End Game and Final Campfire

Time sure flies in just two weeks.  I know you are excited to see your boys, but it seems like they only arrived yesterday.  After a fun morning of some activity wrap-up, pony painting, and general excitement, we took a brief break to get packed before the big event of the day.  END GAME! It is amazing how excited the boys can get for this event. I sure enjoyed watching it happen around me.  We washed up (mostly), and headed back to the dining hall for our end-of-summer banquet.  The spirits were high, the voices were loud, and the music was wonderful.  

After a wonderful banquet, we headed up to campfire for a few more songs and one last story. After a brief thought, we descended the hill thinking about what a time we had!

Here’s to another wonderful session and a great bunch of young men!  When you meet up with your son tomorrow, I can’t guarantee he will have all the paint from the end game washed off. What I can tell you is that he has had a great time and he is tired. While he may be excited to see you, he is also thinking about how long it will be until he comes back to the friends he has made here. A group of boys that will forever be his “High Rocks Friends.” It may feel strange at first for some parents, but it’s important to understand these mixed feelings just in case he doesn’t seem super thrilled that you showed up tomorrow.  Once you get down the road he may sleep for a while, but then he is going to be ready to tell you all about High ‘Rocks.

 A few tips for the ride home tomorrow and next week:

• Be sure to continue the conversation about camp at High Rocks and what his highlights were.  The stories are great, but sometimes boys need a little help to get the conversation started.
• At some point next week: Sit down with your son and go through the picture galleries. He hasn’t seen them yet. This will get him talking about camp and it is always fun to hear about what he was doing when a certain picture was taken. You will have your very own narrator.
• Talk about next summer. If your son wants to return to High Rocks next summer (and we hope so), go ahead and decide which session he will attend.  Enrollment begins on Sunday, August 13th at 5 pm.  You have a few weeks as returning campers, but after that, you may have a harder time getting a spot with the first-year applications coming in.
• Don’t forget about the parent survey.  We will send out a link on Monday. We enjoy the feedback to help us keep making camp better each year. 

On behalf of the whole High Rocks team, thank you again for trusting us to mentor your son for these weeks.  It is always an adventure and always a privilege. Zoob, Woody, and I will be around at the pick-up stations. We look forward to seeing all of you tomorrow. Check yesterday’s notes for details about pick-up. You Rock!

Don Gentle

Today’s Pictures