Week 7 has come and gone and after an amazing Fair Weekend with more sunshine than I feel we’ve seen all week, we are now moving into the final days of this incredible summer. It’s early Sunday afternoon and all of the families and friends have only just departed for home. We were able to share a beautiful morning of songs and Silent Meeting before we said our momentary good-byes. I mentioned to the families gathered in the Meeting Area, that while I knew many were anxious to welcome their boys home, we weren’t yet ready to give them up and have a short but exciting few days ahead.
After a well earned Rest Hour, we will be meeting up at the Farm for Harvest Afternoon in preparation for tomorrow’s Food Day, where much of what will reach our tables (and stomachs) will have started first in our gardens and been harvested by campers and staff. Coming together to work as a community is the perfect way to close out the weekend and put us in the right head space for upcoming days. By Thursday afternoon our BIG family will have given many hugs, cried more than a few tears and said many good-byes. The Catamount Bell will ring with less frequency as the TL Staff move through camp preparing to put Timberlake to bed for the long off-season, looking towards the summer of 2009 and writing letters home to you all. It is a bittersweet realization to know that this unbelievable adventure of ours has to end and that we will soon be heading our different directions. But camp isn’t over yet and with some big events still on the calendar, we are doing what we always do and will take advantage of every little TL moment. But as always, my weekly letter is about looking back at the week that has past and all that it held.
Much of this week was in preparation for Fair, but we always want to make sure that it doesn’t become so consuming that we don’t take advantage of all of the other opportunities that Timberlake has to offer. We continued to offer a variety of activities to the campers so that they had a chance to complete different projects and learn any skill sets required to finish up a rating. And of course we played games…in the rain…in the sun…and, well in the rain some more!
Tuesday was the last Adventure day of the summer and again the boys had excellent options to choose from and went all over the map to cook, build fires, hike mountains, visit bakeries, learn survival skills, check out Flying Cloud, explore caves, view beautiful birds of prey, leap into cook ponds and stand under thundering waterfalls. I always love meeting the groups as they return with smiles on their faces and maybe just a “little” mud. It is a great day in so many ways and so important that each camper is able to choose the adventure and challenge that they feel suits them best. And we all get to share in the joy of celebrating the accomplishments of each. We ended the day with our weekly Cabin Cookout. Wednesday was a day of regular activity rotations, but in an evening that was anything BUT normal, the band Midas Ascension (friends of one of our counselors) came to camp and played an open air concert for TL and IB in Ken’s Lodge. This was certainly a first in all of my years at TL and if all of the dancing was any indication, everyone had a great time.
The remainder of the week involved setting up for Fair and required a huge effort on everyone’s part. Signs had to be painted, posts holes dug and rides to be pieced together and tested. With Timberlake responsible for not only the rides but feeding the masses, cabins spent time in the kitchen baking chicken and cookies, while others chopped and hauled enormous logs for the Friendship Fire that is lit to commemorate the evening. There is always plenty to do and everyone was able to make his contribution and was able to see others enjoy these efforts come Fair Day, which by all accounts was a HUGE success. After spending a week under grey clouds and falling rain, we were blessed with beautiful blue skies. The temperature was perfect and the sun was a welcome guest. Walking across the fairgrounds all afternoon selling tickets I was inspired by all of the energy and excitement that surrounded me and the incredible movement as people scurried back and forth to ride the Ferris wheel or eat obscenely large bowls of ice cream. There was homemade music being played on the stage and the voices and strumming guitars drifted to every corner. Confetti covered almost everyone person I passed (including my own head which must have experienced at least two dozen conegbert strikes) and there wasn’t a single place that you could hide from the laughter. After a square dance in the soccer field the torch bearers (two from each camp) emerged from the woods and walked ceremoniously towards the fire. With the crowd moving back beyond the safety lines, the torches were placed to the logs and fire crept up the structure until a huge tower of flame pointed into the night sky, sending those magical “sparks upward”.
It was great to see old friends (and even my old director Dave Martin) and family and I always love when the larger TL family joins us for songs and Silent meeting on Sunday morning. It was difficult knowing that it was the last large gathering as director and I was more overwhelmed by emotion that I expected. I was also very honored and humbled by the many kind words that were spoken on my behalf. But to be honest I am somewhat anxious to get back to the business of Timberlake and cherishing the time we have left together. This week is an exciting one as we prepare for Food Day, leap from the newly replace Bear Pit Tree, play THE legendary Spy Night and gather for the final (and not to soon be forgotten) banquet. There is a growing sadness that I’m carrying as my last day gets closer as I’m sure many others are and I’m doing my best not to let it distract me from the time we have left. But the bell keeps ringing and even now I am reminded to head towards the Farm to begin the harvest. I hope everyone is well and will see some of you on Thursday.