All On The Same Team
At camp, the days are just packed, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Even after morning and afternoon activities, we don’t head to bed without one last chance to run around together. Each night after dinner we have an Evening Program, which is always a surprise. Whether it’s counselor hunt or fort building, multiball or “taco cat,” no matter what the surprise is, it’s always a good one.
On Monday, our Evening Program was a scavenger hunt, and each cabin worked together to get points for their team. Since we are already divided into Green and Gold for programming, our Evening Program teams have been Red and Blue to not cause confusion. Red was up 25 points after winning the scavenger hunt, so Blue was out for redemption. Kyle announced that the night’s surprise Evening Program would be “Deep Woods Capture the Flag”, and the whole camp erupted with cheers.
During “Deep Woods Capture the Flag”, boys aren’t limited to a single field - they can use half of camp for their “game map,” and the flag can be hidden anywhere in their territory. The creek divided the two sides, and anyone who crossed it was at risk of having their colored belts swiped and taken to the “bank” for points.
Playing and strategizing across such a large area is incredibly fun. Boys can stalk through the woods on a stealthy mission to the other team’s territory, stay back to defend their flag, or group up and charge through the creek in large numbers. Just finding the other team’s flag is a game in itself, and getting it back to your side safely is a whole separate challenge! With counselors playing alongside their campers and contributing to the enthusiasm, it’s easy to see why this Evening Program is one of the most popular.
The game began once each side was in their starting zones. Red would be strategizing at the tennis courts, while Blue started out in the campfire area. As soon as the bell rang, campers and counselors darted off in all directions, with all kinds of different strategies. Many campers had taken charcoal from the fire ring to draw black lines under their eyes, and were opting to sneak through the woods and get onto the other side by hiding among the trees. Other campers went more for the direct approach - “If we charge now, they can’t get all of us!” I heard one say, running toward the bridge that connected the two sides.
Counselors who had been campers before were trying to help with strategy. “I know all the typical flag hiding spots,” said Sammy, motioning to the group of campers to follow him. “Let’s go!”, one boy shouted as he ran across the ballfield with a group of friends, charging to the other side. “Anyone is welcome with us!”, he yelled. Some boys took their role on the team very seriously - Wes told the boys around him, “We need more troops, they’re waiting for us!” Meanwhile, the boys who didn’t want to be on the offensive side were crucial for team defense and gathering points. They would hide in the bushes and jump out when someone from the other team ran by, swiping their belt and turning it in for more points.
No matter the individual strategy, there were smiles all around as boys enjoyed the happy chaos of the game. In the end, the Blue team managed to get the flag and successfully cross it, earning them 25 points! Red wasn’t quite able to do the same before time was up, which meant that both Red and Blue are holding steady this session with 25 points each so far. The best part about Evening Program is that even though we can all enjoy a little friendly competition from time to time, campers and counselors know that at the end of the day, we’re all on the same Falling Creek team.
Behold!