Illahee Day
July 7, 2019 by Don Gentle
Sunday’s are special here at High Rocks. We want to be sure the boys have some time for reflection and to change it up a little bit. Rest is important. We give the boys an extra thirty minutes to sleep in on Sundays and we also share some important lessons down by the lake. Today was a perfect Sunday morning!
Our first agenda item of the day, however, was laundry. The boys all work together to get their items sorted into three bags, then they are asked to all work together to get those items off to the back side of the dining hall where the laundry is picked up. It’s certainly not something you add to your brochure, but these little steps at camp really help build some independence, accountability, and even empathy. I love watching the guys work together to get these sizable bags off to the pick-up point. In a flash, it’s all back to camp clean, dry, and folded before dinner.
Breakfast kicked-off with scratch-made cinnamon rolls! I watched them roll out right on the table, head to the proofer, the oven, and finally the glazing! You will also see it in today’s pictures. Super awesome!
Of course, it was combined with assorted cereals, scrambled eggs, sausage, oatmeal, and an extended fruit bar with yogurt. A great way to kick-off a Sunday.
Our morning by the lake included some great camp songs and then Zoob shared some inspiring words from the book “How Full Is Your Bucket?” There are an adult and a children’s version of this book. We used the adult version during our staff training and we felt like the lesson would carry over to our camper community very well. The concept is that everyone has a bucket. There are certain things that fill your bucket and certain things that empty it. For example, when a camper leaves his wet towel on someone else’s bed; drip, drip, drip, the water comes out (of the bucket). Or when a counselor likes a camper’s tie-dye so much he wants to use it as an example in class; DROP, the water goes in! The author goes on to explain that when you focus on filling other buckets in your community, your bucket fills too. It’s a good lesson and very easy to read.
The rest of our morning was wide open for the boys to enjoy some organized free time. Many activities were open for 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, paddleboards, rounds of tennis, four square, basketball, volleyball, gaga, ping pong, and canoeing.
After the rest hour bell, the Illahee Game Day began! A fun filled day of co-ed games divided by age groups. It sure was a blast! The girls from Camp Illahee were wonderful guests as well. The Camp Illahee staff and campers were wonderful. They really do have a great program over there. As I mentioned last night, my girls have been there for several years, so it was a little strange to see them in the middle of the camp session. I tried to let my girls have their time, but they still took a few moments here and there to introduce me to their friends and cabin mates.
After games, we all enjoyed a cookout on the lawn complete with burgers, hot dogs, and all the sides. Our friends from Illahee then broke out the 7-layer bars for dessert!!! It could not have been a more perfect afternoon!
We waved goodbye to the girls after dinner and headed up to the campfire. Mark Birdsong told us a wonderful story as we eased into the calm of the evening.
It sure was a busy day! We are looking forward to another full and thrilling week ahead. I can’t believe our Mini boys only have five days left to go! Have a great week! We are certainly ready for ours!
Don