Enjoying The First Steps

I enjoyed hearing the first wake-up bell of the session ring this morning.  In recent years it has been immediately followed by an energetic “GOOD MORNING HIGH ROCKS.”  It’s been something of a modern tradition that has caught on over the years.  The most excited person lately has been Nate our Camp Chef and kitchen manager.  He loves to get out and ring the bell in the morning!  At times there are a few staff and even a group of campers.  What a pleasing echo across the lake for the morning!

I get so excited about the first morning of camp.  I always like asking the boys about their first night’s sleep and how cabin clean-up went. It was a brisk 50 degrees here this morning.  Most folks were in sweatshirts of some sort.  The boys made it from cabin clean-up just in time for the bell as we headed into a delightful meal including scrambled eggs, sausage, sausage gravy, grits, and scratch-made biscuits.  Following that was a nice fruit bar of oranges, apples, and grapes. We wrapped it up with some assorted cereals.  I was most excited about a warm coffee on this cool morning.

After breakfast, it was time to get our bodies moving down at assembly.  It is such a fun tradition for the boys and something they really enjoy.

Our first day of activities set a baseline that will springboard into some real learning through the session. The boys were jumping on their bikes, paddling their canoes, and even riding horses! These “first steps” of some rules, terminology, and simple skills will lend themselves to a lot of future advancement.

I was a little busier in the office than I cared for, but duty calls for the big picture here at High Rocks and we must do the grind. I was able to get out my director’s email with your son’s schedule and a few details this afternoon. I hope you all find that helpful. As I mentioned previously, you can keep up with any schedule changes on the my.highrocks.com platform along with trips and special events.

Speaking of trips. Our oldest group of campers hit the trail right before dinner. 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. We typically move down from oldest to youngest. Of course, the youngest guys always have the best stories. I hope to share some of those with you.

It sure was a great day at Camp High Rocks! I look forward to some more details and lessons along the way.

All the best,

Don Gentle

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