Until Next Time

There was no rest today as we blasted out the last day of the session with gusto!  What an incredible group of young men.  We played hard, we laughed hard, we cried a little, and we even danced a bit. Your son has made new friends and strengthened old relationships. He is more self-reliant. He has even learned a little bit more about himself.  I love what High Rocks can do for a young man.

This afternoon we got ourselves packed up and then headed out to the main activity field for our END GAME!  The rain added to the epic event that had them all worn out by the end of the event. After shower hour, we had our final banquet, and then it was up to campfire for a final reflection and a story. We even handed out some of our five-year backpacks to four campers this session.

Closing Saturday

Saturday is going to be a crazy day of emotions and excitement.  The boys will be excited to see you but upset to leave.  We have added a few notes below to make sure you have a good idea of what is happening.  Most importantly, let him show you what camp is to him.  He will most probably lead you by the hand and won’t stop talking for hours.  Just listen to what camp has done for him.  It won’t come out in sentences that spell it out.  You’ll have to listen and watch how he speaks and what he talks about. It was definitely time well spent with purpose.

Parent’s Day Planning Guide

  • Plan to roll in around 9:15 am
  • Meet your camper at his cabin.
  • Take a moment to talk with his cabin counselor.
  • Make a point of getting all your son’s things that are still at the cabin.
  • Feel free to walk around and let him show you camp.
  • We will have the camp store open this year on closing day. Feel free to stop by to get any last minute merch for the school season.
  • Don, Zoob, and Woody will be by the tree near the tennis courts after you park.  Swing by to say hello. 

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 18th 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 Tuesday. We enjoy the feedback to help us keep making camp better each year. 

Thank you again for trusting us to mentor your son for these weeks.  It is always an adventure and always a privilege. Woody, Zoob, and I will be around if you would like to talk about anything. I look forward to seeing all of you tomorrow. You Rock!

Don Gentle