Junior Camp: Ready, Set, Go!
Yesterday was the first full day of our Junior Camp session! Junior Camp is a blast, because the whole week is high energy, moving from activity to activity to pack in as much as we can during the short time we have. We begin each day with Morning Watch, which is a quiet time to share as we prepare for the day ahead. It’s probably the most peaceful part of the day, where all the boys gather by the lake, and sit on the benches by cabin. Counselors take turns sharing a thought or story each morning, which often relates to the Falling Creek Code. To start things off, Zaki shared a message yesterday morning.
He talked about how it takes courage to be your best self, and how living by the Falling Creek Code can help you be your best. “It’s not about being THE best,” he said, “but about being YOUR best and giving it your all each day.” He encouraged everyone to embrace their true selves this week while at camp, and to enjoy the freedom of just being true to you. It was a great reminder as we begin this session with a fresh start, eager to jump into a fun and memorable week with new friends.
From Morning Watch we dismiss straight to breakfast, which happened to be pancakes, sausage, peaches, hard boiled eggs, yogurt and granola, and cereal. Everyone has to be fueled up to prepare for the big day ahead! Once we’ve finished eating, everyone heads to the McGrady Gym for Morning Assembly. Where Morning Watch was a quiet and reflective time, Morning Assembly is the complete opposite! With funny skits, loud singing, and wild announcements from counselors, it’s a fun way to continue the morning!
Coley was our “host” for the morning, and Crocker and John Allen announced the “sports segment,” with recaps from any games that boys might have missed the day before. Harrison and Matt Thomas gave us the weather report: “it’s sunny!” they yelled. Several counselors performed the song/skit “If I were not at Falling Creek,” followed by a couple classic songs from our FCC Band. We sang “Fire on the Mountain,” and “It’s a Great Day,” which really set the mood for the rest of the day. From there, everyone broke out in their cabin pairs, and headed off to their morning activities! It was beautiful and sunny all day yesterday, which was a great way to begin the week.
Each day of camp, we’ll do two activities in the morning, and two more in the afternoon. These are a rotation of 17 different activities, which boys go to with their cabin and “buddy cabin” so they can try a little of everything at camp. Before lunch and dinner, we also have a free choice period, where boys have more freedom to choose how they want to spend their time. We split into areas by Line, with each Line having the chance to either swim at the docks/play on the field, be on the courts/play under the Dining Hall, or enjoy the Gym/Lodge. Yesterday’s lunch was a crowd pleaser, which included mac & cheese and mini corn dogs!
Finally, each evening we play one last big game together before winding down for bed. Last night’s Evening Program was a cabin scavenger hunt! Cabins set out around camp, checking off the items and tasks listed. This helped the boys get to know the layout of camp a little better too, since they were able to run all over the main part of campus, seeing parts of the property they might not have visited yet during the first day. Some were things they had to find, like five different kinds of leaves, or a cool looking insect. Some of the tasks on the scavenger hunt list were silly, like creating a cabin handshake, making a human pyramid, or telling your best “dad joke.” Others took more talent, like having someone hold a handstand for 30 seconds, or completing a football pass of at least 20 yards. Overall, it was just a great chance for each cabin to go on an adventure together and get to know each other better.
After the Evening Program, we ended the same way we do every day - with a warm cookie! All the boys enjoyed their sugar cookie snack, and headed back to their cabins to get ready for bed. I’m sure they all fell asleep quickly last night, happily exhausted and ready to do it all again today! It’s sure to be a terrific Tuesday!