Already?
June 24, 2015 by Don Gentle
I sure have enjoyed this session. Today was no different. Another sunny and warm day with a refreshing mountain breeze. The sailboats were sailing all morning long! The two-day canoe trip returned from the Tuckaseegee and Nantahala Rivers today. An awesome trip was had by all. The second survival hike also returned today…they all “survived.” Today was also the last climbing trip that spent the day in the heat on the South Side of Looking Glass. The boys in camp were enjoying their activities as well. I will say that we have worn these boys out. I saw a lot of sleepy heads around lunch today, with many of the boys saying they were just plain whopped.
This afternoon we had a nice rain storm come through to cool things off. It went from a toasty 83 degrees to 69 degrees in just an hour. It slowly warmed back up, but we sure enjoyed the cool off.
Tonight everyone had their own activity with just their cabin. Cabin night has been a big hit since we started doing it. Each cabin will “claim” an activity or special area in camp to enjoy some time with just their cabin group. Some guys hang out at one of the many fire pits in camp and roast s’mores. Several enjoyed different spots on the lake. A few went out of camp to a close scenic spot to enjoy some quiet time. I was privileged enough to host the upper senior age group at the director’s house for the evening. The upper senior dinner has been a long tradition in the July session and tonight was the inaugural event for the June session. Zoob, Woody, and I put together a fine steak dinner with sides including potato skins, salad, and Texas toast. Woody did the bulk of the work grilling all the steaks. I will say, that we had enough meat that they didn’t finish it all. We wrapped up the meal with cheese cake for dessert. After the meal we all enjoyed a little discussion in the living room about what their future at High Rocks might look like including opportunities for counselor trainee, assistant counselor, and future staff member. We shared highlights about this session, and what they might change about camp. I enjoyed sharing my perceptions of their time modeling camper behavior and being good community members. What an outstanding group of young men. The highlight of the night was handing out upper senior challenge t-shirts. It really does feel like a short session…
While I’m thinking of Closing Day, I’d like to pass along a few logistical details.
We’re looking forward to seeing all of you Friday morning. You are welcome to bring family and friends – we make plenty of lunch to cover guests that aren’t in our original count. If you know of anyone that is interested in a camp session for their son, they are also welcome to join us & see what we are all about firsthand.
Remember, the guys will be ready to see you at 9:45am. Please do not plan to arrive until after 9:15am when we have staff in place to load trunks and show you where to park. The campers will be well-occupied singing all of their favorite songs in a final and most raucous assembly until about 9:40. After you stop by the gym and get your son’s trunk loaded you will park in campfire field. You can then meet up with your son by the dining hall on Mystic Hill after assembly ends. After that, he can show you around his activities and demonstrate the skills he learned throughout the session.
Lunch will be served for everyone beginning around 11:30am, but feel free to continue visiting with your son’s counselors and friends. Be sure to catch up with your son’s counselor and stop by the cabin to get any belongings that did not get into the trunk. During the morning or on your way out, don’t forget to check out at the office and pick up your son’s envelope with cabin pictures, store account refund (hopefully!), and other important items.
I look forward to seeing all of you on Friday morning. We will have a few more pictures tomorrow and a brief blog. Travel safe!
Don