I love Saturdays at High Rocks! In the 29 (now my 30th) summers I have been here, there have always been pancakes on Saturday. It’s just what we do. Our Chef Lee makes the recipe in one of those giant Hobart floor mixers and always uses real eggs and real buttermilk. It does make a difference. It was a wonderful event sided with some lovely bacon strips, home fries, and hard-boiled eggs if you wanted them. On the fruit bar, there were blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries. Some guys just plopped them right on top of their pancakes. Of course, there were still assorted cereals if that wasn’t enough.
I like having everyone in camp on Saturday. The boys get a chance to catch back up after going on trips in so many directions. It is a great day to just be out and about. Again, Saturdays in activities are always a little different and fun. There is plenty of instruction but most of the activities add a little fun twist to make it slightly different.
Let me focus on this group of young men pictured above. These are the boys in our Summit Leadership Program (SLP). There is thirty-four years of summers combined with these boys. It really is a heap of experience. The SLP program is only available to our oldest campers who are rising 11th graders this summer. Not only are they experiencing their last possible summer as a camper, they have all sorts of new opportunities and challenges. The boys have daily meeting times with different mentors who will cover leadership details. The boys have opportunities to work and even “adopt a cabin” as they continue their experience. It is a great experience for these young men.
Like many of you, we were heartbroken to hear about the Camp Mystic situation. Our hearts and prayers go out to the camp and all of its families, especially our Texas families who have connections to friends and families there. It is never easy to hear news like this, and I know you all are thinking about your sons here as you take in the news.
I have heard from a few of our families asking about High Rocks and its vulnerabilities. High Rocks is positioned geographically on the watershed that this sort of flooding is not possible. We even had a 1000 year rain event last fall that proved it for us. As far as general emergencies regarding emergency situations in camp, our staff are trained in detail about our emergency action plan (EAP) that shows them how to respond to certain alerts and sirens including a general assembly of all campers and staff. Regarding the weather. We keep a constant eye on the weather and even pay for an exceptional weather alert system (Perry Weather) that keeps us up on constant alerts including lightning, flooding, and tropical alerts well ahead of any system along with custom weather forecasts. Our campers also practice some of these EAPs on the first day of camp. These are very similar to fire drills that they practice with at school.
If we had a need to evacuate or group up our campers, we would take a very conservative plan to get everyone to a safe place.
We are proud of our detailed communications with camper families throughout the year and during the session. Just as we keep you up on the details about opening day, the session, and even when to write your campers. Emergencies, and alerts to parents would happen in a similar way.
Additionally, it is important to note that news like this makes us all feel anxious and a need to feel safe. If you need to talk, we are here to answer your questions. Please reach out. Conversely, I do not recommend sharing this news or concerns to your boys while they are here. It may also make them feel unsafe. Let their innocence stay that way until you see them, and then you can share your worries face to face and they will feel your love. If you have information you feel you need to share, let us know if we can help.
Again, we are here to help with anything. Please let us know if you have questions.
Just a couple of guys ready for their ride. A little time with horses can make your day. The thrill and adventure of our English Riding Program is a great opportunity for these city boys to learn something new.
It sure has been a great week! I can’t believe our Mini boys go home in a week! Have a great night!
Don
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