It was another mountain morning up at High Rocks! Life at 3000 feet sure feels different. I really enjoy the cool mornings. I think it makes it feel like camp. Put on a cozy sweatshirt and by the end of breakfast, it’s down to the tee shirt. Really, the June session campers get the best of it. I feel like July warms up quite a bit and some of those cool mornings are not what they were in June.
I have enjoyed watching boys move into this second phase of the session. What I call the grit of camp. The relationships become real. The boys have to confront feelings, frustrations, and each other. That wet bathing suit that your cabin mate keeps leaving on your bed was funny at first, but now it is becoming a problem and it can no longer be ignored. This group process is an important part of the experience. Guided by caring and skilled staff, these boys can learn how to discuss issues of difference whether it be an opinion, a point of view, or just a misunderstanding. It is all part of this 21-day expedition we call camp. This “storming” is an important part of the process.
I tell parents that it’s not even fair sometimes. You can never be as cool as our staff. One of the key reasons all of this works is because our camp staff is admired so much by these boys. It gives the staff a precise advantage to handle all that comes their way because the boys want to stay on their good side. It’s a funny dynamic, but it sure is a whole lot more than tennis balls and climbing harnesses.
There were all sorts of trips out again today -climbing, canoeing, mountain biking, and hiking. AND, our senior age group boys (Chalet and Overlook) took the afternoon to go out on their annual whitewater rafting trip. It is something just this group does each year. After their rafting event, they then eat out a catered meal up on The Blue Ridge Parkway. They rolled back in around 9:00 pm, just enough time to settle in a pass out for the night.
So, if you do not see a picture of your son today, he was likely on a trip.
My High Rocks moment of the day is our cabin meeting. Each night the boys wrap up the day with a meeting in the cabin. It’s not typically a very long meeting, but it is a time to think about the day and talk about what is on your mind as well as thoughts about tomorrow. Some counselors have a set plan where they talk about highs and lows, or things they are looking forward to in the future. The counselor can also use this time to talk about how things are going in the cabin and even bring up topics that the group needs to address. This is a very important part of creating our community here at High Rocks. It’s also what keeps the roof on the building after living with five to six other guys in a very tight space for three weeks.
While our sailing program is nt as intense as a coastal program, the boys do enjoy learning how to sail here on our private protected lake.
Tonight our June Mini boys met up at 5pm to pack-up for their cabin overnight event. The cabin overnight is another time-honored tradition that works wonders while the boys hardly realize it. Everyone will get the opportunity to hit the wilderness on our private 1000-acre wood. They will all enjoy some pita pizzas over the camp stove, a nice campfire, and wrap it up with s’more and games until bedtime. We will see them just before breakfast tomorrow.
Our oldest age-group of Upper Seniors split up for evening program. Halfway II and Pinnacle headed down with me to play a few holes at the local par 3 golf course across the street. We had the whole course to ourselves. Lookout and Halfway I will go out tomorrow night. A big thanks to Brian and Sherwood Forest Golf Course. The most delightful 18-hole par 3 course in the mountains. Give it a try sometime.
Thanks for Tuning In! Have a great night!
Don
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