Camp is going great so far, but there is this one thing you don’t understand. It happens each night at dinner and you’re not even sure how to describe it. It’s tons of fun and the older campers and staff go wild, but what are they even saying? Or screaming? Doesn’t matter too much—after the commotion is over, dessert arrives! As the years go on, you come to realize they are singing about Goldie Locks and the 3 Bears. In fact, it’s kind of a rap. It’s pretty cool, bush gosh it’s hard to get all of those words down. Thankfully your counselors help you practice at the hogans and the other units even scream “DING!” for you. Eventually you become a camp counselor. Rivaling only “Hey Burrito” in popularity, this song is your anthem. You shout it loud and proud and at the top of your lungs. You know the words by heart and you sing it in your sleep. You’re careful not to wear a ring while doing the hand motions though—you remember the story where Meredith told you that Bert Ramsey broke his wedding ring while singing this song in 2011. So, just like high ropes, no rings for this one!
What do three bears and a ding have in common? If you have been a camper and/or staff member in the past twenty years you'll know the answer.
Campers spend years listening carefully and trying to figure out the words to the Dessert Song. It becomes a point of pride for returning campers to be able to sing all the words and get to teach their new friends.
What may seem like a ruckus is a soft spot in the hearts of our campers and staff. Just ask them how they felt when we decided to be healthy and stopped serving dessert at lunch a few years ago. The Dessert Song isn't just a Dining Hall tradition. Units who stay at the hogans sing the song together after eating dinner at their shelter. The last line ends with “BYE-BYE-BYE-BYE-BYE-BYE-BYE HUH!” Campers strain their ears trying to hear their neighbors yell “DING” in response.
The Dessert Song is about being silly. It’s about letting go of your inhibitions and letting yourself be free with your new and old camp friends. It’s about including everyone as they learn the words and celebrating when they finally get the hard part right. We do silly things like this at camp to help us remember that we are all children of God. We are all learning, growing, and discovering new things about ourselves, each other, and our faith all of the time. When we let ourselves be silly and get wrapped up in a song about three bears, it helps us grow closer with our friends and counselors. As we open up throughout the week, we share our best parts, our funny parts, and the parts of ourselves that we’re still working on. Together we lift each other up and help each other remember that we are all loved by God.
This week for your Camp @ Home challenge, we challenge you to sing this song with your family and make sure to have someone DING! at the end. To show us how much fun and silliness you had, send us a picture or video of you and/or your family singing! Share it with us by using #AltaMonsCampatHome and emailing it to [email protected].
In the name of fun and shared experience, we are finally disclosing one of the greatest camp mysteries, the words to the Dessert Song. If you’re unsure of the beat—don’t worry! We have several example videos coming your way!
The Dessert Song/Three Bears Song:
*Bang/clap beat, start on a bang
Once upon a time in a nursery rhyme there were three bears
cha cha cha
They went a walkin’ in the woods and a talkin’
And along came a little girl with long flowin’ golden curls
Her name was Goldie Locks, up on the door she knocked
She didn't care, that no one was there
She walked right in
Home came those three bears
Someone's been eatin my porridge, said the Papa Bear, said the Papa Bear
Someone's been eatin my porridge, said the Mama Bear, said the Mama Bear
Hey Papa he-bear, said the little wee bear, someone has broken my chair, HUH!
Goldie Locks she woke up, she broke up, the party
She beat it outta there, she beat it outta there
Bye bye bye bye bye, said the Papa Bear, said the Papa Bear
Bye bye bye bye bye, said the Mama Bear, said the Mama Bear
Hey Papa he-bear, said the wee bear, bye bye bye bye bye bye bye, HUH!
DING***
What do three bears and a ding have in common? If you have been a camper and/or staff member in the past twenty years you'll know the answer.
Campers spend years listening carefully and trying to figure out the words to the Dessert Song. It becomes a point of pride for returning campers to be able to sing all the words and get to teach their new friends.
What may seem like a ruckus is a soft spot in the hearts of our campers and staff. Just ask them how they felt when we decided to be healthy and stopped serving dessert at lunch a few years ago. The Dessert Song isn't just a Dining Hall tradition. Units who stay at the hogans sing the song together after eating dinner at their shelter. The last line ends with “BYE-BYE-BYE-BYE-BYE-BYE-BYE HUH!” Campers strain their ears trying to hear their neighbors yell “DING” in response.
The Dessert Song is about being silly. It’s about letting go of your inhibitions and letting yourself be free with your new and old camp friends. It’s about including everyone as they learn the words and celebrating when they finally get the hard part right. We do silly things like this at camp to help us remember that we are all children of God. We are all learning, growing, and discovering new things about ourselves, each other, and our faith all of the time. When we let ourselves be silly and get wrapped up in a song about three bears, it helps us grow closer with our friends and counselors. As we open up throughout the week, we share our best parts, our funny parts, and the parts of ourselves that we’re still working on. Together we lift each other up and help each other remember that we are all loved by God.
This week for your Camp @ Home challenge, we challenge you to sing this song with your family and make sure to have someone DING! at the end. To show us how much fun and silliness you had, send us a picture or video of you and/or your family singing! Share it with us by using #AltaMonsCampatHome and emailing it to [email protected].
In the name of fun and shared experience, we are finally disclosing one of the greatest camp mysteries, the words to the Dessert Song. If you’re unsure of the beat—don’t worry! We have several example videos coming your way!
The Dessert Song/Three Bears Song:
*Bang/clap beat, start on a bang
Once upon a time in a nursery rhyme there were three bears
cha cha cha
They went a walkin’ in the woods and a talkin’
And along came a little girl with long flowin’ golden curls
Her name was Goldie Locks, up on the door she knocked
She didn't care, that no one was there
She walked right in
Home came those three bears
Someone's been eatin my porridge, said the Papa Bear, said the Papa Bear
Someone's been eatin my porridge, said the Mama Bear, said the Mama Bear
Hey Papa he-bear, said the little wee bear, someone has broken my chair, HUH!
Goldie Locks she woke up, she broke up, the party
She beat it outta there, she beat it outta there
Bye bye bye bye bye, said the Papa Bear, said the Papa Bear
Bye bye bye bye bye, said the Mama Bear, said the Mama Bear
Hey Papa he-bear, said the wee bear, bye bye bye bye bye bye bye, HUH!
DING***