American TFP Summer Program
Instilling Catholic Character and Courage
Every year, when the weather heats
up and the days lengthen, boys from across the country eagerly
prepare for the TFP Summer Program.
Titled “Catholic Character and
Courage,” this year’s program, was held from August
10-19 was one of the most exciting ever. boys from ages
12-18 traveled to TFP headquarters in Spring Grove, PA.
Using educational methods developed
by St. John Bosco, the TFP Summer Program combined outings,
sports, prayers and formative lectures in a very lively
way. This ensured that the boys would profit spiritually,
without getting bored or overwhelmed.
This years lectures included historical analyses of the
Siege of Malta, the Holy Roman Empire and the life of St.
Louis IX. Other presentations included talks on the importance
of the rosary, the necessity of good manners and the problem
of egalitarianism. Interspersed were short skits, such as
an historical play on the Protestant Revolution.
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The boys also made a sightseeing trip to
the nations capital, Washington D.C. In addition to seeing
the White House and Capital Hill, they visited the famous
Hillwood Mansion where they marveled over the art collection
and gardens of the late food heiress Marjorie Merriweather
Post. Her vast art collection included several of Fabergé
Easter eggs and the crown of the Empress Alexandra, last
czarina of the Romanov Dynasty.
The sports and games, a part of the
daily activity of the program, reached their climax on Saturday,
August 18, with the “Medieval Games.” A knight
dressed in chain-mail together with his page, both sitting
atop white Arabian stallions presided over the event. The
participants proved their courage and knightly qualities
through games of French football, “steal the Bacon,”
dodge ball, shield ball, tug-of-war, and chariot races on
a field richly decorated with standards and flags.
After the games, the aspirant “knights”
satiated their appetites at a medieval banquet, feasting
on four different types of meat in a dining hall, richly
decorated with pennants from Siena.
On Sunday morning, the boys attended
the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at the historic St. Alphonsus
Church in Baltimore, MD, where the great St. John Neumann
was consecrated a bishop. After mass, parents joined their
sons and attended a luncheon where the activities of the
program were illustrated in an audio-visual presentation.
As the boys piled into their cars
and said their last goodbyes, mixed with their joy at seeing
their parents and returning home, was a strong note of anticipation
for future programs and put into practice some of the many
things they had learned.
