Now’s the Time!
“You’ve got two weeks left, and there’s so much you can choose to do,” Yates said, as he began our day on Monday, setting the mood for the third week. Everyone was gathered quietly on the misty morning before breakfast at Morning Watch, as he shared his perspective on the freedom of choice available at camp, and the limited time left to take advantage of it.
“The cool thing is that you have complete choice here, unlike back home or at school, where so much of your day is scheduled and you’re often told where you have to be,” Yates continued. With our Main Campers here for a month, it can feel like an endless amount of time to be with friends, go on trips, and try new things. However, as we enter the second half of the session, Yates wanted to remind everyone that there is only so much time left - no one wants to reach the final day of camp and realize there was something they didn’t do when they had the chance.
“I remember when I was a camper in 1979, and I was in Cabin 5,” said Yates. “I tried climbing with Steve Longenecker a bit, and wasn’t very good at it, so I was trying several things trying to find what fit, and I found paddling. My counselor was Bucky Brown, and I’ve remained good friends with him and his brother David through the years. They got me to find a canoe partner, and his name was Ken Walthall from Birmingham, AL. We didn’t do everything together at camp, but we worked really well together in the boat and were camp buddies. That became something that was a lifelong skill for me. My brother and I ended up being counselors later on, and Dusty Davis taught me how to kayak and C1, which was probably my favorite boat,” Yates shared.
“My point in all this, is that when you’re thinking about something that you haven’t done yet, now’s the time to do it. Counselors are going to continue making these amazing trip announcements, and you still have time to sign up. Even though this is an advanced week for trips, there are still plenty of chances to sign up for beginner preps, fly fishing, blacksmithing, horseback riding, sailing, and more if you’re just starting out. If you haven’t tried something yet, you’ve got to do it because ‘tomorrow’ is going to be too late. When you come to Falling Creek, what you do here isn’t your parents’ choice, it’s what you want to do, and I’ll support you all day long,” Yates concluded. His Morning Watch thought for the day was all about encouraging boys to really take advantage of this third week of camp.
Many boys have already realized this about camp, even before Yates shared his thoughts. On Sunday, I talked to Charlie W. about his camp experience. He’s from Alexandria, VA, and has been coming to camp with his older brother for years. This is his 7th summer at Falling Creek. He told me, “My favorite part about camp is just all the opportunities. There are so many activities I want to do, but also just the opportunities to grow as a person, and the opportunities to do stuff with other people. I just find those really interesting and they keep me coming back.”
There are plenty of opportunities to grow personally and in activity progressions this week, both in camp and out of camp on trips. Just yesterday, we had trips heading out for 1, 2, 3, and 5 day adventures! Our day trips included a mountain bike ride in Dupont and paddling the lower Green River, and there was a second trip heading to the upper Green River for an overnight trip. Our advanced paddlers headed out on a 5-day trip to run some big whitewater on rivers like the Ocoee, and our advanced climbers were leaving for a 5-day adventure on some beautiful rocks in the Chattanooga area. The advanced backpackers were also heading out on a big trip, about to spend 5 days traversing Linville Gorge. There was also a 3-day climbing trip to Linville Gorge, and a 3-day backpacking trip to the Foothills.
Back in camp, many boys have been working hard on their swimming, running, and biking, with the goal of competing in the annual Ironman triathlon this Sunday. Each camper has to show their proficiency and fitness level in each of the triathlon areas before they can compete, so we have been hosting swim trials, cross country runs on the course, and mountain bike rides around camp this week. For those who don’t want to participate in the race, there are always the very necessary “pit-crew” roles, where boys help cabin-mates and friends in the transition zones, help with staying hydrated on course, and with cheering throughout the race!
No matter what campers choose to do this week, it will be an exciting, fast-paced, and memorable one. There’s no better time than the present to work on goals and try new things!