Today dawned cool with a light breeze coming across the lake to welcome camp to the day. The kind of morning that makes guys snuggle deeper in their blankets and squeeze an extra minute or two before emerging… But this is the 2 Week and when that morning bell rang, more than 300 camper feet hit the cabin floors nearly simultaneously!
A busy thirty minutes of getting beds made, learning and performing cabin chores, and then to breakfast with all the enthusiasm. Pancakes, hashbrowns, eggs, sausage, fruits, and cereals greeted the hungry hordes. My morning often finds me sipping coffee and catching up with the guys as they work their way through the food offerings. I was still reconnecting with guys I haven’t seen since last year, meeting new campers, and really just enjoying the whole event.
Breakfast flows right into assembly in our gym where we get some motion/excitement going and hear about special opportunities for the day. Our first cabin inspections reported in from morning clean-up, and we coached the guys on getting to activities on time, staying hydrated, and how the morning schedule will run. Several of us made ourselves available for folks with last minute questions on where to go or what their first activity of the day actually is.
A big help with knowing where everyone is supposed to be and where they may be going next is a document called the “Dan Sheet.” Appropriately named after my father who came up with the idea, the Dan Sheet has every camper, cabin, counselor, and activity all on the front and back of one legal sheet. It’s an essential resource and it fits perfectly in the pocket. By mid-session, it becomes key for lost and found as well!
The cool morning transformed into a cooler midday with some sporadic cloud cover. The camp store was a (very!) popular event just before a lunch of tacos and a varied salad bar.
After keeping hunger at bay once more, camp retires to their cabins for a rest hour which sees everyone spending some relatively quiet time playing cards, reading a book, taking a nap, or even writing a letter home. With a camp day so packed with constant energy burn, it is important to insist on a little breather, particularly as we get deeper into the session and guys benefit from a short rest.
Dinner tonight was grilled chicken with a chimichurri sauce, roasted taters, green beans, focaccia, a salad bar, and a delicious chocolate cake with chocolate icing!
Tonight Pinnacle, Halfway, Lookout and Sprucepine nearly made it out of camp on their cabin overnights. A time-honored tradition of pita pizzas, campfire, and s’mores. It is a wonderful opportunity to take advantage of our open-air shelters that are out on the property. A short hike with just enough organization to make it there and then the fun begins. Tonight, however, storms rolled in just in time to point the groups towards in-camp sheltered areas where they cooked dinner, did s’mores, played some games, and then crash back in their cabins. Less adventure, but definitely some more sleep!
This evening in camp, our Age Group 1 and Age Group 2 were in the gym playing a ridiculous game called “Messy Bedroom”. It seemed to speak to their collective soul. Age Groups 3 and half of 4 were in the dining hall playing a rowdy game of bingo with all kinds of cool prizes on the line.
There are all sorts of pictures tonight. Please email us if you have any problems with the gallery. We have also sent out your son’s activity schedule this afternoon. While this is but a moment in time, he is likely to keep most of this schedule through the session. Incidentally, you can also look on my.highrocks.com to see his current schedule as well as any special trips your son has been on this session.
Have a good night!
Woody Noland
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