Trying New Things: The First Full Day

We’re having a ball already!

At camp, it’s fun to reunite with old friends and continue progressing in your favorite activities. However, camp is also about trying new things, signing up for different trips, pushing your comfort zone, and meeting new people. It’s the first full day of our 2-Week session and these boys have been doing just that. For about 40 of our campers, just arriving at camp was a new experience in itself. For many boys, they might have been to Junior Camp or Father/Son Weekend before, but never away from home for two weeks. Today we began embracing those new experiences, immersing ourselves in the variety of trips and activities that are happening in and out of camp.

Charlie Pike, one of our paddling counselors, leading us with a thought for the day at Morning Watch

Even boys who have been to this session before are trying new things. Oliver from Illinois said that he brought his fishing rod from home this year, and was enjoying practicing with it at camp. “I fish a lot at home with my dad, but I didn’t bring my own rod last year. This summer I brought it to practice. My dad and I fish in Lake Michigan and sometimes in Alaska,” he told me. Meanwhile, Wyatt was here for his first time and looking forward to trying something new out of camp. “I’d never been in a whitewater kayak before,” he said after his kayaking prep this afternoon. “I’m doing the prep for the first time because I think I want to go on the Lower Green river trip.”

We jumped right into things today with our first full day of activities

There was no shortage of things to do both in and out of camp today. Not only did the boys get to try all 6 of their daily activities, they could also sign up for a plethora of trips and preps to try something new. The climbers took 3 groups out to Gilbert’s Rock, the backpackers taught knots for tarps and explained what to pack for trips, the mountain bikers went on a camp ride to prepare for an upcoming trip to DuPont and had a technical skills session, and the paddlers were teaching strokes at the Yak Shack to get ready for the rivers.

Rock on! These boys took a trip to climb Gilbert’s Rock today!

The outdoor adventure activities weren’t the only ones with special sign-ups though. The barn was hosting horseback preps to teach boys the basics before starting rides, sailing was heading out to nearby Lake Summit, blacksmithing was going over safety rules and showing boys how to man the forge, fly fishing was taking boys down to Green River to fish, and CJ was even hosting a “rock, paper, scissors” tournament that would go on throughout the session.

This afternoon after all the trips and activity excitement, half of camp prepared for their cabin overnights in one of the many shelters on camp property. The boys will hike out as a cabin group, prepare fajitas (and s’mores) outdoors, get to know each other better through discussions around the campfire, and fall asleep to the sound of crickets and cicadas throughout our woods. They’ll return in the morning in time for breakfast at the Dining Hall, and the other half of camp will get to go on their overnights tomorrow night. Cabin overnights are always a memorable time, whether it’s your first time sleeping outside or you’re a seasoned camper. The overnights give a chance to bond as a cabin and experience a campout with your friends to kick off the session.

For the boys taking their overnights later, they got to enjoy a pizza picnic with their cabin! Our incredible kitchen staff prepared three pizzas for each cabin, which are made-to-order according to what each cabin decides as their toppings. The boys then get to pick where they want to eat around camp with their counselor, and enjoy a picnic as a small group. It’s hard to decide which is more fun: make-your-own pizza picnics, or cabin overnights.

Day 1 in “boy heaven!”

Tonight after Evening Program, everyone headed to the Dining Hall for milk and cookies to wind down before bed. Evening Embers are also part of our nighttime ritual, which is a cabin discussion time, usually centered around the theme for the week (Joy for this week), or our Falling Creek Code. It’s a time for cabin-mates and counselors to check in with each other and talk about the highs and lows of their day, plus engage in a meaningful conversation about an important theme.

After such a busy first day, I’m sure the boys were asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow tonight. You might think it would be hard to top such an action-packed day, but luckily at camp, all the fun begins again first thing in the morning. We can’t wait to do it all over again tomorrow.

-Annie Pharr

He gives the first day “two thumbs up!”

More Highlights From This Monday:

• We celebrated Oliver T.’s birthday today at lunch with cake and singing!
• Breakfast: French toast sticks, sausage links, an oatmeal station, plus a yogurt, granola, and fruit bar.
• Lunch: Philly cheese steak sandwiches with fresh watermelon, seasoned fries, corn, loaded baked potato soup, a fully stocked salad bar, and oatmeal raisin cookies for dessert.
• Dinner: Chicken fajitas with salsa and cheese, plus s’mores for our boys on overnights. Custom pizzas, salad, and grapes for the rest of us.
• Evening Program: “Yoshi Ball” and other fun ball games in the “thunder dungeon” under the gym!

All smiles from the lower lake