I still love the mountain mornings. A cool 65 degree morning up here. We have enjoyed this lovely high pressure since opening day. It won’t last forever, but it sure is delightful!
You will notice several Hawaiian Themed shirts in the pictures tonight. Some of the guys really go out of the way to look good on Waikiki Wednesday. I am not sure when some of these theme days started, but many have been going on for decades. We don’t have something every day, but there are several like Tie Dye Tuesday, Waikiki Wednesday, and tomorrow is Jersday Thursday. The staff usually start the excitement and then, just like that, you have a tradition. We may not see jerseys tomorrow since there will likely be a lot of Freedom Flair out there. We will just have to see.
It was great to see the boys starting to get into the groove a little. Some guys are still working on getting there in time. More importantly, the boys are starting to pick up some skills and a little stamina. Getting into “camp shape” is important. It is amazing how many steps these boys get in by just moving from activity to activity.
Our beautiful morning went quickly! At 12:30 we caught up with some mail and the camp store just before lunch.
Some boys will say they just wnt to paddle. Other boys say that five actiities isn’t enough. The key about out activities is the progression. We want them to learn something while they are having fun AND we want them to try something new! The five different activites is a nice balance. Of coure, the boys can change their activities, but we try to let them do it a day or two before heading off to soemthing else. I will get more into some of this philosophy later.
Our high challenge course is always a hit for the cabins. Rather than their regular morning activities, cabin groups are invited to enjoy the course. The boys spend an entire morning enjoying the obstacles and excitement of the aerial adventure with their cabinmates. We have hosted this course for over 30 years. It debuted my very first summer in 1994. While it has had several upgrades and iterations along the way, it has always been something the boys do with thier cabin group. You cannot beat the zipline finish as your body zooms off the tower through the trees and out to the pasture toward the barn
Our Age group evening program is the perfect opportunity to be around boys your age and just enjoy some fun and games together. Since these guys choose their own activities, they don’t always see their cabinmates throughout the day. Each age group typically consists of a couple of grades. They tend to do a lot together outside of the regular activity hours. I enjoy it when the boys come up with age group names. It is always a fun time when the age group leader screams out the name and then all the boys respond with a snappy chant of sorts.
Age Group 1: Hillside and Connestee
Age Group 2: Lakeside and Flattop
Age Group 3: Foxhollow and Windswept
Age Group 4: Outpost and Sprucepine
Age Group 5: Chalet and Overlook
Age Group 6: Upper Seniors and Aides. Halfway, Pinnacle, and Lookout
For tonight: Age groups 2 and 4 headed out into the 1000-acre wood for their cabin overnights. Age group 1 enjoyed the waterslide and rope swing. Age group 3 had some games on the tennis courts. Age group 5 enjoyed their time with canoe fill-ups. This is my favorite. You take four dudes and put them in a canoe with a couple of buckets and then they try to sink each others boats. So much fun! Finally, the age group 6 boys had some world cup soccer going on down at the soccer field.
It sure has been a wonderful start to the session! Thank you for sharing the boys with us! Have a great evening!
Don
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