Trying New Things
What better place to try something new than at camp?
“Warrior Spirit isn’t always about jumping out of airplanes or performing huge acts of bravery. Sometimes you can show your Warrior Spirit just by trying something new, or by having the courage to push your comfort zone.”
This is how James Hale began our first Morning Watch on Monday. We were gathered in the early morning mist, eagerly awaiting breakfast and our first day of activities. Morning Watch is how we start every day at camp, and is a peaceful way to come together and hear a thought for the day from someone in the camp community. Everyone silently gathers on the benches with their cabin, enjoying the sounds of nature before breaking into the action of the day.
James is one of the Lineheads for the Sorrel Line, our youngest group of campers. He knows that these campers may be the smallest, but they can also be the ones to show the most courage and bravery. Warrior Spirit is one of the four parts of our Falling Creek Code - All of our campers have Warrior Spirit inside them, but sometimes they just need to be told that they have what it takes.
James shared a story about his time as a young camper, and how he was initially afraid to try paddling. He didn’t have a partner, and he was scared to fall out of the canoe. Jez, our head of paddling, helped him find a partner to paddle with, and explained how his PFD would keep him safe if he fell out. He reminded James how many people were around to help him and support him if he was feeling scared. Thanks to the support of his counselors and Jez, James was able to conquer his fears and pass the buoy course in paddling that day. “I couldn’t stop smiling,” he recalled. “I had never been more proud.”
James’ story was an example of just how much support is out there at camp. It takes Warrior Spirit and bravery to try something new, but camp is one of the best places to push your comfort zone. “Look around you,” he told everyone at Morning Watch. “All the counselors and your friends are here to support you. If you try something and fail, they’ll be there to help you up and try it again with you. Camp is the perfect place to try new things.”
On the first day of June Camp, this was a great reminder. Many of our campers have been to Falling Creek for multiple years, but about 150 campers are here for their first or second time ever. This means that nearly everything they try at camp will be a “first time” experience. Instead of seeing that as a daunting or scary idea, James encouraged campers to frame the new experiences with excitement.
Campers have already begun moving through activities, which they choose each day based on their interests. Monday also had special sign-ups for mountain bike preps, horseback, waterfall hikes, paddling preps, fly fishing, and more. A few cabins already headed out on their “cabin adventures” to rock climb, mountain bike, paddle, and hike in the beautiful lands surrounding this mountain. There’s a lot of new things to try here at camp, and with three full weeks, we hope these campers choose to try them all!