By Gavin McIsaac
All stories evolve and morph into something different
compared to the original event. Truth is sometimes diluted with hyperbole. Fact
becomes fiction, fiction becomes fact. I
had heard stories of Castlemilk. Stories where adjectives like ‘wild’ and
‘chaotic’ were frequently bounced around.
As a new volunteer to Camas, I only had these stories to go by. I was
told to be prepared.
In the distance I hear voices, rapidly approaching. Their voices grow louder and louder as they
bound down the path. The gate bursts open. Though the shouting, I hear the
words: “We’re hame, it’s like we never left...” and, with that simple sentence,
my worries fade away.
Out of curiosity, I asked the group about some of the
stories that I had been told. They happily recount tales of their time at Camas.
Turns out, what I had heard was the watered down, family friendly version. The originators
of the stories paint a very vivid picture.
The week saw our usual array of activities, but, we had
one extra task tacked on to the schedule...picking up some chickens* to add to the
Camas family. In addition to the young
folk, Castlemilk brought their resident carpenters with them. John and Jim
spent their time rebuilding the chicken coup and mink-proofing it, out in all
the elements that nature decided to throw at them.
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| Castlemilk Camas Crew collecting chickens |
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| Chickens being introduced to their new home at Camas |
What I saw as the week progressed was a glimpse into the
journey of the young people. How their past selves have matured into their
present selves and i begun to understand why it is important not to write off
the young folk. I had been painted a
picture of unruly youth but the reality presented me with a group of young
adults, ready to shape their future, hopefully a future where they come back to
Camas as young leaders to inspire the next generation.
Click here to find out more about Camas on our Facebook page or here on how to bring a group. We look forward to hearing from you.
