The first full day of CLAY 2010 is in the archives. Thursday began with Home Team Leaders registering in the morning. Judy Steers and her enthusiastic group of Ask and Imagineers led youth in welcome activities during the afternoon. Kudos to the A&I youth for sharing their gifts of music, dance and laughter. Wherever you looked throughout the Convention Centre, HTL's and youth claimed squatting rights and held impromptu card games and fellowshipped in different ways.
At 4:00 p.m. youth flocked to Grand Ballroom 1 and 2 in the Convention Centre for the highly-anticipated Large Group Gathering kick-off. For close to two hours youth were treated to drama, interactive music from the band, video clips, puppetry, a tag team message from Bishop of Huron Bob Bennett and ELCIC Eastern Synod Bishop Michael Pryse. Let's not forget the straw who will stir the drink for four days as keynote speaker, Father Bill Cliff. He encouraged "shout outs" from the youth and they didn't disappoint. The technical crew made sure it all unfolded as planned. It was a terrific start to CLAY 2010.
Following LGG #1 the Convention Centre banquet team did what they do best...feeding the multitudes. Lasagne, caeser salad, breadsticks and dessert provided sustenance for what would be a long evening for the Clay-Nation. At 7:00 p.m. Doug Sole brought his high-energy ensemble of gifted musicians to lead a mega-interactive session of music that reinforced values. Doug undeniably dances to the beat of a different drummer! Plastic "boomwhackers" were distributed to every person and all in attendance would unanimously agree that they went to a youth gathering and a symphony broke out. Doug invited six Bishops to join him on-stage. CLAY is the perfect opportunity for Bishops to show youth they are human, approachable and put their Alb on one leg at a time.
Following the presentation by Soul Drums youth had two hours to take in the dance, relax at the Quiet Zone or compete in different arcade games in the Clayground. The Quiet Zone sounds boring on paper but it is a popular locale to spend time doing puzzles, playing board games, drawing or just having a normal table conversation. Next up was the Midnight Worship (9:00 p.m. Pacifc Time) at St. Paul`s Cathedral. Youth and HTL`s returned to their hotel rooms around 1:00 a.m.
For NPC members 2:00 a.m. couldn't come soon enough as they too retired for the night and looked forward to four hours sleep before their next meeting at 7:00 a.m. They could be forgiven for humming an MC Hammer song, you`ve got to pray....just to make it through CLAY`.
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