Wacky Hair Day

August 11, 2016 by Don Gentle

Today’s Pictures

We hope you enjoy the fun wacky hair day pictures.  You never quite know what the day will bring.  We enjoyed a little wetness this morning, and then watched the sun come out.  It was a beautiful afternoon.

It has been pretty amazing to see these boys change in just a couple of weeks. They were all excited and a little nervous at first. Then they made some new friends, tried some new activities, and even learned to live together.  These boys are creating themselves here at camp. Sometimes they are re-creating themselves.  Either way it’s on their terms, with their thoughts, choices, and words.  As parents you may only see a glimpse of what your boys are like at camp, but I want you to know, it’s pretty cool.  They might not be able to keep up with all their stuff, but they sure can learn how to be themselves here at High Rocks.

Tomorrow the transition begins. We will wrap up activities in the morning, and then begin the process of finding all our stuff and packing up during rest hour.  The rest of our afternoon will be a super fun all-camp color war event. Finally, we head back to shower, then enjoy our final banquet followed by the last campfire of the summer.

Saturday is going to be a crazy day of emotions and excitement.  The boys will be excited to see you, but upset to leave.  We have added a few notes below to make sure you have a good idea of what is happening.  Most importantly, let him show you what camp is to him.  He will most probably lead you by the hand and won’t stop talking for hours.  Just listen to what camp has done for him.  It won’t come out in sentences that spell it out.  You’ll have to listen and watch the how he speaks and what he talks about. It was definitely time well spent with purpose.

Parent’s Day Planning Guide for Saturday

• Arrive between 9:00 and 10:00am.  This should give you time for the guys to load up your trunk, park, and meet the campers out side of the lodge.  Campers will still be in assembly until around  9:40-ish. It is always fun to listen to the sing in assembly a bit.
• Once assembly is over each camper will be able to demonstrate the activities of his choice. This will begin around 10:00am.
• He will want to introduce you to most of his activity counselors.
• Make a point to catch up with his cabin counselor.  He may be in an activity area that he teaches. Your son will know where to find him.
• Please plan to stay until noon and join us for an early lunch that starts around 11:15. If you were not planning to stay for lunch originally, don’t worry- we always plan for extra & will have plenty to go around.
• At some point during the morning-
  • Stop by crafts and pottery to pick up any projects.
  • Go by the cabin to pick up personal items that were wet or did not fit in the trunk (all of his items should be on his bed)
  • Check out at the camp office & infirmary to pick up your packet (please bring a checkbook in case there is a small balance due) and any medications.
  • Peruse the “lost & found” items.
• It is fine to bring other family members or friends that might be interested in seeing camp.
• Don’t forget, if you enjoyed the pictures, you can still buy a flash drive of over 2500 pictures on closing day. We will have few extra.

What’s Next? I always have parents ask about the difference between our two-week session and our longer sessions. The two-week session is meant as an introductory camp experience and all of the trips during a two-week session are beginner level trips. In every session our goal is to have a progression of building skills in the activities. When boys move on to longer sessions as they get older, we are able to build on their previous experiences and keep them at an appropriate level of challenge. As you are planning for your son next summer we are happy to help with any questions you may have about which session may be the best for your son.

I will put up a short closing blog tomorrow night with some color war pictures.  It has been a pleasure and an honor to host your boys this summer. Thank You!

Don Gentle