We welcomed the campers on Wednesday– and they welcomed us. I saw groups of new campers touring around camp, shedding layers and running down the trails within a few hours of everyone’s arrival. At our first circle up for dinner, the cheers for every announcement were deafening
I’d like to frame the first days of camp with our camp cheer:
“Anything is Possible” is creating a lot of buzz. After Silent Meeting, we start the day by asking the community, “tell us one thing that you think cannot be done at camp” We take note, and then try to make it happen. We took the first suggestion from a young camper: “to pee so high it touches the clouds” (can you tell this is a boy’s camp yet?) Sound impossible? Well, we have a hiking trip leaving tomorrow that will be above cloud line. Nailed it!
“Everybody Counts” means the fun is much more fun with a sense of belonging. At our first Silent Meeting, a camper spoke of appreciating that his father went here and how that meant he was now here and part of the community. Another First Lodge camper noted how important it is to create a space of quiet. “Everybody Counts” means we are looking out for each other, and learning to communicate our needs.
Perhaps my favorite moment of the last few days was a very small one, easy to miss among all the excitement. Lumberjacks cabin was on lunch-cleaning duty, and bearing the brunt of many new campers who didn’t yet understand the need for pre-scrubbing the plates. This was a fantastic opportunity for a bit of gentle assertiveness such as “this needs scrubbing again” or orienting fellow campers by saying, “the pitchers go over there.” Having the confidence to say these things within 24 hours of arriving at a new place is a tangible sign of a strong community. Other campers reacted with offers to help the dishwashers stack items better and asked where items should be put away. I wish all the places I have worked had a similar cooperative culture! And with cooperation and good communication also comes compassion. The first time I noticed a camper sitting on the lawn — with his head down, clearly missing home — two cabin mates were crouching next to him offering support within seconds. All cabins are working together as groups – some have already gone on sunrise hikes and all have passed through team-building challenges and cabin contracts.
“Let’s Get it Done!” is all about working hard to turn those dreams into reality. For our 75th summer, we improved our introduction to camp. Each area tries it’s best to impress the campers and get them involved (hence the nickname “the Hook”) In Work Projects, demolition crews wearing hard hats smashed up an old kybo. The youngest members of our cabins tied a rope around the kybo and pulled it over, much to their delight. The Waterfront ran more than 120 swim and canoe checks. Barns and Gardens made ice cream for each cabin, picked strawberries and showed the garden some love by weeding. Rocks and Ropes climbed the chimney and ran team-building exercises. Outdoor Living Skills introduced camouflage (by sneaking up on the campers) making fires and wild nettle tea, and learning axemanship. In Arts, each camper made a clay name plaque for their bunk, toured the past Art projects and played in drum circles. All this has happened in the first two days of camp. “Work Is Love Made Visible” was also present, as the Rangers stepped in the first night to do 1.5 hours of washing pots.
After this was over, the next day was one of camper-led activities. It was pure TL – campers choosing what they wanted to do and finding counselors to do it with them. Here’s what they came up with:
Morning
Capture The Flag on the thin peninsula of Bearpit Point – classic fun in the woods, a popular choice
Open Packard Shed – Making skateboards, no wheels yet, but “anything is possible”
Chilling with Cows – literally, hanging out with those lovely bovines.
Pig Spa – washed the little piglets with buttermilk and played with them.
Settlers of Catan – a nice social break for those who like boardgames.
Beach Ball – Volleyball between docks.
Sword Creation / Sword Fighting – making swords out of old camping mats and duct tape.
Sauna – build it and sweat it.
Math Monsters – Making monsters out of numbers. Curiously, this camper was more interested in the math than the monsters!
Afternoon:
Ultimate Hide and Seek (a camouflage game)
Cheese and Dairy making
Collages in the Art’s Mahal
Friction Fires (Bow Drill, etc.)
Soccer at the fields
Foam Party – lots of soap and bubbles in the back of the BLT truck. Perhaps the most fun of all!
That’s an exciting first three days of camp!!
What’s coming up next:
Senior Lodge and J1 campers are out for 3-5 days on hiking trips.
Hiking in the White Mountains (our most challenging hike), trail clearing plus Long Trail hike,
Skyrunners (a hard and fast trip down the Long Trail), canoeing in Androscoggin, climbing in the Adirondacks , hiking in the Breadloaf natural reserve, summiting Shrewsbury Peak of 3,700 ft (J1 trip)
bushwacking home from the Ridge behind camp.
“Every boy on top of a mountain!”
While our Senior Lodgers and J1 campers go on trips, our Big Lodge and First Lodge Campers will have these Project Cycles:
“Outdoor Exploration” – this is an OLS Sampler
“Oils and Balms” – making essential oils to turn into balms to sell at the F&W Fair.
“Gaga Pit” – Building a dodge ball arena.
“Climbing Tour” – Touring the different climbing elements around camp.
“Swim Lesson Level Up!” – Self explanatory
“Distance Swims” – working up to the Grand Circuit around the lake
“Interdependence Day Float and Drum” – building an epic float for our parade at Interdependence Day
“Rock Garden” B&G and Arts Mash up. Making new sculptures in the Garden Area.
There will also be afternoon activities and Adventure Auctions where campers bid on special surprise activities.
And the food? Rave reviews – kids vote with their stomachs. With one Lodge out we made 900 English muffin pizzas today, and only had 100 left. Tonight it’s fresh broccoli, cubed local potatoes and oven roasted chicken and salad. They are keeping their tanks full.
We’ll have more updates later. I wanted you to know the “what” and to know that we are very much focused on dynamic, responsive program that untaps a whole new level of self awareness in each camper about their enormous potential. I hope all the list of activities give you a better idea of what we’re doing and provides some talking points to ask your son about when they get back home.
Until the next one,
Tulio Browning