Waikiki Wednesday

I had one of those “jack of all trade” days today at camp. After my usual admin meeting at 7:30 am, I made the rounds in the dining hall catching staff and campers for various needs. Then,  I had to fix a printer over at the health center, which lead to an Amazon list of needed items that the nurses wanted.  Then I worked with the maintenance guys to get them to help me remove a number of golf discs off some cabins.  I scrubbed some algae off the back of the camp house steps.  That was fun.  I took a few minutes to assist a staff member with some mouse removal/extermination from her car. That was day two on that job, with additional help fixing the cabin air filter compartment to prevent further entry.  Just before lunch and after a few phone calls I played my second-round game of the camper/counselor tennis tournament.  My partner and I held strong, but in the end, it was not enough. We lost 3-6.  We had to play the head of tennis… It was back to the health center where I had to use my orthodontic skills and clip a wire stabbing a camper in the back of the mouth. And that was all before lunch. Another successful morning😊.

It was another great day on the mountain. I enjoyed seeing these new mini-men begin to figure out a few skills and other items in their activities. Most of them jumped on the Waikiki Wednesday theme day. You will see a number of Hawaiian-themed shirts in the images today.

I work hard to learn these new boys’ names.  I use small moments to make connections.  The dining hall works best the first couple of days as I try to assist them through the process. It is a lot as they trailblaze through so many new adventures and processes at camp. Tonight I made a point of seeing them off on their adventure before dinner. It was fun to re-connect with several of the 2nd-year boys and learn a few more new names.

Today’s Menu:

Breakfast: scrambled eggs, oatmeal, scratch-made chocolate chip scones, fresh fruit bar, and assorted cereals.

Lunch: Taco Tuesday (wait, It’s Wednesday…) Chicken, black beans, fresh salsa, hand-made guacamole, tomatoes, onion, lettuce, and scratch-made red and green chili sauce (Thanks to Jessica, Nico, and Roberto in the kitchen). and a salad bar.

Dinner: Our own slow-cooked pulled pork or chicken, baked beans, hush puppies, coleslaw, and assorted desserts. (Mini Men menu listed below)

Speaking of trailblazers, all the Mini Men headed out tonight to spend the night in one of our five open-air shelter areas. Each group will enjoy some time on our beautiful 1000-acre property, cook up some pita pizzas, make some smores, and settle around the fire for an evening of laughs and games.  They will wake up just before breakfast to head back to camp. It should be quite a sight to see in the morning. I hope I have some more stories to tell.

Mountain biking headed over to our neighboring Dupont State Forest for a fantastic ride on Big Rock/Cedar Rock tail.  Most of the trail runs across these incredible granite bald sections.  It is a whole new experience for these guys. 

A group of canoers and kayakers headed out to the Tuckaseegee River today for some more river maneuvers and bigger whitewater.

Don’t forget to check your email for the letter I sent out yesterday.  The key part of that letter is your sons’ activity choices. He will likely keep these, but he may also change at any time. We are always here if you have questions.

One last note.  Be sure to write! The boys enjoy the letters. The email process makes it super easy.  My girls have been going to camp for several years, and each year I need to post notes to remind myself to write them.  It’s particularly easy to forget when you know they are back at a place they love.  I need reminders too.

Don Gentle

Today’s Pictures 

Don’t forget to write!