By William Gossett
Braving below freezing temperatures, young men and dads participated in a five-day Call to Chivalry Camp put on by Tradition, Family, Property – Louisiana. The camp location was in Central Texas on a ranch overlooking wheat fields, prickly pear cacti, and mesquite trees that provided a rugged ambiance reminding one of Comanche Indians, Texas Rangers, and Mexican Vaqueros. It was a great place to learn about chivalry and honor.
Honor: A Virtue Every Knight Must Have
The theme of the camp was the virtue of honor. Presentations varied from talks on St. Ferdinand, honor, and true and false piety.
A highlight presentation, given by TFP-Louisiana volunteer John Paul Tomba, was about the exploits of TFP Student Action campaigns at campuses and cities across the country. Participants listened attentively to stories of debates on the front lines of America’s culture war. Several were eager to sign up to go on the next campus tour.
“I wished we could have done this every day!”
In spite of the frigid weather, the camp was filled with exciting and hardy outdoor activities. Paintball with slingshots, a treasure hunt in search for a chest full of candy, and the boys’ favorite, medieval sword fights. The boys were divided into two teams, each side having foam swords, shields, and play bows and arrows. After the whistle blew, a lively melee would ensue with boys giving battle cries and charging each other. One boy after the camp ended exclaimed, “I wish we could have done this every day!”
Be Crusaders!
The camp wrapped up with the traditional Medieval Banquet as the young men and dads feasted on a Texas-style smoked brisket. A closing talk was given by TFP-volunteer Zechariah Long who urged the young men to be crusaders and take what they have learned on honor and chivalry from this camp and apply it to their lives. Being a true Catholic knight doesn’t mean fighting for what is right only when it feels good, but anywhere and everywhere, no matter the circumstances.
Many may think that chivalry is dead, that it doesn’t exist in our day and age. Quite the contrary. The Texas Call to Chivalry Camp is just a clear example of how there are young Catholic men in the world that thirst for the ideals of the Crusades and genuinely want to become Catholic knights themselves.