It sure was another great morning here at High Rocks! It was nice to see the temperatures warm back up and we all welcomed the sun back in our lives. We missed him! I enjoyed the cool and quiet morning as hiked up to the dining hall. I made it up to our morning meeting only to find scratch-made biscuits being made! A little biscuit, a little jam, add some coffee. Suddenly a 7:30 am meeting doesn’t seem too bad. I got a couple of biscuits fresh out of the oven. Flour, buttermilk, butter, and just a little baking soda and salt. It doesn’t take much (unless you count the butter, but don’t), but it sure makes a difference. During the meeting, a small group of the kitchen staff came out. They were super excited to ring the bell! They recruited some climbers and paddlers that were staging out front for their trip leaving early. I enjoyed listening to all of them scream “GOOD MORNING HIGH ROCKS” just as the bell ended. We were off and running.
It was such a busy day at High Rocks. We had several trips out of camp today. Canoeing took an all-day trip on the Green River today. These are boys that have done the French Broad before and moving on to their next level. Rock climbing was heading down to South Carolina where the rock was a little drier and warmer. Mountain biking had a morning and afternoon trip out today. The beauty of being so close to DuPont is that we can get in just as much riding as some camps do traveling all day. It is a great opportunity for these guys to get on some cool trails. Hiking also had a trip out today that hit some granite peaks in DuPont called Big Rock.
In their activities, the boys work hard every day to learn new skills and attempt to get better. The new challenges make it more exciting, which encourages them to work hard to get to that next level. While it is a lot of “Wee Ha” we like to think it is a lot more than that. Even going off the rope swing for the first time can be a big deal. It’s a new challenge that takes us outside of our comfort zones. These boys are living that every day and loving it! Not one phone, computer, or tablet anywhere! It sure is a good break for these guys. It’s fun with a bonus kicker!
The biggest contributing factor to success at camp, outside of the parents’ willingness to send their child, is the staff that mentor them. We spend a lot of time hiring and training our staff. They are a hard-working group of young adults that enjoy educating young children and adolescents. The biggest edge they have over parents is that the boys think they are the coolest. Add some fun and a cool location void of the distractions of electronics and you have an opportunity to overcome all sorts of what life will throw at you. I have heard it phrased in many different ways, but I think it goes something like this… “It’s not what we do for our children, it is what we teach them to do for themselves that is important.” I sure do see some of that this week.
You can’t forget that first big fish. Check out the size of this bluegill! You know it made his day. We didn’t even mention the patience, focus, and determination he learned trying to catch this guy.
Mud Pit and Chill Night
Age Group 2 headed out for their chill night (Sliding Rocks and Dolly’s) while the rest of camp hit the MUD PIT!!! WE all headed down to the mud pit for some good old fashion chaos. I am pretty sure you can’t (don’t want to) do this at home. Check out the pictures. It is always a hoot.
Stay tuned for all the end of session fun! Thanks again for trusting us with your boys!
Don
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