Hey there. Grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and get ready enjoy the tale of the adventures our campers have been experiencing. Camp is rocking, and your kids are having the time of their lives! Lets take a look at the last week at camp.
Tuesday was a bunch of “red tape”, items such as swim observations, a visit with our nursing staff, and a review of playing trampball safely. We signed up for activities and had an exhilarating game of Capture the Flag.
Wednesday was Picture Day; after the all-camp photo, the cabins went and took cabin photos. The combination of a flawless morning and stellar organization allowed us to capture those priceless smiles in less than 90 minutes. Due to our quick picture taking we were able to start our first series of activities. The evening brought back a fan-favorite evening program Gold Rush. This blast from the past has campers running around the athletic field collecting gold pieces (golden spray-painted rocks) while doing different activities. It was great to see the campers having as much fun as we used
Thursday was the first “typical day” of camp. Breakfast and cabin clean up, followed by 2 activities periods and a free period. A little chill time with lunch and rest period, and then 2 more activities and a free period and the always popular free swim. It’s ESPECIALLY popular this year with the brand new water toys the campers get to enjoy. We had dinner and finally our evening program. Thursday night’s program was Blue and White games, so the campers got to play a couple traditional sports with the goal of helping their team for the summer outscore the opposing color. Stay tuned as to the results for the session!
Friday was also a typical day, but even in our typical days we make sure that something special is in the mix. For Friday, we got to enjoy our first campfire. It wasn’t the FULL camp (the trips program is off and running also) but it was pretty close. We had a great evening, with enthusiastic sing-alongs, a story, some guitar music, wise words about building relationships, and we wrapped up with our keylog ceremony. Keylogs are small pieces of lumber that campers throw into the fire to share gratitude or a friendship with the entire camp community. It’s truly a wonderful piece of the evening, and the campers and staff treat it with great solemnity.
Saturday was another “typical day” and we had another fantastic evening program. The campers learned before dinner that a heinous crime took place in camp that afternoon, and with that a game of All Camp Clue began! Campers interviewed suspects (the staff) and raced to use logic and the process of elimination to solve the crime. As it turned out, it was all just a big misunderstanding, and everyone was A-OK. I bet you weren’t too worried.
Sunday the weather wasn’t great. We have a way to keep the rain at bay, however: make a plan for it! In typical fashion, once we had a rainy day planned, the rain stayed away during our activity periods and we got the full day in. The campers also signed up for their next activities, which you should have already gotten an email about. We ended the day with one of our most popular evening programs, Casino Night!! The campers got Timberbucks, and gambled on the traditional card games as well as sporting events, Bingo, and some skill-based carnival-type games. It was epic, and the campers dressed for the occasion. At the end, the campers turned in their money and every cabin took place in a silent auction. The house always wins, but the campers walk away pretty happy nonetheless. Plus, they’ve learned a life skill?
Monday our weather was cool, but dry. Our CITs headed out for their first day off, and we had a typical day around camp. It was the last day of the first series of events, so our first year campers had their last OWLS class and celebrated being eligible to go out on trips with s’mores! The evening program was The Quest, which is a team-based scavenger hunt/game show. The campers find some ridiculous items around camp, and then the game moves into the rec hall where they have to race to complete ridiculous challenges or answering trivia questions. It’s a lot of energy and excitement, and everyone leaves the rec hall exhilarated and entertained.
Yesterday the weather was fantastic and made for a great start to the second series of activities. The excitement hit new levels for the summer when we announced the evening program…board a vehicle and head over to a nearby girls’ camp, Camp Agawak, to connect with old friends or make some new ones! The campers and staff of Agawak were fantastic hosts and our boys had an amazing, fun evening. We had a slightly later night than usual, but everyone came back to camp happy.
A good night’s rest would be a necessity as today is our first cruiser day! Our Junior Village campers are headed out in vans to enjoy some activities around the northwoods, and our Senior Village campers are heading out in a bus to do the same as a village. The Intermediate Village campers are staying in camp, spending the day as a cabin group and getting the run of the facilities here to enjoy. It should be a wonderful day with great weather!
You may have been hearing about some air quality issues throughout the midwest due to the wildfires in Canada. We have a bit of a haze around here, and our nursing staff is monitoring things here in camp, but so far it hasn’t been a major issue for anyone in our community. It has made for some beautiful moonrises, but we’ll be happier when we can enjoy crystal-clear skies at night and see the myriad of stars over camp at night. Soon, we hope. Soon.
We are just getting warmed up here, so get ready for more exciting adventures to come! In the days ahead, we have a perfect blend of “normal” days and some new events we’ve never done before to keep the summer fresh and just a little unexpected. We’re excited to share those with you through our photo albums and here on the blog. And yes, the podcast is returning as well!
Have a great week. We’ll be back in touch very soon!
Benches up,
Sam