Vox Pop

...which means "Voice of the People."

On Saturday, all twenty girls and four counselors loaded onto the little white bus, with the loud chatter indicating the excitement to drive out of the large wooden gates and into the small town center of Mentone. To campers, Mentone remains a mystery since they only pass through it once at the beginning and once at the end of their summer on the mountain. At the single yellow blinking light the town burst from a seemingly antiquarian time period. The seasoned Hitching Post center houses many of the local specialized shops.
At each creak under our steps the weathered wooden beams, walls, and walkways seemed to share the many secrets of the town. Each stained glass door to the shops rested wide open, warmly beckoning us to wonder at their collection of intricate, handmade art and antiques. We split into small groups and meandered around the Gourdie Shop, Mountain Reality, The Deli, The Wildflower Cafe, and several other log cabin shops. Another set of girls enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the vibrant Mentone Market, which serves as the town center. Rich stories, heartfelt laughs, and genuine smiles were shared between the girls and Mentonians as we were able to get a taste of the broader community that we live in each summer.


Below are several reflections from counselors and campers:

"Today was great walking in and out of storefronts meeting the people who call Mentone home. I read a quote in a newspaper that said "Don't come to Mentone hoping to make a fortune, but once you've made your fortune, Mentone is a pretty grand place to live." I thought that perspective was really interesting because it is totally dependent on what you consider fortune. The community here might just be the fortune you've been looking for your entire life." - JP


"One lady I talked to emphasized the closeness and smallness of the town of Mentone. Also being from a small town, I was able to easily relate to this lady that I had only know for a few minutes. My favorite part was when this lady told us that the camper's mail each summer really help boost the economy of Mentone. This is my fifth year on the mountain and this thought would never have crossed my mind. It was an awesome feeling hearing a citizen say that I was a part of this community that I don't even live in for the majority of the year." - Haley

"I loved catching the people who wouldn't necessarily come to the MERF house or sign up for an interview, but who very much color Mentone and help make it the community it is. It was fun watching the girls timidly approach a person, but then get totally wrapped up in the person's stories." - Rachel

First Meeting with Campers

Today 20 fresh faces filled the MERF (Mentone Education Resource Foundation) house. We talked about the vision of The Mentone Collective and the importance of inter-generational relationships, ways we can break down agism, and equal community exchange. Our conversation evolved from looking at the story of Ruth and Naomi to video recording interviews. With two minutes left in our session, one girl asked, "So what is the point of recording these interviews with video cameras, rather than just listening?" I realized I had forgot to mention the ever so important detail that we are making a movie! Through the film we hope to keep all the treasured conversations and stories as well as be able to share with others our experiences and interactions as a collective.


Below are several responses from girls about the meeting: (The activity period at camp that girls spend at The Mentone Collective is called Project Phoebe)



"Project Phoebe started with two words: inter-generational relationship. I immediately thought it was going to be full of puzzles, card games, and dominoes. Thankfully there was a twist. Instead of entertainment we were going to establish a real relationship in the form of memories using Flip cameras. We are going to document their memories by asking questions about their life experiences. In turn the senior citizens are going to record our answers to the same questions. This was awesome, but it got better. The clips we film are going to be made into a movie, which is going to be screened to Mentone and all of camp. Project Phoebe is off to a great start. From that moment on, inter-generational relationship was so much more than just two words." -Janie, 16



"When it comes to the idea of "serving" I have always been conflicted. Part of me says, "God calls us to serve and care for those less fortunate than us." but the other part wonder, "what if they don't want my help? What if I make them feel inferior or belittled? What if they think that I think I'm better than them?" so when it came time to sign up for Phoebe I did so enthusiastically but the traces of those questions lingered in my mind. But as soon as Ashley started describing this opportunity as an "equal exchange," all my worries dissolved. This idea of "I give you something, and you give me something in return" was completely new to me. Sure, I had always heard the "I thought I was going to help them, but they taught me so much more," but I never understood it fully until now. I can't wait to begin documenting this experience using technology--previously a generational divider--as a generational-bridger. I know it will be such a meaningful journey and I am so blessed to be part of it!" -Anna Russell, 16


"In our first time going to Project Phoebe we looked at the first two chapters of the book of Ruth. From these two chapters we studied the relationship between Ruth and Naomi. This proves the love of God that can be shown in an "inter-generational relationship." In the beginning Ruth is giving to Naomi, but then Naomi begins giving to Ruth. This is an important part of a relationship--equality. It isn't just the younger one being a friend to the older one, but it goes both ways. This was such an awesome/eye-opening lesson to learn and I am pumped to go and visit with these seniors around Mentone. Hopefully I will help to teach them as much as I know that they will teach me!" -Taylor, 16

The Object

After a cooling mountain rainshower, we gathered up ten DeSoto campers and headed to the MERF house for our first exchange between the girls and local Mentone residents. We spread out through the house where the girls and Mentonians interviewed each other about the object that they brought with them. Bonnie, a local resident, brought a magnificent saw that she handpainted with scenes of her childhood, which included a story about her vivacious sister who loved dancing in their barn and started writing love letters to her husband at the age of 14. Jean and her husband John came to the house, along with their two children Maya and Robbie, whom they adopted from Kenya. Another woman, Kathy was able to share her rich stories from life in Mentone that are incredibly intertwined with Camp DeSoto.

Our First Meeting

We just had our first meeting with the local senior citizens of Mentone, AL, with a great turnout of 25 participants, including one of the oldest members of the community, a 94 year old woman. We are looking forward to hearing her many memories of life in Mentone. After cookies and tea, Dr. Bill Berry, a Mentone resident, former principal, and current employee of Camp DeSoto introduced the project and shared why he cared about the project. I then shared the basic premise of "The Mentone Collective" which is to facilitate inter-generational relationships and understanding through interactive video media. We will meet regularly throughout the summer to record the thoughts, stories, and memories of the community. Then everyone, some timid and some zealous, tried out the Ultra HD Flip video and Kodak Zi8 video cameras on each other with the directive to share their first memory. We learned some fascinating things, where two members realized they were related, to some great laughs about some mischief that went on when they were teens. We look forward to learning and sharing with the DeSoto and Mentone community this summer.