A Magical Month

June 29, 2010 by

 Pictures from June 29, 2010 (password required)

The first full day of activities!   I am so excited about this group of young men!  Yesterday was pretty crazy with barely a moment to sit still and eat let alone get bored.   I took a few moments at lunch and dinner to catch up with so many of the guys that are returning as well as introduce myself to some of the new guys.  I am still amazed at how much they grow in a year; it’s amazing!  Did I mention what a great group of young men are here this month?

Anyhow, today was another great one with some review time for many of the boys, and some discovery for a lot more!  Along with their physical growth, I am amazed at their retention and ability to take it quickly to the next step.  We already have guys heading out tomorrow to brush up on some of what they learned last year and get them ready for new horizons in the coming weeks.

These next four weeks will present a lot of excitement, fun, and adventure; but what the boys do not realize is that it will also present some frustration, a little conflict, and even some workable fear…  I guess as I read that last sentence I am almost afraid what you as parents might think.  This isn’t what I signed my son up to do.   But the amazing truth is that, even in a wonderfully supportive community like High Rocks, these things will happen; we even want them to happen…   As your son learns new skills, he is going to hit a point where he will probably get frustrated.  As your son learns to live with six other people in a cabin and be a productive member of that cabin-group (something he probably had no idea he signed up for), he’s not only going to get frustrated, he will most likely have a disagreement at some point with a least one of his cabin-mates.   Finally, as your son participates in mountain biking, whitewater canoeing, or even the high ropes course he is probably going to feel at least a little uneasy and even nervous at times; what you might call stepping outside your “comfort zones.”

You know what?  It is actually those three scenarios, which we may desire least as parents, where the boys will have the most growth.   Camp has such a magical way of presenting some of these life skills in a way that many of the boys don’t even realize.  They are learning leadership/life skills that will help them down the road…and having a blast doing it.  What a great opportunity.  I am so excited about the potential these next several weeks!  I know you are too.

I promise to keep you posted one our thoughts above. It is going to be one fun month!  Have a great night and enjoy some great pictures of your boys having a blast!

Sincerely,

Don Gentle
Associate Director
don@highrocks.com

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