As always at SAM, we’ve hit the ground running. It was wonderful to see the excitement of both new and returning campers on opening day as they took in their first few breaths of Saltash Mountain air. It wasn’t long before the guitars were out, the hands were spotted with paints, and the tetherball was in full swing. As campers introduced themselves to their cabin mates, they found that not everyone was from just down the block. This second session SAM community is made up of 12 female and 19 male campers that have lived in California, Florida, New York, Iceland, Brazil, and France to name a few.
Sunday evening many SAMmers had their first opportunity to visit our Crafts Barn which holds an array of costumes and props as well as our arts and crafts materials. Campers donned gorilla suits, fencing masks, evening gowns, and top hats to perform public service announcement skits on life here at SAM: using KYBOs (outhouses), the water front, and 5th Freedom (freedom of expression without fear of judgment).
SAMmers were soon off to their cabins for Cabin Discussions. Campers are given the opportunity to provide input on how they would prefer life in the cabin to be. A few of the discussed norms included no teasing, doing your part with chores, and make every camper feel welcome. Cabins will often revisit this contract they all are a part of creating.
Monday was full of excitement as we spent the day gearing up for Cabin Trips. Campers started by reviewing maps and scouring over the itineraries for their first trips. After making some tough decisions around the preferred trip menu items (Two days from now, will I want cream cheese or jam on my bagel?), campers were off to see the Mac-O-Bac Mamma, our gear specialist, to gather all group supplies, test stoves, set up tents, and pack food. Other activities in preparation for the trips included some canoe training, otherwise known as tippy tests, and some fun games to begin the process of becoming a functional group. It’s amazing what you can learn with some blindfolds, a couple of old socks, and 10 ft of spare rope! We closed Monday with an adventurous tour of SAM camp, aka The Magical Mystery Tour, in which each place of interest held a new obstacle to overcome. Once completed, campers would get a clue to send them to the next location until all areas of camp were visited.
Tuesday campers awoke to sunshine and chocolate birthday cake (of course after a well balanced breakfast). The morning activity included deciphering phrases referencing our upcoming trips from a multitude of our represented languages, including Japanese, Icelandic, Portuguese, French, German, Spanish, American Sign, Latin, and Hebrew. This was a perfect transition into departure. Cabins set off on foot, by canoe, and by van for three-day adventures in the surrounding Green Mountains. The Questers, our expeditions program for campers ages 15 and up, set off for their twenty-day adventure canoeing, backpacking, and rock climbing in the Adirondacks of New York!
Even in the midst of all of this activity it was the many acts of kindness that I observed from camper to camper that stood out most. I saw campers continually reaching out and helping each other with packing, doing chores, and supporting those who are feeling a little overwhelmed by the sudden change of environment. Many SAM staff have commented on how supportive and helpful they find this group of campers to be.
We thank you again for the experiences we are able to have with these great campers.