Today started with the boys meeting us at the church to load the bus and head-oot for the day. There was quite a bit of anxiousness in the air as to who the two would be that get to assist with the leadership tasks of the day. I picked Jeffrey Williams, a long-time veteran and member of the Leadership Development Program to team-up with his tour partner, Section Leader Michael Schrupp. Their jobs for the day would be to assist Noah and Steven with carrying-out all the responsibilities of the day. They did a great job filling the enormous shoes the previous leaders left behind.
After saying our “goodbyes” and waving to the crowd of people on the sidewalk, we left Regina and found it to be very much like the drive to Regina: Flat, with not a lot of towns along the way. The first order of business was to find fuel for the bus, which is trickier than it sounds. Canada doesn’t have a lot of the truck stops like we are fortunate to have here, so often times we are stuck with the slow-pumping hoses normally meant for cars and trucks. When you are pumping 120+ gallons at a time, that can take a few minutes. We managed to find a station that sold diesel, but the stall wasn’t made for a bus, by any means. If we happen to receive any unhappy mail from an older lady about a bus being on the sidewalk, let me handle it. She just needs to find a better sense of humor or learn how to be a better “morning person”.
The rest of the drive that morning was fairly laid-back. A few of the boys wrote some letters (which have since been mailed) to help me burn-up the remainder of the Canadian stamps. The leaders put-on a few games of Bus Bingo to help burn-up some of the surplus Bingo Prizes. Steven Kelly brought along some of his friends, Justin Beiber and Selena Gomez to help call some of the numbers. Jeffrey Williams brought along Paris Hilton and Elmo. I’m not sure who Jacob Gordon brought, but they were sure funny to listen to! Noah did a wonderful job of keeping it all in perspective, letting us know every few seconds that we were the “Only Mobile Bingo Emporium West of Lake Winnipegosis”. The boys did a very good job and we managed to get rid of several prizes.
Lunch was located at a rest stop somewhere along the way. Lisa was in heaven, since this particular rest stop had Wi-Fi. After lunch, the officers loaded the boys on the bus and we had a pretty great rest stop. The boy have really had no issues getting rest now that they are in the routine of napping every day. The other helpful fact is that after their first real good nap, they can’t wait for the next rest period. Sometimes they resist napping for the first few days and don’t realize the great benefits of taking a snooze. With the officers in charge, I can tell you I haven’t been skipping the opportunity!
With Winnipeg “aboot” 45 minutes away, Aaron and I chatted a little and decided to relieve our tired leaders. Noah and Steven were starting to show the effects of being constantly responsible for 26 other boys for 2.5 days, so took our spots back on the bus and allowed them to step-back a little. With two big concerts coming-up, it was imperative our two top guys were sharp and ready. Watching all the leaders grow over the past few days has been nothing short of amazing. They have really taken huge steps at growing as leaders.
In Winnipeg, we were hosted by the Winnipeg Children’s Chorus. They have a long and great history of being a very good organization, touring all over the world and performing at very prestigious places like Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Center. They greeted us with dinner and some socialization before we joined the stage to sing “What Wondrous Love is This” at warm-ups. They are a very nice little choir that was very prepared on this song.
The concert went very well, with the boys singing the first and second halves and the Winnipeg Children’s Chorus singing in the middle, as well as the joint song. The boys are really sounding great, with audiences everywhere commenting more on the boys sound than their manners. (And as a Prefect, I can assure you their manners are first-rate.) I can’t wait to bring this crew home to you...they have really become one of the finest choirs we have had in the past 17 years that I have been here. The raw talent and potential we left with is now polished and experienced. This group grows on you, like a fungus.
After the concert, the boys shook hands and finished-up their jobs. Then, as quickly as we came, the boys escaped to their host homes for some spoilage and hopefully sleep. They will need it over the next few days. These will go by very quickly….
P.J.
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