HOUSTON, TX” Discoveries are often made by not following instructions, by going off the main road, by trying the untried ” This quote by Frank Tyger describes the fortunate discovery of a library of knowledge pertaining to Sikhism that the 1994 Mo-Ranch Sikh camp in Texas has opened in the hearts of many children. This camp has gone off the main road by allowing campers and counselors to visit and appreciate the aesthetic traits of Mother Nature in the heart of Texas. The atmosphere of a stream cutting through the campsite, mountains isolating the campers from the world of society, and fresh air surrounding everyone and everything made campers appreciate their weeklong stay in Mo-Ranch The coordinators have tried the untried by placing the seeds of Sikhism inside the hearts of so many children. These are the seeds that will eventually blossom because of the effort of the coordinators and counselors who really made the camp more than a success.
Organizers in Houston, where the majority of campers, came from, were dedicated in making sure that the camp happened in the first place. Experienced coordinators like Ranjit Singh Hira and Bhupinder Singh, took huge steps in making sure that the camp was successful by calling such valuable counselors such as Bhai Gurdharshan Singh from Washington D.C. and Kulmect Singh from Chicago
Personally, I think Bhai Gurdharshan Singh and Kulmeet Singh made the most significant impact on the campers. Bhai Gurdharshan Singh is one of those special men who People love and respect regardless of what age group someone may fall under. The older kids especially, looked up to him and were touched by the message of our religion that he had to deliver. His knowledge and wisdom of Gurbani amazed everyone and he solved many of the questions and problems that the campers had. In addition, Kulmeet Singh from Chicago was a young man who inspired people to learn about their religion. The campers opened up to him and used his class as a forum to ask him about their problems. He was as valuable as a diamond in terms of his presence and friendly personality that he had to offer. Furthermore, additional counselors, Gurmeet Kaur from Chicago, Varinder and Davinder Kaur from Ottawa. Sarabjit Uncle from Los Angeles. and Taranjit Auntie from Houston, motivated campers in Kirtan and were additional foundation pieces to a camp team that works great together. “Cherishing children is the mark of a civilized society.” This quote by Joan Cooney adequately describes the camp team at MoRanch. They made the extremely difficult task of teaching the young kids of America about Sikhism seem easy and I admire their love and concern for the next generation. The kids are the future of Sikhism and it touches the heart in every way to see coordinators and counselors that care about the future. Finally, I want to invite anyone who wants to learn about Sikhism to come to this camp because the amount that the campers learned about their religion is indescribable and can only be appreciated by people who actually experience it.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 20, 1995
