Freedom Camp
July 4, 2016 by Don Gentle
The freedom to go to camp! That sounds good to me! it surely was a fun-filled day. Even though it was warm by our standards, it was still wonderful outside all day! Everyone enjoyed the opportunity to swim and tip a canoe, which added a refreshing plunge to the afternoon rotation. Boys also created age-group nicknames, created name tags, and had a chance to play some of our most common camp games so that they could learn the rules.
WE all enjoyed partaking in some spirited events throughout the day as well. You will see some great face painting along the way with various spirited images. My favorite was the reading of The Declaration of Independence by some staff at dinner. Several counselors would pop-up through the reading to cry out one of the 26 some atrocities. A good history lesson with a bit of camp flair.
Tomorrow I will send you an email of your son’s schedule and some additional session details. Be sure to “whitelist” my email address(or highrocks.com) 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. We also have more staff per camper and WAY more property… If you ever have a question we are here to help you along the way as well. No need to sit a worry, just give us a call. It is going to be a wonderful session!
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 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 top (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. 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 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. We will make it worth your while by putting up a couple extra pictures and a special video from time to time during the day. Twitter: @CampHighRocks. Facebook: Camp High Rocks, and on Instagram: #camphighrocks.
Tonight will be our big fireworks show! As a studied fireworks professional, I love my job! It is always a pleasure to create an awesome show for these guys. Back in 2009 I received my pyrotechnic license to put on shows commercially. While it wasn’t a huge task of wits, it did take a little bit of time. I crack myself up when I tell people I am a licensed pyrotechnic operator. Anyhow, it is just one more of those cool tasks you learn as a camp director. BOOM. BOOM!
While I did not get to see everyone, it was a pleasure seeing so many returning faces as well all the new families today. We’re looking forward to a great session. Be sure to visit often to check out pictures as the session progresses. Feel free to add any comments to the daily posts as well (below).
Sincerely,
Don Gentle
Director …and Licensed Pyrotechnic Operator