HeadingThe Best of Times

Time sure flies in just one week.  I know you are excited to see your boys, but it seems like they only arrived yesterday.  The boys wandered in this morning with a wonderful greasy, ashen, marshmallow look about them. I think I even saw a few specks of tomato sauce in the corners of their mouths. All reports were good! The boys played games and eventually settled in for the night. It is a great highlight (and a great challenge) of the session for these boys to spend a night out in the woods. It has a good “grit” feel that only an adventure like that can bring about.

We spent the better part of the day rotating through some more fun activities. At 5:00 pm the boys headed back to begin the transition of heading home tomorrow. They showered up and began reclaiming their items from about the cabin -both inside and out. After everyone was organized and showered, we headed up to the dining hall for a final banquet and then up to campfire for some mellow songs and a story.

It has been an amazing few weeks. We got a little dirty, a little crazy, and we may have even struggled a bit.  You know what, though?  We did it ourselves… Guided by some incredible young men. They are the coolest thing since sliced bread.  We learned new skills, new adventures, but most importantly some life skills along the way that school cannot teach us. We made some friends. We sure did love it! For us, it was never about the destination and it never will be.  Give us the journey… This is where the story is told.

 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 or Tuesday. We enjoy feedback to 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 days.  It is always an adventure and always a privilege. Zoob, Woody, and I will be out in the field for pick-up. We look forward to seeing all of you tomorrow. You Rock!

Don Gentle

Today’s Pictures