For anyone who was at the Fair and wondered if we got the Fire lit. Yes – the bonfire was lit!
We did get a wee bit wet on our way home, but that’s not something that our community gets too bothered about. We went to Ken’s Lodge for our final ceremony. A bit of singing and storytelling set the tone. I then explained about the concept of the “Six Word Summary”. Ernest Hemmingway was challenged to write a story in six words, and he responded with “Baby shoes. For sale. Never worn” So each Timberlake cabin set about in the moment to summarize their experience in only six words. Here is what each cabin came up with:
Alder: “Surpassing the expectations, becoming the exception.”
Hawthorne: “Sleeping under the light of Timberlake”
Sycamore: “Be ready by 2-Bell or lunch clean!”
Tamarack: “Express yourself. No one will judge”
Catamount: “Push the limit, do the impossible”
Foxes: “There are ratings. Go earn them.”
Otters: “New Friends, Great Ideas, Camp Community.”
Bears: “What? Hobart! Hobart! What? Hobart! Hobart!”
Bobcats: “We love Rob. Speech! Speech! Speech!”
Marten: “Uncontained. Unforgettable. Uncharted. Underslept. Unstoppable. Unwritten
Rivermen: “Erratic behavior cultivated by young adults”
Lumberjacks: “Express yourself but never forget yourself”
Trappers: “Timberlake lives inside of me”
Rangers: “Living life bounty free, stay true”
We ended the evening with our traditional candlelight ceremony which is usually held in a circle around the Catamount Bell. This evening was a first in our history, as we held this ceremony of gratitude for our community sheltered from the storm in our Lodge. Each face lit by their candle, the sound of the rain and lightning fading into the distance and the words of each camper clear and warm. It was a beautiful moment, held by the night.
The next morning, we welcomed parents to our camp with a hour of our loudest and proudest renditions of favorite Timberlake songs, followed by the best-attended last Silent Meeting in my eight years as Director. Thank you all for an incredible summer. I wish you all a wonderful year filled with work, creativity and empathy.
— Tulio Browning, Timberlake Director