Here We Go!!!

July 3, 2012 by

Pictures from July 3, 2012 (password required)

Our first full day dawned bright, early and full of excitement, with many campers having “quietly” cleaned their cabins up by the wakeup bell. After a wonderful breakfast of sausage, cinnamon toast, apples, fruit and cereal, we all headed out for full bore in-camp activities.

For the returning campers, each period began with reviews of such skills as paddle or tennis strokes, knots and harnesses, horse and bike mounting, Leave No Trace philosophy, raising sails and lowering dagger boards, preparing and casting rods, working clay, and soap making, among others. For newer campers, nomenclature, safety rules and basic instruction opened the periods. For everyone, by the end of each hour boats were moving, bikes rolling, arrows and pellets flying, horses walking… and kids were smiling, running, having a ball.

Free time before lunch saw the introduction of an addition to our program: GaGa Ball! Inside a hexagonal court with waist-high wooden walls ten feet on a side, players use only their hands to strike a kickball, aiming to hit other players below the waist. If they are hit on the legs, they have to leave the “pit.” While they are in and hopping out of the way, each player has to watch our for redirected hits from surprising angles, ricochets off the walls coming at them from behind, or their  wayward strikes flying out of bounds. Players who have been sent out can even get back in by catching those wayward balls, so with all the dodging, jumping, ducking, running and getting out and back in repeatedly, the game is quite a workout as well as a ton of fun.

As I write this, the upper senior age group is all out on their cabin overnights, getting acquainted as cabins, having pita pizzas and s’mores, and having the magic experience of spending the night removed from “civilization” in the woods. We missed their noisy presences at supper, but camp echoes with the sounds of waterslide, Danish Rounders and dodge ball.

A couple of calm days at camp this past weekend were a nice tonic, but having campers here again brings the place back to life, and it is not only appropriate but also truly gratifying to see and hear camp be its exuberant, enthusiastic and nurturing self as evening draws down.

Thank you for sharing your guys with us, and good night.

Dan Noland
Head Counselor

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