In April of this year the Philadelphia Church of God held a
summer camp in the Philippines for PCG children.
While I am sure this was a fun time for many involved, as most summer camps are regardless of which church runs it, these kids got a special dose of what it is to be an Armstrongite.
They started the day of by watching a video of HWA at an old SEP camp that was made possible by millions of dollars in tithe money. The kids in the Philippines slept in tents.
They got to watch the white kids enjoying well groomed landscaping, dorms with heat and electricity, dining halls, commissaries, ski boats, canoes, rifle ranges, archery, canoe tips, etc. Did I mention these kids got tents?
Trying to relive the glory days with kids who have no idea who in the hell Herbert Armstrong was or why a 27 year old video is relevant in 2013 just shows how pathetic Flurryism is.
Upon arrival, two boy dorms set up their tents and two girl dorms laid
their bags down in their air-conditioned tents. Camp director John
Macdonald started the first day with an afternoon lecture in which he
showed clips of the World Tomorrow program with Herbert W.
Armstrong that included the Worldwide Church of God’s Summer Educational
Program. The first day also included the “talking stick” activity, in
which staff and campers introduce themselves. 2G camper Ma. Sylvia
Estelle Ramos said that the exercise in public speaking challenged the
nervous campers, especially the first-timers.
So what was the focus of this summer camp? It was PERFECTION! Be ye PERFECT!
Perfect men and boys are LEADERS and perfect women and girls are made to be wives who cook and do crafts - apparently girls and women who think and who might be leaders is not possible or godly.
Along with Mr. Macdonald, 17 other full-time and five part-time staff
members emphasized the 2013 camp theme: “Focus on Perfection.” Campers
were encouraged to think deeply and strive for God’s level of
perfection. That training concept carried through classes on speech,
vision and goal-setting, budgeting, health and nutrition, etiquette, and
dance. Other classes included leadership and song-leading for boys and
womanhood and baking and crafts for girls. (at least the girls got air conditioning along with this training!)
While I know that cultural differences between the Philippines and the U.S. is vast, it is still sad to see women in the COG treated like mindless chattel created to serve the LEADERS.