A Fantastic Opening Day

July 27, 2015 by Don Gentle

It sure was a grand opening day!  Thanks to our incredible staff, the whole operation seemed to move flawlessly. I sure hope it was an enjoyable experience for you all. There was a healthy nervous excitement in the air, which is completely normal.  You do not need to feel like you were the only nervous parent today.  It is completely acceptable and expected.  I sure hope our staff and operation today helped ease the transition into a wonderful camp experience.

This afternoon we moved right into some activities, allowing kids to try a few things, ask some questions, and get moving.  Our hope is that these boys will be introduced to some new activities that may interest them.  By dinner tomorrow they will all have had an opportunity to climb, ride a horse, swim a little, canoe (and tip over a canoe), play some field games, and learn a little about all of our other activities.

Tonight we had an all-camp High Rocks games event. A great time to get some energy out, spend some time with their new age group friends, and have a whole heap of fun!

On Tuesday night, the boys will pick their activities for the session. On Wednesday I will send you an email letter with details of your son’s schedule and some additional session information.  Be sure to “whitelist” my email address if you happen to find me in your spam box.

Everything we do is a direct effort to be sure your son has an incredibly fun, challenging, and vital experience here at camp.   We are half the population compared to most all of our peers, which allows a personal experience for everyone.  We also have more staff per camper and WAY more property… Again this is all part of a purposeful experience to present a program you might expect.  We also want our parents to have an enjoyable camp experience too. If you ever have a question we are here to help you along the way as well.  No need to sit a worry, just drop us a line, or give us a call. Remember, part of why he is going to camp is to learn a little independence, enjoy some fun experiences, and, learn to be part of a community that is away from home. We will continue to keep you up to date on the experience every day.

Below are some additional details for our first-time families (and some reminders for our seasoned veterans).

Please remember not to send packages of any sort. Packages will not be delivered to campers (if there is a birthday, call us for instructions). If you need to send a necessary forgotten item of clothing, medication, etc., call our office first & then send the item to the attention of our office staff. Our office staff will open the package & deliver the item.

The link at the bottom (Today’s Pictures) will take you to today’s picture gallery.  It is a password protected area, so please enter the password you were given on opening day or what was mailed in the parent guide.  There is no username required, just enter the password. The page should open to a new window that is just a slideshow.  You will notice that our website and picture gallery is very user friendly on most any device, including mobile and tablet devices. Drop me a quick email if you need help with the password.

In order to enjoy your viewing experience of the gallery, please take these recommendations:

• Once you get to the page, scroll down until you see the bottom of the slideshow window.  Click on the last icon on the right, it will allow the slideshow to expand into the whole window. Use this option for desktops and standard laptops.
• For tablets, phone devices, and other screen enabled devices, tap the middle of the slideshow once to enlarge it.  This will also give you navigation options.  Typical swipe navigation will work as well.
• The slide show has a self-play option, but you can advance through as fast you wish by using the navigation arrows or swipe options.
• If you have any problems getting the picture gallery to work, please e-mail me at don@highrocks.com or visit this “gallery troubleshooter” post I put together to help folks out.

I will try my best to get the blog up by 9:30pm each night.  Don’t forget to follow us on social media too.  We will make it worth your while by putting up a couple extra pictures during the day and a special video from time to time .  Twitter: @CampHighRocks. Facebook:  Camp High Rocks, and on Instagram: #camphighrocks.

While I did not get to see everyone, it was a pleasure meeting so many new families as well all the returning faces today.  Be sure to visit often to check out pictures as the session progresses. We went a little heavy on pictures tonight to help the nervous parents. Typically, it will be around one hundred fifty. Feel free to add any comments to the daily posts (below) as well. It is going to be a wonderful session!

Sincerely,

Don Gentle
Director

Today’s Pictures