Beating The Heat
It’s been hot at camp this weekend, but luckily our staff have come up with some creative ways to beat the heat! How do you stay cool at camp? Lots of water activities!
On Friday, the barn hosted a “horse swim,” where boys rode bareback down to the lower lake and got to ride the horses as they swam around. Cajun loves being in the water more than any other horse in the barn, and couldn’t get enough. HT was a little less confident, but definitely curious. Once he got in he enjoyed splashing around! It was hard to tell who was having more fun - the horses or the boys. Marshall L. said he enjoyed horse swim day. “It’s awesome, and the horses have fun,” he said.
Later that night we had a fun Evening Program planned by Andy - Water Games! Just like a traditional field day, but with lots of water thrown into the mix! Each race was worth 250 points for the color within the Line who won. Sorrel started at Dizzy Bat Relay, Tsuga started at Sponge Race, Robinia started at Over/Under Race, and Betula started at 3-Legged Race. Each Line rotated through the stations and a great time was had by all!
Yesterday was Saturday, and you know that means tournaments! After enjoying an extra hour of sleep in the morning, boys got to exercise their competitive spirit and choose to challenge each other in 6 different tournament options. There was ping pong, flag football, chess, archery, basketball (for the oldest two Lines), and ultimate frisbee. Whether boys wanted to cheer, challenge their friends, or just challenge themselves, it was a great time!
Competition at camp can be a key time to display your Warrior Spirit (one of the four parts of the Falling Creek Code), but you don’t have to be the biggest or most fearless to show your Warrior Spirit. For example, chess tournaments are always popular, but they are very quiet matches that require a lot of concentration. Boys have to learn a detailed set of rules and practice lots of strategy to get better at the game, which takes patience and diligence. Ping pong is another game that seems to be slower paced, but it takes lots of practice and focus to hone in your fine motor skills and hand eye coordination at quick speeds. During competition, the rest of the Falling Creek Code is just as important: Positive Attitude is needed for sportsmanship, Moral Compass is necessary for playing by the rules, and Servant’s Heart is used when taking turns or supporting your friends during matches.
In the afternoon, we continued playing with a huge all-camp-game of Wild Wild West! This is one of the most popular games we play at camp, splitting into 4 different colored teams and using the whole camp as a “game map.” Boys are hunting for “hidden gold,” but have to watch out for fools-gold, which they might turn in to the bank unknowingly. They can also earn points by finding other hidden items around camp, and by pulling the flag belts of other teams. Boys were having a blast strategizing with teammates, pulling flags, running through the woods, and playing all afternoon.
For Evening Program, we split into Lines and the younger cabins played games on the turf field and played TacoCat. The oldest cabins made their cabin signs for the session, since the younger two Lines made theirs earlier in the week. These cabin signs are something that every alumni who returns to camp looks forward to seeking out on the cabin walls. The signs commemorate the summer and the names of the boys in each cabin, and are nailed onto the cabin for all to look back on with fond memories.
I’m sure everyone slept well last night, dreaming of the Krispy Kreme doughnuts that await them at this morning’s Sunday breakfast!