This update is about the Senior and First Lodgers going on trips while the Big Lodgers remained in camp and had the entire place to themselves.
Senior Lodge went on four different trips: Hiking peaks in New Hampshire’s White Mountains; rock climbing and hiking in the Adirondacks; canoeing in Maine; climbing Mansfield peak and hiking the Long Trail. The First Lodge hikes headed to our Ninevah camps and went to a Flying Cloud naming, or stayed on the ridge behind camp and used a variety of tools to clear trails. All trips were undaunted by the summer showers we’ve had.
Yes, it has rained a bit, but no, that has not stopped us from getting out in the woods during camp! More notable has been the stillness; there are days I would say that not a leaf stirs. During Silent Meeting we talked about how the two appropriate responses are to either be very still oneself… or to make a lot of your own noise! After a few moments of the former, the latter was the prevailing option.
The Big Lodgers have been in camp and that meant regular rotations through activity areas, and also getting more camper-led activities (such as the “Angel Soft” game). There is also the responsibility of taking on the chores that Senior Lodge campers typically do, i.e. – pots and dishes. Counselor Auctions happened too which involved bidding for and winning special program events such as saunas, day hikes, weeding Olympics (with Ice Cream), a meal on a raft in the lake, and much more.
Our brother camp, Flying Cloud, hosted us and other F&W camps at their naming ceremony. We walked a mile into their camp, shed any watches and enjoy their hospitality. This includes a bonfire built by FC campers, dinner, games and the ceremony where a Flying Cloud name is bestowed upon a young man. Our first session TL-er, Jordan Sills, was named “Valley Swift” and we celebrate his entry into FC.
Small camp is also a time when the groups will go through more of their group dynamics, testing boundaries and re-negotiating their space. As Dorothy Thompson said, “Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of creative alternatives for responding to violence.” We thankfully did not have do deal with violence, only the friction of living together. We find that paying close attention to any incident at this stage helps draw it out so it can be addressed properly.
We close this part of camp with a Council Fire for all the campers and are now all together before we prepare our farewell for our short session A1 campers.
“In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don’t try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present.”
― Lao Tzu