The first morning at camp began, for most, a bit earlier than the 7:45 wakeup bell. As soon as the sun crests the horizon and the birds start their chatter, so too do our excited young guys waking up in a new environment for the first time. The cool breeze blowing in off of the lake kept the beds cozy enough that few were leaving their bunks before time however!
Ring the bell did, and up popped our fellas to handle their new morning routine of making their beds, getting their personal stuff organized, and then each handled a chore for the cabin as a whole. Guys were working the broom or mop, taking out trash, wiping down bathroom fixtures, and bringing in dry stuff from the clothesline. Part of the process is just learning the skills to do some of these chores, all in a chaotic choreography with the rest of their cabinmates, and under the gun of breakfast coming in thirty minutes.
After a delicious breakfast with bacon, eggs, yogurts, cereals, muffins, and fruit, it was time for assembly in the gym. We gather as a group with the camp musicians to sing songs and get everyone pumped for the day. There are special announcements of happenings during free time and choice period, feedback is given on the inspection of each cabin’s cleanup efforts, and then its off into the day.
Foxhollow jumped into three activities this morning with Horseback riding, a hike, and Tennis. Lakeside hit the horseback riding event, a hike, and then Pottery. Flattop had their crack at our high ropes course for the entire morning, finishing off with the zipline to cap the experience.
A brief free time of gaga, disc golf, games in the gym, and an opportunity at the camp store led the way into a lunch of chicken tacos. Then it was time for rest hour, which is exactly that as everyone returns to their cabins for some quieter time. This is a great chance to catch your breath a bit during a long and busy camp day. Guys were reading books, playing games quietly with cabinmates, and a couple were even producing correspondence!
One of my favorite parts of my job is introducing camp to new interested families, and I tend to be the point guy when it comes to camp tours. Mostly, I just like talking about our process and our purpose in everything we do. The summer is THE BEST time to see camp. You get to see camp in action with boys enjoying the High Rocks adventure. If you have friends thinking about camp, be sure to send them while the boys are here. If you really want to know what a camp is all about, just ask the kids that come here.
If you know of someone interested in High Rocks, tell them to come take a tour while the kids are here! You can just give us a call or schedule online on our tour page.
Each morning the boys are responsbile for cleaning up there cabin…really! I know that sounds far fetched, but with the proper guidence, you can actually get it done. They only have about thirty minutes to wake-up, get dressed, clean up their own mess (the hardest part), make their bed (second hardest if you have a top bunk), and then complete the group chores. They are graded each morning on their performace. The winner is Cabin of the Day! Check out these proud guys.
Slip and Slide!!!
We all took to the slip and slide this evening. A time-honored activity that is a heap of fun! We wrapped up with a little ice cream snack. It was time to call it a day and head back to our cabins.
Everyone is settling into call to quarters now, with hot showers and pajamas making people realize what a big day they just had. After some cabin meetings and a couple of chapters read out of their cabin book, there shouldn’t be a single pair of eyes still open. Which is good, as tomorrow is coming and promises to be just as busy as today!
Enjoy the pictures from today’s events. Did you see all those Tie Dyes out there? They made them all yesterday and are already wearing them! I went a little crazy with the slip and slide!!! I can’t promise this many every night.
I hope everyone at home is about to sleep as well as these guys at camp. We will see you back here tomorrow evening for some more fun!
Don Gentle
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