The St. Dorothy’s Rest Ritual
(Sung every night at camp for over 100 years)
Smile awhile, and give your face a rest;
Stretch your arms and sing your very best.
Reach your hands up to the sky,
While you watch them with your eyes.
Raise your foot, and shake it in the air;
Now step back and forward as you were.
Reach right out to someone near;
Shake their hand and smile.
There is a place; St. Dorothy’s Rest.
Where old friends meet, it is the best.
Where the children come to play;
And laugh and work and pray,
in an atmosphere of love.
When evening comes, we take a rest.
When morning calls, we’re up and dressed.
We live together happily;
Good friends we’ll always be;
St. Dorothy’s we love thee.
Leader: What three things do we learn at St. Dorothy’s?
Response: Never tell a lie
Never say “Die”
And never stick your finger in another man’s pie!
Leader: What is our motto?
Response: God has made this place a Rest.
Leader: What is our saying?
Response: Whatever you give out,
Comes back to you. It’s all very well to be pleasant;
When life goes along like a song
But the one worthwhile is the one who can smile when everything goes dead wrong!
Who are, who are, who are we?
We are, we are, St. Dorothy’s!
Campers, counselors, kitchen crew;
St. Dorothy’s-We love you!
Day is done; gone the sun
From the hills, from the trees, from the sky;
All is well; Safely rest; God is nigh.
(Chaplain inserts blessing or prayer or closing thoughts)
Peace is flowing like a river,
Flowing out of you and me.
Flowing out into the desert,
Setting all the captives free.
His love is flowing like a river,
Flowing out of you and me.
Flowing out into the desert,
Setting all the captives free.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia,
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
I know a place, where the sun is like gold;
And the cherry blooms burst like snow.
And down underneath is the loveliest nook;
Where the four leaf clovers grow.
One is for Hope; and one is for faith;
And one is for Love, you know.
And God put another one in for Luck;
If you search you will find where they grow.
But you must have Hope, and you must have Faith;
You must love, and be strong, and so—
If you work, if you wait; you will find the place,
Where the four leaf clovers grow.
(This part written by Mrs. Nellie Lincoln, founder of St. Dorothy’s Rest)
Oh, the Winds of God are blowing
So keep your sails unfurled
And the Winds of God will take you
To safe harbors of the World.
Forever they’re in motion
To take you where they will
Forever full of power
If there are sails to fill.
So take the helm, be master
Unfurling sails your part
And the Winds of God will take you
To safe harbors of your he
This has thrown me back into memories of such great joy!
Posted by: Dana | 08/17/2010 at 09:55 PM