After weeks, and for some folks, months of hard work, all of the Farm & Wilderness summer camps have come to an end for 2013. Campers and families did not embark on their homeward journeys without a little fun first. All of the camps united for the annual Fair where the hard work of the hundreds of F&W campers was celebrated.
Throughout second session, Indian Brook had several activities oriented around the goal of selling handmade treats and crafts at fair. The Work Projects aspect of camp was showcased by selling wood burned pendants and birdhouses. Campers created an incredible array of designs for their wooden creations, ranging from hearts to penguins all the way to burning random words into wood. The Barns & Gardens apprentices made cream cheese, some flavored with strawberries or chives that were grown in the IB garden. For Creative Arts, campers made collages of postcards and journals to sell. Although these are a few examples of what was sold, the diligence and workmanship of the campers extended far beyond the tangible items at Fair. The embodiment of the phrase ‘Work is love made visible’ characterizes every member of not only the IB community, but also the greater Farm & Wilderness community. In preparation for Fair, three upper senior lodgers were chosen to fill the position of ‘Fair Chair.’ With this role came great responsibility regarding the organization and construction of the event. Parts of their job included building a shift schedule for campers and staff working at fair and organizing and recruiting acts for the IB talent hour. Additionally, they worked in the merchandise tent, interacting closely with visitors and dealing with the money they received. One camper, a girl for whom this summer was her last at IB after six years of attendance, said it had been a dream of hers since she had been a Big Lodge camper to be the Fair Chair. When the opportunity presented itself, she and the two others rose to the challenge, and proved utterly successful.
It is a F&W superstition that it is bad luck to say ‘Fair’ on the actual day of the event. So, all morning prior, campers and staff alike run around shouting ‘It’s pear day!’ or ‘I can’t believe hair has actually arrived,’ avoiding at all costs saying the actual word.
Once all of the campers, their families, and staff arrived at the fairgrounds, SAM camp performs a skit that celebrates the long-awaited day. Once the skit is over and all of the SAM campers have shouted the word Fair, the word is demystified and the festivities begin. This year, the activity stations seemed endless, ranging from cookie decorating to pie throwing to a giant slip ‘n slide. A zip line stretched across from the BDC to the Fairgrounds and a human-powered Ferris wheel structure had long lines with eager riders. Needless to say, the options for a good time were boundless.
Campers and staff took turns at different stations selling pies, bandanas, bread, jewelry, and more. After a couple of hours, the tent was taken down, the items packed away, and the ‘Great Sweep’ began. Every single camper and staff member from all of the F&W camps lined up on one side of the field and slowly made their way across, picking up every piece of trash they spotted on the ground as they went. The initial reaction of many was frustration regarding the seemingly tedious task, but quickly the chore turned into a beautiful display of community. The sea of folk, washed across the field, in a conjoined effort to clean our shared space we all love so much. As hundreds of people moved across the field, all in the same shirt designed for this year’s fair, one could sense the unity among all of the camps, blending individuals into one. Although each one has its own personality, the primary intentions are the same- emphasize the beauty of simplicity, the importance of a re-engagement with nature, the benefits of self-sufficiency, the value of diversity, and the significance of being a member of a supportive community. At fair, all of these intentions were realized as reflected by the joy among all who attended, (even while cleaning up every little piece of confetti from the hundreds of Connegburts that were lovingly smashing upon the heads of unsuspecting individuals).
Following clean up and dinner, there was a contra dance where all the F&W camps and communities melded into one, switching partners left-and-right as muddy feet skipped across the field. Soon after the dance, a number of campers from IB, TL, SAM, FC, and TF, brought in torches to light the huge hand-built bonfire. Before long, everyone gathered to watch the fire grow tall and strong. As the sun set, the fire began to dwindle, and the day came to a close.
After saying goodbye to friends from other camps and returning to Indian Brook, we had a beautiful closure ceremony in the silent-meeting circle. Here, a camper representative from each lodge and one counselor shared their experiences from this past summer as an inspiration for thought among the rest of the group. Candles were lit and sentiments were shared, as we bid farewell to another summer at Indian Brook. It is a tradition for IB campers to decorate “kybo” walls with their names and words of wisdom throughout the summer. In one senior lodge “kybo” the phrase, ‘Don’t be sad because it’s over, be happy because it happened’ is sprawled across the wall. That phrase encapsulates the last night of summer camp at Indian Brook. Although tears were shed as hugs were exchanged, the campers couldn’t help but smile when looking back upon the memories they made in the green, grassy hills of Plymouth, Vermont. Before long, sadness evolved into excitement already brewing for next summer.
– Elizabeth “Lizzy” Quinn (IB staff ’13)