, right?). I always enjoyed going to Wauseon, OH to visit with Aunt Thelma and her family . . . partially because they lived on the Meller family farm and that was always fun, but I think more because she was my Grandfather's sister . . . the Grandfather that I never got to meet as he died about 6 months before my parents married, and nearly 3 years before I was born. So, Aunt Thelma was my only connection to my Grandfather. Like I said, she lived on the Meller family farm, and yes, she had a large family - six daughters before she finally had a son! If I remember right, her oldest daughter was about the same age as my mother and her son wasn't more than a few years older than my older brother (who was 18 months older than I). In the summer we enjoyed this ice cream when we'd go and visit and my mom made it a time or two for us at home. Enjoy!

 

Ice Cream, Aunt Thelma’s Homemade

(makes 1 ½ gallon)

3 quarts milk

1 cup sugar

6 large eggs, separated

2 cups sugar

1 cup flour

¼ - ½  teaspoon salt

3 Tablespoons vanilla

1 ½ cups cream

Heat 3 quarts milk and 1 cup sugar to boiling point. Beat egg yolks and add 2 cups sugar, flour and salt. Add to hot milk mixture and put in freezer can. Beat egg whites and add to milk mixture in can and also add 3 Tablespoons vanilla and 1 ½ cups cream and enough milk to within 1 inch of top of can.

 

Put plenty of salt on ice and freeze till it turns hard. (NOTE: 25 pounds ice?)

 

'I' is for Ireland Yearly Meeting . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV

"I" is for 'Ireland Yearly Meeting.' Yep, I had this idea written down way back in January, before deciding for sure that I was going to participate in the Quaker Alphabet blog challenge this year - and as I got closer to needing to write a blog on the letter "I" I thought no, that was last year and what would I say? But as I sat here yesterday afternoon, trying to work on another idea that had come to me this last week for "I," I saw this idea written down . . . and I was drawn to it. Why? Because Ireland Yearly Meeting will be meeting this week . . . and my Irish Friends have been on my mind a lot recently. OK, they've been on my mind since we met last July . . .

 

So, this will be short and sweet . . . OK, we'll just have to wait and see how much the Spirit moves me, or should I say moves my fingers.



Breakfast at Dean's Hall

Ireland Yearly Meeting, last year, was held at St. John's College in Cork, Ireland, for the first time, and was 'residential.' We were housed in Dean's Hall . . . and it was quite the walk over to the college for the Yearly Meeting sessions and back. We'd have breakfast in our flat or apartment before heading out for the day.

 

I remember the food. A family catered lunch and dinner for us during Yearly Meeting, in the small cafeteria. They were delightful! I was always asking what it was and the father and daughter always told me. We had lasagna one night for dinner and it was so good - I went back and asked the father if I could have just a half a slice more . . . he gave me a really bad time for only wanting a little more, so instead, he gave me another whole piece - this one nearly twice the size of the original piece! And yes, I ate it all, it was so good! I also remember the soups and sandwiches, lots of sandwiches! We went through the line to get our food and then could choose to sit at one of the tables inside or go outside and sit at on of the picnic tables. The weather was so nice that I ate outside often. I tried not to eat with the same Friends twice, although sometimes that was difficult.



Tea at Cork Meeting House

Tea time was another awesome opportunity to sit with other Friends and get into interesting conversations, although brief, as I believe tea time was only about 30 minutes long. Once in the morning between sessions, again between sessions in the afternoon and again in the evening. It was an opportunity to stretch and to get a cup of tea (or coffee) and some biscuits . . . YUMMMMMM!

Friends relaxing at
Blarney Castle

Then there was Friday afternoon and the 'field trips!' Elizabeth and I went to Blarney Castle with a Friend from the Netherlands and three Irish Friends. Four of us ventured up all 126 or so steps to the top of Blarney Castle, but only two of us got down on our backs and kissed the Blarney Stone . . . the Friend from the Netherlands and I . . . the two who needed all that blarney the least!





'Choir' at the Talent Show

I took a bit of a break, and tried to delete more pictures and stuff off my tablet, to free up some much needed space on it, and I ran across some video clips that I made during Ireland Yearly Meeting last year. Specifically clips from the singing workshop that I attended - oh my! Yes, singing hymns in English and trying to sing them in Irish! That was indeed one of the highlights for me. But then someone leading the group thought it would be good for us to sing during the talent show on Saturday night! And sing we did . . . in both English and Irish and even managed to get some of the audience to sing along with us. What an experience that all was! Tried to include one here, but it won't work.

 

Other memories of Ireland Yearly Meeting . . . the Bible studies, Market Place, workshops, bat hike, lecture by Julia, and the epilogues by candlelight each evening . . .



Friends enjoying their tea
and conversation outside at
Cork Meeting House

So, to all MY IRISH FRIENDS . . . you're on my mind this week, and always. I'm praying for you, all the time, but especially this week as many of you will be traveling this week to Dublin for your Yearly Meeting sessions. Prayers for safe travels to and from. Prayers for good business sessions. Prayers for all that you do.

 

I may not be with you this year in person, but know that I am with you . . . taking time to sip a cup of tea and have some biscuits.

 

I was so blessed to be encouraged by a Friend to go on this Pilgrimage to Ireland and Northern Ireland with her and other Friends last summer. Blessed with grants from PYM IOGG and FWCC Travel in the Ministry Grant Committee for additional funds that made it possible for me to concentrate on the Pilgrimage/the journey and not have to worry so much about funding. Blessed to have had the opportunity to get to know a few Friends better and meet and spend time on this journey with several new Friends. Blessed to have met Friends from England, the Netherlands, Sweden and Germany. Blessed to have been so warmly greeted, accepted and loved by my new Irish Friends. And to all of you I say . . .

Thanks for all the memories . . .

 

Love, HUGS and Blessings to each of you,

 

Luanne

I was surprised to find several recipes that began with the letter "I" that I could post here. I'll share one here, and another with my other "I" post . . .

Italian Beef Casserole

(6-8 servings)

2 pound ground beef

½ cup onion, chopped

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup green pepper, chopped
3-8 ounce cans tomato sauce
parsley flakes
8 ounce package wide noodles, cooked
1 pound carton cottage cheese
½ teaspoon oregano

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease 3 quart casserole.

Brown ground beef and onion in skillet and pour off excess drippings. Combine green pepper, salt, oregano and tomato sauce; add to meat mixture.

Place ½ noodles in bottom of casserole and top with ½  cottage cheese. Spread ½ meat mixture over cheese. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with parsley.

Bake 30-35 minutes.

Divide in half and use two 10x6” dish.

Can freeze.



"H" is for Hymns . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV

"H" is for 'Hymns.' OK, this, like my post about stained glass windows, may get me in a bit of trouble with some Friends, but hymns it is for my second "H" post.

Odd as it may seem to some who know me, I do love the old familiar hymns that I grew up singing in Church – I grew in Zion United Church of Christ in South Bend, Indiana. And as the choir came in each Sunday morning for worship with their choir robes and collars on, the whole congregation would rise and all would sing 'Holy, Holy, Holy!' Funny thing is that even though I haven't been to worship at Zion in over 35 years I still know all the words to this song. I can only recall singing this a couple of times since I first attended worship at Mooresville Friends Meeting, back in mid-July 1984.

As a child I spent several years singing in the Children's Choir, if you attended 'Saturday Church School,' from 2nd grade through 8th grade (Confirmation class), you were in the Children's Choir – there was no choice. We sang a few times during the year, but not a lot, as I recall. My younger cousins Brenda and Michelle and I were chosen a lot by Mr. Vogel, the Choir Director/Organist, to sing solos/duets/trios. Many years later, I think it was December of 1986, at my Grandpa Jena's funeral, I happened to ask Mr. Vogel why he picked on the three of us so much. His answer shouldn't have surprised me, he said 'Because I could always count on you girls showing up, knowing all the words and that you would sing loud enough and clear enough so that everyone in the Church could hear you.' Really? That's why? And how did he come to that conclusion???? Simple . . . he knew that our Grandma and Grandpa Jena sat in the balcony (clear at the back of the Sanctuary) and he knew that we would sing the words so that Grandma and Grandpa would be able to hear each and every word! We didn't use mics back then. Oh, I suppose he was right there, because I think we would have heard about it after worship if we hadn't! I do believe at the time though, that my cousins and I rather enjoyed doing it. And I'm sure that our Grandparents were very proud to hear us singing.

 

So, what hymns do I like to sing? Well, I have divided them into a few categories here – hymns; ones I learned at Church as a child; ones I learned at Church Camp; ones I sang when I was in Rainbow for Girls; and the ones we’d sing in German with Grandpa Jena at Christmas.

 

Hymns: Amazing Grace!; Count Your Blessings; Faith of Our Fathers; For the Beauty of the Earth; God of Grace and God of Glory; God of Our Fathers; Great Is Thy Faithfulness; Holy, Holy, Holy!; I Wonder, as I Wander; In Christ There Is No East or West; In My Heart There Rings a Melody; In the Garden; Just A Closer Walk With Thee; Make Me A Blessing; Nearer My God, to Thee; Showers of Blessing; The Church’s One Foundation; The Old Rugged Cross; There’s Something About That Name; This Is My Father’s World; This Is the Day; We Gather Together and We Give Thee but Thine Own.

 

Some of the ones I learned at Church as a child: Fairest Lord Jesus; Go Tell It on the Mountain; He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands; Jesus Loves Me; Jesus Loves the Little Children; Onward Christian Soldiers; They’ll Know We Are Christians and What a Friend We Have in Jesus.

One that I learned at Church Camp: Let Us Break Bread Together and Pass It On.

Ones I sang when I was in Rainbow for Girls: Bless Be the Tie That Binds; Have Thine Own Way Lord; How Great Thou Art and Living for Jesus.

And the ones we sang with Grandpa Jena – in German at Christmas: O Christmas Tree and Silent Night! Holy Night!

I could have included Christmas, Easter and other holiday/Holy Day songs, but the list would have been really long, so I chose to limit myself here.

At least a couple of times a year at Mooresville Friends instead of ‘special music’ Friends are asked what their ‘favorite song’ is . . . and we sing the first verse of several songs. It’s always fun to hear which songs are called out and shared, many of us seem to like a lot of the same songs, but every now and again a new song pops in the mix.

So, what is your favorite hymn? What is it that draws you to it? Is it the words? Is it the tune? Does it remind you of someone or some special time in your life?

This Spring, one of the memory verses that the 3^rd & 4^th grade Weekday Religious Education students that I work with have learned is Psalms 100. The students not only learn the words but also learn it as a song. I will close with Psalms 100:

“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who made us

and not we ourselves;

We are His people

and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving

And into His courts with praise;

Be thankful unto Him and bless His name.

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting

And His truth endures to all generations.

For this post I've added a recipe for '(Cheesy) Hash Brown Potato Casserole' - this is a good side dish with most any meat dish and is always a good choice for Monthly Meeting pitch-ins (shared meals) AND since I did mention songs we sung with my Grandpa Jena at Christmas . . . a recipe for 'Hard Cake' an old family recipe handed down from generation to generation - I can trace it back to my Great-Great-Grandmother Jena from Germany. The recipe was given to my mother, after she married my father (June 11, 1955) by my Grandpa Jena's sister - my Great Aunt Hilde - this is my fathers' side of the family, so it goes back over 150 years! My mother would make one once a year, before Christmas, cut it into 16 squares and wrap it neatly in foil and place it in the freezer. She would take it out Christmas Eve late afternoon just before heading over to Grandma & Grandpa's house for family Christmas dinner. This along with the 'Filled Ice Box Cookies' was one of the gifts we gave every year to Grandpa. He'd always be upset that mom gave it to him fresh frozen . . . as he'd take it straight to the kitchen, open it up and have to let it sit out on the counter for nearly a week for it to dry out, get hard, so he could eat it!

 

(Cheesy) Hash Brown Potato Casserole

serves 6

2 pound bag hash browns (cubed)

1/2 cup margarine, melted
3/4 pint sour cream

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 Tablespoon dried onion
1 can cream of chicken soup

Mix all together and place in a 9x13" baking dish.  Cover.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake at least another 30 minutes, or until top is browned.

HARD CAKE 

1 cup broken walnuts
1 cup dates, cut in thirds
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt

Beat eggs and sugar together (add a lump - I'm picturing about a Tablespoon - of butter/margarine to keep from being so hard), add nuts, dates and flour. Stir thoroughly and add enough more flour to make a stiff dough.

Bake at 350 degrees F, in an 8 inch square cake tin for 40 minutes.

Cut into 2 inch squares while warm. Turn pan upside down and let cool.

 

"H" is for HUGS, Handshakes, History and Hiking . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV

Friends walking through
Sandy Spring Friends
School campus

OK, this began as a blog about 'HUGS,' and quickly became 'HUGS and Handshakes' - and that's what I was going with until . . . I added the photos and was giving a last read over before publishing, when it then took on the  title of: "H" is for 'HUGS, Handshakes, History and Hiking . . .'

 

Handshaking among Quakers is a given - especially as a form of greeting one another at the rise of Meeting for Worship, but in my opinion there is nothing like a GREAT BIG QUAKER HUG! Now, I don't go around just hugging Friends or others that I meet along my way, but there are those Friends that I just gotta have my HUGS from . . . and the members of Friends Committee on Scouting, which I wrote about for "F" are those kinda Friends!

 

This last weekend I journeyed, OK drove/rode with two of my BSA Scouting Friends from Central Indiana, to Sandy Spring Friends School, in Sandy Spring, Maryland for the Annual Meeting/Gathering of Friends Committee on Scouting. Thirteen Scouting Friends from across the United States and one from Canada were expected, however one of our US Friends couldn't attend at the last minute as he was needed to help one of his Boy Scouts in doing his Eagle Scout project that weekend. Some of you have done the math, noticing that that means that there were just thirteen Friends attending, and that's my lucky number with FCS! And I did blog about the number thirteen a while back.

Friday night dinner at
Sandy Spring Friends School
 

Anyways, the only way I can greet my Scouting Friends is with a HUG and so it goes to say that when I first arrived Friday evening with John & David, I had joked with them that we should go into the cafeteria and announce that the Hoosiers had arrived. (The word Hoosier(s) describes those who live in the State of Indiana . . . known as the Hoosier State.) John told me to go right ahead. OK, why not??? I went ahead and as I opened the door to the cafeteria and walked in I said "Let the party begin, the Hoosiers have arrived!" Those Scouting Friends who had arrived earlier looked up from their dinner and welcomed me. But I didn't let the fact that they were eating their dinner stop me from making my way around the table and giving/receiving HUGS from each and every one of them! OK, I felt so much better - I was wide awake. ready to go and ready to get my dinner. The party had begun!

During the weekend I received and gave many more HUGS . . . you know that you can't give a HUG without receiving a HUG from the other Friend . . . I love that part of hugging! A few times I would be having a conversation with one of my Friends and they would look at me and say "I sense that you could use a hug." And they were right . . . and we'd stop right there and HUG! You'll never catch me refusing a HUG from this group of Friends! I hope there wasn't a policy on campus against hugging.
 

Friends walking through
Sandy Spring Friends School
campus

One Scouting Friend, Bruce, was only able to join us Friday evening for dinner, our 25th Anniversary Celebration and our reports from the various Scouting/Guiding programs that we have members representing, and it wasn't easy to say good-bye so soon to Bruce. You see, Bruce started all this, well over 25 years ago, he was the first Clerk and though we have had several email, Facebook and maybe a phone conversation or two, over the last 3 or 4 years, this was the first time that Bruce and I had met in person. There was so much more conversation and more HUGS to be had.

Saturday morning brought another Past Clerk, Sandy, to our meeting as well as Kim. I've had not met Sandy in person, but we have exchanged a few emails in the last couple of years. Kim joined us via Skype two years ago and was all set to join us in person last year but she came down with a bad case of the flu the weekend before and was forced to stay home, so super excited that Kim was finally able to join us in person this year . . . you guessed it, more HUGS! Sandy, Betsy (another Past Clerk) and Kim all had to leave Saturday evening to get home to their home Meetings Sunday morning . . . so more HUGS! Hey, and if you say you're leaving and you come back around again (doesn't matter why) yep . . . more HUGS!
 

Scouting Friends outside
Sandy Spring Friends
Meeting House

Sunday we hiked through the woods, seriously, over to the Historic Sandy Spring Friends Meeting House, past the original Sandy Spring, for Meeting for Worship. Being an un-programmed Meeting it was closed with extending the right hand of fellowship. We got a tour of the property and a bit of the history from Jim, our local FCS member and host for the weekend, before heading back through the woods for a bit more history, as we were hiking a part of the local underground railroad trail. Back at Sandy Spring Friends School in time for brunch, before leaving to head home.

The 'good-bye,' until we meet again HUGS are always a lot tougher than the 'hello' HUGS . . . they're also a lot longer and tighter HUGS . . . and the ones I don't want to let go of, as you never know when you'll see each other again.

Now I have lots of other Friends that I give and receive hugs from - some are members of my extended family - all those aunts, uncles and cousins, some are members of Mooresville Friends Meeting, Western Yearly Meeting, Friends I see once a year up at Quaker Haven Camp, FWCC Friends, FUM Friends - this includes many missionary Friends & their family members, my new Friends from Kenya, the Friends I journeyed around Ireland with last summer, my Irish Friends and all the Friends from other countries that were at IYM last year!

Scouting Friends hiking
back to SSFS after
Meeting for Worship

And in case you haven't figured it out . . . I'm a hugger! I look at hugging as a way of exchanging blessings with my F/friends and family, a way of showing that I care for them and love them. There are different kinds of hugs – from the short light hugs to the long tight bear hugs.

Are you a hugger? Do you give short, light hugs? OR Are you a long, tight bear hugger? OR Do you prefer to shake hands? A quick light shake? OR A firm tight shake? Why do you hug someone? OR Shake their hand?

Alright, time for a couple more recipes from my childhood. Both of these recipes were given to my mother, when I was in elementary school, by a family friend, Ann Turner, the wife of Roy Turner, the Grand Secretary for the Indiana Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons. The Turner's lived in Franklin, Indiana.

 

 

 

HAM LOAF

 

1 pound each beef, pork and ham - grind together twice

1 cup saltine crackers, crushed

3/4 cup milk

1 heaping Tablespoon brown sugar

3 large eggs

scant salt & pepper

small onion, chopped fine

1/2 green pepper, chopped fine

8 ounce can tomato puree

Mix all together, except tomato puree, then add the can of tomato puree.

Put in a loaf pan and make drain along edge (that is leave a bit of space around the edge between the loaf and the pan).

Bake at 350 degrees F, for 1 1/2 hours, uncovered.

DRAIN IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

HOT CHOCOLATE MIX

1 pound can Nestles Quick (sweetened powdered chocolate)

11 ounce jar Coffee Mate (coffee creamer)

1 pound powdered sugar

medium size box Carnation non-fat dry milk

Mix all together and store in an air-tight container.

Use 2-3 Tablespoons per cup of hot water, or to taste.

This can also be mixed up and then divided into bags and put in a nice ceramic mug and given as a gift.

OR

Divided up into pint or quart canning jars and given as a gift.



2014 FCS Annual Meeting
Sandy Spring Friends School
Sandy Spring, Maryland

 

"G" is for 'Gaga Ball' . . .

"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi,

Let me now go to the field,

and glean ears of corn after him

In whose sight I shall find grace.

And she said unto her, Go, my daughter."

Ruth 2:2  KJV
 

'Gaga Ball' game at Quaker Haven Camp

"G" is for 'Gaga Ball,' yep, 'Gaga Ball!' And no, I'm not making this up!

 

I first heard of and saw 'Gaga Ball' when I was at up at camp last June . . . Quaker Haven Camp, in Northeastern Indiana - and that's what allows me to post this in my Quaker Alphabet blog . . . the Quaker connection!

 

It was new and 'the thing to do at camp!' Seriously, the campers, and therefore the counselors, spent hours upon hours in and around the gaga pit! The boys got up extra early and went straight down to play, along with a few of the girls. A counselor or two went down with them, it's down by the lake. Now the problem was trying to get them out of the gaga pit and to meals, to chapel, to devotions, to bed . . . you get the picture . . . they didn't want to quit!

 

'Gaga Ball' was also extremely popular during the 'Adventure Camp' session, incoming 4th & 5th graders, for 'Cabin Challenge' time and 'Free Time.' At one point I think we had 100% of the camp down at the gaga pit and most of the campers were inside trying to play! The campers just couldn't get enough of it! Go figure!

 

So, what is Gaga Ball? OK, I looked it up so that I could get it straight.



It's a serious
game! The
girl in front
(grey t-shirt)
was from my
cabin.

Ga-ga, or 'touch-touch' is a variant of dodgeball, that makes sense to me. It is sometimes called 'Israeli dodge-ball,' 'Octo-Ball' and 'Panda Ball.' The game involves dodging and/or striking a ball - I think the campers were using a soccer ball, running and jumping. The object is to hit the others, with the ball, below the knees while avoiding being hit! The game can be played by individuals, teams or one-on-one matches.

 

The game is played in a large octagon or hexagon pit. The players all gather up against the inside wall of the pit and the game begins with someone throwing the gaga ball up into the air, and when it bounces the players say "ga" for each of the first three bounces. After the third bounce, the ball is in play and the game begins!

 

Players 'hit' the ball at each other inside the pit. A player cannot hit the ball twice in a row, unless it bounces off a wall or another player. Sometimes the campers would hit the ball against the wall, I think hoping that they'd have a better angle to try and hit one of the other campers with it. When a player has been hit, he/she leaves the game . . . climbs or steps over the wall!

 

Here are the rules I found, online:

A player can hit the ball with their hands, but picking up the ball and throwing it at a player is not allowed. Also scooping is not allowed. In some games, only open hand hits are allowed to prevent striking injury to small children and also allowing better control of the ball to keep it low and prevent head shots.
If the ball touches a player anywhere on or below the knee (in some versions, below the ankle or waist), that player is eliminated from the game.
If a player pops the ball up into the air it can be hit down to keep it in the game or let it go.
The player cannot kick the ball. (As this is touching the ball below the knee.)
Wall jumping is not allowed (holding onto the wall while jumping).
If a player hits the ball out of the arena and hits another person the person who touches it last is out.
No double tapping. A player is allowed to hit it against the wall to keep it in play but no more than 3 times.
A player must step out of the pit to show that they're out.

I enjoyed watching the campers and some of the counselors, play 'Gaga Ball' up at camp last summer, from outside the pit - not something that I can physically due - due to nerve damage in my left leg and a back injury.

Competitive, you betcha!
 



A good game of 'Gaga Ball'
And this was a small group of campers!