Happy Father’s Day

June 16, 2013 by Don Gentle

Link to Today’s Pictures

Happy Father’s Day

Even though we let the boys sleep in a little extra on Sundays, my day started pretty early.  My oldest daughter bounded in early to wish me a happy father’s day! Zoob and the girls created a wonderful breakfast of doughnuts, eggs benedict (with a load of hollandaise), oh, and a side of fruit.  We had to sort that out early, so I could be with all of the campers at breakfast.  What a great start to my Sunday morning!

The boys were pretty psyched to find that the Krispy Kreme fairy dropped off 30 dozen doughnuts last night! It made for a boisterous breakfast event.  Did I mention we ate ALL the doughnuts?  We headed down to the lake where Zoob lead us through a nice Sunday morning service.  From there we enjoyed the rest of the morning in choice activities until lunch.  What an incredible day!

I am still amazed every year how awesome this High Rocks experience is for these boys.  One of the key things I have seen lately is how camp creates vital engagement.  There is no Internet, no cell phones, and no texting.  They work together climbing, paddling, and even during dodge ball games.  The boys are so absorbed and captivated with what is going on around them, that they do not even realize it is important learning.  You see, when campers are immersed in an environment like High Rocks, they are constantly reading each other’s faces and communicating both verbally and nonverbally.  These activities engage the senses.  The boys learn to be in the present.  They learn how to actually communicate with one another.

The best part about all of this is that they get to learn from really cool young adults; an opportunity where a parent cannot even begin to compete. Don’t get me wrong, I think ya’ll are pretty cool; actually I think ya’ll are really cool.  How is it that we can get these boys to make their beds, clean up, give up their cell phones, friends, AND home? You have to be pretty cool to pull all that off.

There are some great pictures from last night’s square dances, and some Sunday morning fun.  this afternoon’s age group events were some of the coolest stuff I have seen in a few years.  There were island sieges, an awesome capture the flag game on campfire hill, a “sloppy slurch” through the mud. All of this with a backdrop of great classical opera from Richard Wagner’s Flight of the Valkyrie playing on the sound system.  The music really added to the mood of the afternoon.  I love camp!!!  We will add some of those pictures to tomorrow’s gallery.

Don’t worry Dads, ya’ll are still pretty cool :).

Have a great evening.  

Don