They are different everywhere, but all the items are the same.
Author Archives: Grace Carballo
Camp Cheley Traditions
Every night before we go to bed, we have a friendship circle.
Everyone in the unit stands together in the courtyard and we all hook arms or just put our arms on each other’s shoulders Wait, no. Wait, yeah. I guess different units do different things but that’s what we did.
When you’re done singing, we say goodnight and all bow and leave the circle.
So one of the songs is called, I See the Moon. And when you come to camp you kind of just hear what everyone else is singing and you learn it, they don’t write it down or teach you or anything.
And it goes like this (sings):
I see the moon and the moon sees me
The moon sees somebody I’d like to see
So God bless the moon & God bless me
and God bless the somebody I’d like to see.
And then we whisper the peoples’ names we’d like to say goodnight to. So like “Goodnight, Mom.” “Goodnight, Dad.”
Camp Cheley is not a religious camp but the owners are religious. I went back for six summers and even going to camp usually stays within generations, too. Like my best friend is from camp, you know Abby.
She’s what we call a “cheleybaby” because her parents met at Camp. We call those “chomances” you know ‘cus “Cheley” and “romances”.
context of the performance:
The informant told about this ritual and sang that moon song to a table of friends, including myself, at Monday night dinner.
thoughts on the performance:
It was clear from the informant’s delivery how second nature all of this seemed to her from her repeat camp experiences. She even sort of swayed along when she sang the song, without a hint of embarrassment.
Camp Cheley Songs
There are 3 songs we sing each night at Camp Cheley. Every unit sings different songs and you just kind of hear everyone else and pick it up. And then…you want me to just tell you the three songs my unit sang everyday at camp?
SONG 1:
“Peace I ask of thee o River
Peace, Peace, Peace
When I learn to live serenely
Cares will cease
from the hills I gather courage
visions of the days to be
Strength to lead and faith to follow
all are given unto thee
peace I ask of you oh river
Peace, peace, peace”
SONG 2: We call this one the Chipeta Call.
If you listen one and all
you can hear the chipeta call
you can feel the spirit rise
wheree’er you go may you never forget
that glad day
when we met
and those dear old chipeta girls
we love
so well.
Song 3: The last one we sing every night is Taps…You probably know it?
Day is done, gone the sun
From the lakes, from the hills, from the sky
All is well, safely rest
God is nigh
Context of the performance:
The informant shared these camp songs with a table of friends, among them the collector, during a Monday night dinner.
Thoughts on the performance:
It is interesting how the song “Taps” has become such a part of their camp folklore that the informant was almost a little surprised when others at the table indicated recognition.
Also it is interesting that she spoke these traditions in present tense, i.e. “the last one we sing every night”, because she is too old to return as a camper, demonstrates the cyclical nature of these camp songs and rituals.
“May Your Giving Hand Never Fail”
(in an Irish accent, imitating her Papa’s voice) “May your giving hand never fail.”
My Papa said this all the time and people didn’t really know what to do with it. I think he just said it to anyone who was generous, but like waitresses especially. So, they weren’t really being generous, they were just…doing their job.
I guess there was this one waitress, I wasn’t there this time, but she was like, “What’d you say?” and uh, my dad had to explain and she was like “I like that, I’m gonna start using it!”
I don’t know where he got it from, but he said it whenever he told me this story about this woman, and he describes her as a woman with a “good giving hand”.
So Papa, he was a Pace bus driver, so you know how they kind of have to stick to a schedule? Well this one day, it was the dead of winter, he saw this nun running after the bus and he just decided to wait for her. And she was flabbergasted he waited for her. And (in Irish accent again) he said, “Aw yeah, it’s too cold to be waitin’ for another bus” and she was so so thankful for him doing that that she ended up telling the hospital she worked at to let him have breakfast there everyday. He dropped her off and she said wait right here and ran in and I guess asked them and came out and told him to come for breakfast before his shift… and so he did. For years, he just started his morning there everyday with free breakfast (laughs). She probably didn’t think he would actually take her up on it.
And every time he told it to me he would say “oh yes, she had a good giving hand”.
context of the performance:
The informant described this proverb and the following story in a one on one conversation, when asked if she had any family proverbs. She always does a very good Irish accent impression for her grandfather, who came to the United States from Ireland as an adult. He passed away a few months before this collection, so it was definitely a little nostalgic, as well.
thoughts on the performance:
It is always interesting how strangers respond to older people and their sayings, especially those with accents. It was hard to capture in writing, but when the informant described the waitresses reaction, she was sort of wary of her grandpa and almost rude in her response, until her dad clarified it for him. Especially the way the informant says it, in the vernacular of her grandfather, this proverb definitely sounds like a number of similar Irish blessings I have heard before.
“It’s better to look down at the grass that up at it.”
Right off the bat, the first thing that comes to mind is my dad. He always says, “It’s better to be looking down at the grass than up at it.” Anytime I ask him how he’s doing…or uh, how his day is, he always says that. “It’s better to be looking down at the grass than up at it.” and then usually, “best day of my life.”
“Where do you think he got it from?”
Honestly, I’m not 100% sure. I think he might have come up with it on his own. He’s really good with words, actually and cute little phrases and speeches. He made a beautiful toast at my aunt and uncle’s 25th anniversary…I’m excited for him to speak at my wedding.
Oh, another thing he says a lot is “Savor the moment.” Like for any big mile stone in my life, when those are going down, or for my cousins, too. He tells us “Savor the moment”.
And when he gives me cards, he gives me cards whenever I go back to college after spring or Christmas break, he writes that in there. And there’s always money in the cards, which is nice!
The first time he said that to me was when my volleyball team, remember that, was in the state championship and I guess it sort of just progressed from there.
Context of the Performance:
This performance was delivered during a one on one conversation between the informant and me. I asked her if she had any proverbs her parents or grandparents always says and right away she came up with the one about it being better to look down at the grass.
Thoughts on the piece:
I think any expressions that recognize our own mortality and sort of show an appreciation for life are worth repeating. The informant detailed how her father uses it very frequently, even when just asked how he is doing or how his day is going. Paired with his regular use of another proverb “Savor the moment,” it is clear the informant and her father share an appreciation for each day.
A quick search of the first proverb online did not yield any exact matches, so it is possible this particular proverb is unique to their family.