No Soda

Well...the time has come. We've finally made to decision to eliminate soda from the list of available canteen items for campers this coming summer. It probably doesn't surprise many people, since there's not of a lot of good one can say (health-wise) about soda. Of course, it tastes great and a lot of kids love it, but camp is also a place where kids have an opportunity to see things differently. They often get a deeper appreciation of creation, a sense of Christian community and the idea that the two are connected. Hopefully, just as we are helping them to see that we are called to care for the world in which we live, we can help them see that we are also called to care for our bodies.

Without making value judgments about what they do at home, we can help them learn to live for a week without soda, just as they live without their PC's, cell phones, ipods, video games, telephones and even air conditioning. Campers will still have options like fruit juice, sports drinks and bottled water. So this is a big step for camp, but one we feel is worth taking.

What do you think?