Youth Program
Calvary has always been a great place for children and young people. Youth work began in July 1951 when an "Open House" invitation was extended to the young people of the area. Two years later our youth group was chartered by the Walther League, the international youth organization of The Lutheran Church -- Missouri Synod. Several years later there were three Walther League groups -- Junior, Intermediate and Senior. They involved 150 youth with 12 adults serving as counselors. During the '60s a few conferences were held encouraging Walther Leaguers and other youth to consider fulltime church careers. In 1963 our Walther Leaguers distributed 5,000 invitations to people in the community to attend our Christmas Eve services. They also handed out tracts in the Mitchel Field Housing Development and cookies at Meadowbrook Hospital. In 1969 a Friday night "Teen Union" replaced the Walther League. From the beginning many devoted parents and non-parents worked with our young people. When Calvary was able to have Ministers of Christian Education and Youth, adult volunteers continued to work side by side with them.
For a number of years youth above high school age known as YAC (Young Adult Christians) were organized as a social and service group. They gathered at the church for fun and fellowship and did such things as go to the beach, to New York City, and upstate on a retreat. For a while MASH (Mankind Actively Serving Him) for 7th and 8th graders thrived. In November 1969 thirty-five youths participated in the 18-mile County Hunger March. The Prince of Peace Corps, begun in the late '60s, distributed thousands of copies of "Good News for Modern Man" to the community over a three-year period. The distributors had many opportunities to tell in their own way how important God's Word is. In 1969 they handed out 1000 circulars announcing our summer program. They helped in the Vacation Bible School and assisted the elderly and needy.
During all this time some of our youth were away from home in the armed forces. In 1965 there were fifteen. Three years later thirty men of Calvary were serving in Vietnam, Okinawa, Korea, Hong Kong, and Italy.
Calvary's young made trips to Great Adventure, the Lutheran Youth Encounter Congress in the Poconos, and went roller skating at the rink across Hempstead Turnpike near the church. In the mid-'70s groups of youth made regular weekly visits to Holly Patterson Home. They entertained the residents and brought them to Sunday evening services. For many years Calvary's youth and many willing adults have gone Christmas caroling. Retreats have been annual events for confirmands and those of post-confirmation age. Lock-ins at the church have been a regular feature. Our young people have attended various gatherings near and far, for example: Atlantic District-wide retreat at Camp SonRise in the Adirondacks and large youth gatherings in Houston, TX ('73), San Antonio, TX ('95) and Atlanta, GA ('98), where 30,000 youth and adults of our church body descended on the city.
To pay for all this activity Calvary has given generous support to the youth program in the annual budget. In the '60s through the '8Os money was raised through paper drives. Boys and some men loaded the bundled papers people brought to the church, and the paper was hauled away, often in one of Morty Lemkau's trucks. Six collections in 1987 yielded $534. To earn this, 30 tons of paper had to be lifted on a truck. Fruit sales, spaghetti dinners, pancake breakfasts, car washes, and Bible Murder Mystery Dinner Theaters brought in money for specific events. Pastor Therwanger ran the marathon and Eric Eichinger ran up the Empire State Building to raise hinds.
Calvary has had men's and women's bowling teams in the Long Island Lutheran Bowling League, and off and on, a men's softball team. But the most popular sport has been basketball. As early as 1954 basketball got its start at Calvary with the use of a local school gymnasium. With the arrival of Fred Eichberger in September 1964 -- when our Education Building was dedicated -- basketball got a great boost.
Some years Calvary had seven basketball teams and four cheerleader squads. 183 people were involved in 1976. We have been blessed with adults who have served as coaches, transporters and helpers of various kinds. Year after year our teams were champions in the Nassau-Suffolk Lutheran League. As a reward our teams were able to participate in the National Lutheran Championship Tournaments in Chicago, Saginaw, MI and Valparaiso, IN. 43 youth and adults went to Chicago in 1970 for the tournament. They also visited four mid-western Lutheran colleges. For years Calvary hosted the "Holiday Classic" during the Christmas season. Three championship teams were invited to play here. In 1974 Calvary families hosted 50 guests in connection with this affair. In 1999 All-star games were held at Long Island Lutheran High. Nineteen Calvary players were chosen for that event, and three won Most Valuable Player trophies. Since 1970 the sports season has ended with a Sports Award dinner or dessert buffet. All the teams and their parents are invited. A coveted award given each year is the John Kempter Christian Sportsmanship Award.
Our basketball teams have proved a unifying factor for our young and their families. Our sports program kept our players and cheerleaders busy in wholesome activity and led to lasting friendships. One former basketball player, who with his entire family is now active at Calvary, said, "I got a lot from Calvary. I want to give something back."
At present almost 100 boys and girls (the majority under 12) are involved in Calvary's sports activities under the direction of Richard Marman, our athletic director. In recent years our basketball teams of all age groups have done very well in competition. Calvary's present Sports Committee has set these rules: "Players and cheerleaders are expected to attend church on a regular basis, either at Service or Sunday School. In addition, we expect everyone, from the coaches to the players to the parents and friends, to display Christian sportsmanship at all times."
Besides basketball Calvary offers a variety of sports options for youth and adults: bowling, gym night, volley ball, a day at the beach, rock climbing, miniature golf, and horseback riding.
Servant Event in Appalachia
In July 1999 eleven of our youth together with three adults and Eric Eichinger took part in a most rewarding servant event in Tennessee. They made improvements on the homes of two families under the auspices of the Confrontation Point Ministries. The young people started each morning with a period of quiet meditation in God's creation; they discussed Bible verses and shared their faith. The youth closed each day with a devotion. All received much satisfaction from helping others. The experience had a great bonding effect. They became a family.