The flow of camp is already in full force. Boys are heading out on trips, learning new skills, and making this summer at High Rocks THEIR experience.
I hope you have enjoyed some of the pictures showing all the instruction going on here at High Rocks. These boys are really learning a lot of new things as well as the usual “muscle memory” tasks to bring them back up to speed from last year. Mountain biking is one program that takes its time and focuses on many different skills along the way. It’s a lot more than just jumping on a bike and heading down a trail. That is pretty much the best way to get hurt. Even the oldest group of boys benefitted from some focused skill development on our grassy campfire hill to work on some cornering before hitting a few laps on one of our many mountain bike trails. The lessons proved to work very well. I enjoyed watching the guys rip it up through the banked turns and catch some air over the rollers. Of course, our 1000-acre facility makes for a perfect playground for these boys to learn. The fact that these boys could hit some of our 20 miles of great trails right here in camp without ever having to jump in the van makes a big difference. You can’t beat getting in a solid 50-minute ride right here in camp and then not missing your paddling class. For me, the magic is in the staff we have here. We have a fantastic leadership group in mountain biking once again this year.
I know many of the parents are wondering how everyone is doing, and I hope the nightly blog and pictures give you a good sense of the daily routine of camp. In the next day or so the first letters from High Rocks will be arriving in your mailbox. There is the possibility of a letter coming home that may worry you. So, let’s talk about homesickness. It’s not a scary word. It’s all about growing up one step at a time. After over 30 years here at High Rocks, I have some pretty good experience with kids and camp. That being said, a little homesickness is normal. More often than not, what you are reading in those letters today has passed. They are on to bigger heights. Remember, we are professionals. If you feel worried at all just drop us a line. Don’t forget to do the same for your son. Give him some encouraging words; tell him how proud you are and how he will be just fine. Try not to go on about how the dog misses him, or all the cool things you are doing at home. When you are learning to take some steps on your own, sometimes you fall down and get back up. It’s definitely not a reason to stop walking. Camp is a super place to step out on your own. If you do feel like you need to give us a call, we are here to help. Don’t forget, the boys love mail. If you have not sent anything, emails are certainly a quick turnaround. Send often.
It was a great day out on the lake. There were several fish landed today. It’s nice to have our own 11-acre lake to fish from every day. As we get into mid-summer here, you can imagine that these fish are seeing a lot of the same lures and maybe not as enticed to chase it. the fishing definitely changes as we get into July.
Being able to focus and react can be challenging when you are younger, but once you land that fish, it is so worth it! It also gets you to practice these skills. These small successes can transfer to many opportunities and challenges in life. Just a little moment about what fishing can do for an adolescent boy.
Age Group 1 (Hillside and Connestee) and 2 (Foxhollow and Lakeside): Connestee and Foxhollow went out on their cabin overnight while Hillside and lakeside spent the evening on the tennis courts.
Age Group III (Chalet and Windswept): Spent the evening doing games on the Soccer Field.
Age Group IV (Flattop and Overlook): Spent the evening on the waterslide.
Age Group V (Outpost and Sprucepine): Games on the Activity Field
Age Group VI (Pinnacle, Lookout, and Halfway): Dodgeball in the Gym.
Well, it is time to go and I am already late. I hope you all have a wonder holiday weekend. The pictures are still coming up as I type. There should be about 400+ once they all load up. We are going to have so much fun tomorrow for our Freedom Day! The pictures should be fun.
Thanks for tuning in…
Don
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