Let the Activities Begin!!!

June 13, 2011 by

Pictures from June 13, 2011 (password required)

Even though the wake-up bell did not ring until 7:45, many of those guys in Hillside were so excited I heard them up early cleaning their cabin…really!  After a charged assembly, it was off to activities for the morning. Their cabin counselors made sure everyone was headed in the right direction, then all the activity heads have a role list to be sure we have everyone that is supposed to be there; no camper gets left behind! The guys took in all sorts of new skills and brushed up on some dusty ones from last summer.  They will stay in these activities for the session, unless they decide it was not as they expected, in which case they can switch.  No camper ever gets refused for an activity at High Rocks.  It may not be at the exact hour they want to do it, but they will get into any activity they want to do!  There is a limit of 5 regular activity periods and one choice period, but there is plenty to choose from.

We had beautiful weather all day.  It was a little warm for us, but a quick shower came through around 5:30 and cooled everything off for the evening.  The clouds parted during dinner, just in time for a fun-filled evening of games and events!

As you many of you know, we divide camp into several “age groups.”  An age group typically consists of four to five cabins. This session we have allowed the “age groups” come up with their own names for the session.  So for the rest of the session here are the following age group names:

Hillside & Connestee will be the “The Puddle Pals.”
Lakeside & Foxhollow are now “The Hobbits.”
Flattop & Chalet will now be known as “The Flying Cheesecakes.”
Windswept & Outpost are “The Titans.”
Halfway & Lookout go by “The Group 7.”
Pinnacle & Holiday shall be called “Shallow Pop Culture Reference.”

Along with being a fairly substantial peer group for the session, these groups also spend evenings together to interact in a number of super-charged fun events that young men love to do!  Activities can include special High Rocks versions of common games like capture the flag, dodgeball, kickball, and Ultimate Frisbee.  Some activities include water-based fun like the rope swing, canoe-fillups, and the waterslide!  Other games include specialized homegrown games that we have acquired or created.  McCallie Ball is one example of a great game we borrowed from that fine institution over the mountain in Tennessee (we like Baylor too).  It consists of two large trash cans, an exercise ball, some rules and boundaries and about 30 boys.  The object is to knock down the opposing team’s trash can with the large ball.  Try to picture guys running down the field and passing an exercise ball around.  Quite funny and fun!!!  We will see some of these games and more as the session roles-on.

Tonight’s age group activities:

“The Puddle Pals.” – were heading up (and down) Campfire Hill for a fun field game that probably requires a lot of running to be sure they sleep in tomorrow morning.
“The Hobbits.” – are in the gym with some dodgeball variations.
“The Flying Cheesecakes.” – are in the cabin field with a “capture the flag variation.”
“The Titans.” – on the soccer field.
“The Group 7.” – are going off the waterslide AND the rope swing.
 “Shallow Pop Culture Reference.” – are on the athletic field.

We have some good pictures of campers enjoying their activities today.  Our first climbing trip of the season heads out tomorrow to Cedar Rock.  Have a great night; we sure are!

Don Gentle
Associate Director
don@highrocks.com

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