Olympic Sunday
June 16, 2019 by Don Gentle
Happy Father’s Day to all of the dad’s in our community! Thank you for sharing your boys with us!
It was a wonderful morning! Our theme for the day was The Olympics. An all-camp event that involves a number of fun games for the boys all Sunday afternoon. We kicked the morning off by frying up over nearly 600 Olympic themed doughnuts. They were a huge hit!
After breakfast, we bounced around a bit for morning assembly and then headed down to the lake for our lakeside service. I talked with the boys about one of our key pillars, community. Some of the finer points involved details about what a community is all about. Why do we need a community? Finally, the importance of supporting your community. I shared how important it is to share and listen, understand the norms and institutions of a community. Most importantly, I shared that community is about the people. How we all matter like a piece in a puzzle. That we are far more alike than we are different. The key to a community is a connection. You have to make a connection by offering up what you like dislike and even some things that make you scared. Make an effort to do your part and be a part of what is happening around you.
The rest of our morning was wide open for the boys to enjoy some organized choice period or just plain free time. Many activities were open for the opportunity, or the boys could choose to just hang out. We all had to embrace the beautiful day and be outside. The boys enjoyed some long games of disc golf, free swim, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, paddle boards, rounds of tennis, four square, basketball, soccer, gaga, ping pong, and even some card games. Leisure is a skill that needs to be practiced :).
Our afternoon was filled with a number of Olympic themed games. The boys, all divided by cabin group, rotated through a number of super-fun games. The pictures turned out really well. After our games, the boys took a quick shower as their laundry was returned to the cabin for them.
Our typical Sunday cookout on the lawn was also perfect. I watched the boys eat pounds of all-beef hot dogs and 1/3 lb Angus burgers. Our grill masters, Woody and Opel, did a great job of serving it up right.
We wrapped up the day with campfire, songs, and a story. William Foreman received the thought at the end of last season. While he did not return for his 11th summer, he made a point of coming back for campfire to share and pass the weekly thought. It was great to see him.
It sure was a wonderful way to wrap up the week and look ahead to our next adventures. Thanks again for sharing these wonderful boys with us. Have a great night.
Don