It sure was a wonderful opening day of the season! I certainly enjoy meeting new families and reconnecting with so many of the boys that come back year after year. It was fantastic to jump into the session with such a fantastic group of boys.
I am so excited to share the wonder of what we do every day. My hope is to capture the moment and let you in on a little of what is happening at High Rocks. I’ll try to include you in on a lesson or two on why things work out the way they do and add some notes on why we do it. As with most writers, some days will be a little better than others and I am certain my proofing will lead to something to be desired. My hope is that you will find the time and energy it takes to get these boys here to High Rocks is worth it and an important part of their development. Now on to some details…
Most everyone was here by lunch and after a brief orientation, we headed in for a meal of chicken fingers, fresh fruit salad, cut veggies, tossed salad, and sun butter and jelly is another option.
After lunch, we quickly busied ourselves with some activity rotations to find out what opportunities lurk out there in High Rocks land. We also use the opportunity to learn some basic skills and check-offs.
We had all picked our schedules by the time dinner came around and we were ready to feast! Dinner is another opening day favorite with pasta, scratch-made meat, marinara, pesto, and Alfredo sauce paired with garlic bread and scratch-made chocolate chip cookies. Add a salad bar full of all sorts of wonderful veggies, greens, and cheeses and you have one solid opening day.
We will send out an email to you about your sons’ schedules around lunchtime tomorrow. You can also find his up-to-date schedule on my.higrocks.com along with trips he has taken during the session. We ask the boys to choose five different activities. They can change just about any time they like, and they always get into the activities they want. Again, look for an email and update around lunchtime tomorrow.
IMAGES AND GALLERIES
Option 1: High Rocks Photo Gallery (Free)
The High Rocks Photo Gallery is completely free to log in and browse through the daily photos. For new families, login information was sent this afternoon! For returning families, your login from last year will work. You can use the “forgot password” link if you need a new one. Send me a quick email if you need assistance.
Like in previous summers, each nightly blog will link to the daily photos posted on the High Rocks Photo Gallery!
Option 2: Waldo Photos (Paid – Facial Recognition & Downloads)
Waldo Photos uses facial recognition technology to automatically find photos of your son in our daily uploads and text them straight to your phone. Cost is $39.99 per camper for the session. You can see all the same daily photos found in the free gallery, just on Waldo site with their automated features and high-resolution download access. Sign up here!
When Will Photos Be Uploaded? Around 9:00 pm each night, we will post the blog and photos to the free High Rocks gallery. By 11:00am the next morning, we will upload the same photos to Waldo for facial tagging.
For a full breakdown of both services, you can visit our updated Blog & Photos Page.
Most evenings we will divide up into our age groups and just have some fun. It’s a great time to hang out with out cabinmates and counselors and play some games. Each night is a little different.
Age Group 1 (Hillside and Connestee): Games on the Activity Field!
Age Group II (Lakeside and Foxhollow): Dodgeball in the Gym!
Age Group III (Flattop, Chalet, and Windswept): Games on the Cabin Field!
Age Group IV (Outpost and Sprucepine): Games on the Soccer Field!
Age Group V (Overlook and Lookout): Games on the Tennis Courts!
Age Group VI (Pinnacle and Halfway): Canoe Fill-Ups! Put four dudes in a boat. Give them some buckets and bailers and send them off to sink everyone else’s boat! Pure chaos!
After some great evening activity field games and a quick sanck on the hill, we all headed back to the cabins for some showers and a wrap-up to the day. Each cabin had a small cabin meeting to go over some ground rules and highlights to finish up the day just as the lights out bell was ringing.
It is an honor and a privilege to host your son here at High Rocks. We will do our best to give him the best possible experience summer camp has to offer. If you ever need anything, please reach out. It is going to be an amazing two weeks!
-Don Gentle
TUESDAY MORNING UPDATE: Images went into the wrong album last night. You should be able to see them now in the correct album under August Two Week. Sorry for the worry. -Don
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