The party has finally begun!!
After three weeks of staff training on everything from how the bell system works to stages of child development and creating a good flow for our on-trail program, our counseling staff were itching to just have some fun with campers. Forty-one SAM campers and 13 Questers joined us on opening day. I was so grateful that all of the campers and their families had a safe journey to camp. In a three-hour window,we welcomed campers from many destinations including Seattle, China, Costa Rica and New York.
As you can see from the pictures available in the parent-access area of our F&W website, our campers jumped right into the costume barn and made themselves presentable for our first round of orientation skits. No first night of SAM Camp is fulfilled without a dramatic performance of how to use the kybos, our composting toilets.
After 45 minutes of “Screaming Toes,” a field game which entirely involves screaming, looking at toes and a ton of laughing, we were already feeling like a community. I think it’s the little things that make community, right? That’s about all it took for most of us to shake off the school year and ease into summer camp.
As I hope I’ve explained well enough to all of the new SAM parents, (and hopefully returning SAM parents also recall) at SAM we work really hard to promote the camper’s ownership of the place where they now live: SAM Camp. Through creating platforms for the campers to use their voices and make decisions, we hope they’ll recognize their power. The first opportunity for this is with our “cabin contracts.” With a lantern flickering and cabin mates all huddled on the floor of their new space, the campers have the opportunity to express the values and norms they would like to see and feel in their space. A signature implies that you understand and will work hard to uphold these values in our SAM cabins. With any luck, everyone went to bed feeling like their new cabin mates where going to take pretty good care of them this summer.
I was able to congratulate all of the campers on surviving the windiest first night of camp I’d ever seen. Powerful gusts swept through camp from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. The winds also brought in clear skies, however, and this, of course, raised moral even more. After more singing and skits for breakfast, we did our first round of asanas. Our asanas are our chores; moving meditation and time to give back to this place that we love by tending our gardens and hanging up the multitudes of costumes. Your kids are wonderful, we all know that, and from my experience adolescence is a wonderful time to practice selfless acts. Here at SAM we are privileged to be on our own schedule, so giving the campers time to ponder their decisions and make it on their own is not as difficult. The group at this point is jumping right into action and really making their love visible. It also helps to have a large group of campers here that already love the place. We’ll get more practice at this on July 5, our service day trips.
The campers spent the rest of Day Two by testing backpacking stoves, setting up tents, planning menus, packing and getting themselves ready to go out for their first overnights. There was lots of my personal favorite, firsts. We had the first time lighting stoves, first time reading maps, first time helping someone else pack their pack; lots and lots of other firsts.
All of the campers are out on two-night trips with their cabins and will be returning Sunday afternoon. They are gazing at the same pink-and-purple sunset as I am right now and listening to Vermont ‘s lullaby singers – the hermit thrushes. I’ve already heard stories of big bear prints, delicate red efts, gigantic shelf funguses, and of course some great practical jokes. I’m super excited for trip skits tomorrow night!
We have a big week of “in camp” program, day trips and getting ready for our big Interdependence Day skit. I’ll encourage the campers to send letters, as it may be a while before I have this much time!
With my deepest gratitude!