What They Become

July 16, 2016 by Don Gentle

Today’s Pictures

We are so fortunate to have many of our campers come back as staff.  It is not a path for every camper, but the young men that we have back to mentor our boys really impress me.  I have known many of these young men when they were still eight years old and la little homesick. I have watched them work hard year after year in there activities. I have seen some of their mistakes and many of their successes. I have handed out scores of five-year backpacks and ten-year paddles. What I enjoy most is when these young men make a point to come back to High Rocks to give back the love, attention, craziness, inspiration, and even some wisdom. Some of these young men our the best counselors.  They get it. Not that our other staff are any less excellent, I just don’t have the same timeline I do on our newer staff.

Today I was again impressed by a young man who has grown up here. He watched his brothers come and go for years before he was able.  He was a good all around camper, and now is headed off to college.  He is inspiring, fun, hard working, but most of all, he is all about the boys. As I watched him interact with parents and campers alike, I was so impressed with his insight and his wisdom as he spoke about each camper.  This is what I love about my job, and I never have to grade papers, give tests, or even homework.  I do enjoy working on anywhere from 5-10 letters of recommendation every year, but those are usually a good time as well.  Camp can do a lot for a boy, but being a camp counselor can do even more for a man.

We had a great day visiting with the Mini I parents and wishing well to all those boys heading home today.  It was a small group, but that made it very personal.  The four week boys were enjoying all being in camp today.  Many activities took a break from the usual day-to-day and came up with some fun events today including some Harry Potter themed excitement in hiking and horseback riding.  The shooting sports staff created an awesome stalking game that took place on the far side of the lake for most of the day. The climbers hosted a small “bouldering bonanza” where they guys would try to earn as many points they could by doing bouldering problems. There was a little welcomed rain that came in around 4:00 today that cooled the air off nicely.

There are some great pictures from last night’s “skit night” event.  The boys proved to be quite hilarious and talented. What a blast we had.

As the sun sets and the temperature outside begins to fade, there is a wonderful fog rising off the lake. The temperature outside has already dropped to 67 degrees. There is no better place to than these mountains to host such a wonderful program. It sure is a wonderful night.

Sleep tight,

Don