See You Next Summer Main Campers!
Good Morning from Falling Creek! If you’re reading this as a Main Camper parent, you’re likely on your way now to pick up your sons from a whirlwind four weeks! While they might be too worn out from all the excitement to give you a detailed recap of the final day, we thought this might help!
The morning began with a breakfast of scrambled eggs, tater tots, sausage, and honeydew melon, followed by our final morning of activities! During free choice time before lunch, boys could sign up to cook “Longenecker Lumps,” simple doughnut-like treats made out of bisquick mix fried in hot oil, and rolled in cinnamon sugar. Steve Longenecker first shared this “lump recipe” after creating it during a backpacking trip in the 60s: “I was on a hiking trip with some boys and we were camping in the Shining Rock area. We had some leftover bacon grease in a small metal can and some left-over biscuit mix. I heated up the grease, dropped in a glob of dough and ‘Longenecker Lumps’ were born!” Yesterday the boys had a chance to “taste the tradition” and enjoy these treats themselves! You can make them at home with the recipe here in this blog.
After lunch we had an extended rest hour to pack up and get ready for closing day. However, the highlight of the afternoon was the brand new all-camp-game we got to play, created by the STEEL guys! It was called “Minion Mayhem,” where the objective was to steal money from the different vaults around camp (without being caught by the Anti-Villain League), and turn in the cash for gems at the “Bank of Evil.” Minions could also find hidden items around camp to exchange for gems, including Gru’s Freeze Ray, Vector’s Shrink Ray, Nefario’s Scooter, Agnes’ Unicorn, and 30 hidden bananas. Minions in the movies love bananas, and the winner at the end would be the team with the most capital (to buy bananas)!
To add another element of trickiness, the FLINT guys were playing as Police, who could pull the flag belts of the Minions (campers), causing them to forfeit all their money and gems if caught. Minions could try to find three high value targets traveling around camp - Vector, Gru, and El Macho - and if they pulled their flags and returned them to the Bank of Evil they would receive a large gem prize. Finally, Dr. Nefario was wandering around the game map randomly handing out money or clues as to the whereabouts of the hidden items - if Minions were lucky they would run into him! The campers and counselors had a great time playing this brand new game, and it was fun to see the hard work and creativity of the STEEL guys come together.
At the end of the day, we had one more Evening Program before gathering for Candlelight Campfire to enjoy a final chance to reflect on a great session. The campfire area is the soul of camp, and is a special place for many. Before walking across Bain Bridge and becoming silent, everyone brings a rock to add to the growing Ebenezer Wall that leads to campfire. Every Ebenezer rock serves as a physical reminder for each camper and staff member of the contributions, memories, and experiences they have had during the session. This meandering stone wall reminds us, too, of the spirits of all those who have been part of the Falling Creek Camp community – past and present.
During this time, we have our Candlelight Campfire, where each person is given a candle. This Ceremony of Light is a favorite among campers and counselors, who look forward to it at the end of every session. The first candle is lit from the central campfire, and spreads from there, person to person. Each boy lights his candle from another, symbolizing the light we share, costing us nothing to spread our light to others. It gives the boys a thoughtful reflection into their Falling Creek experience.
As Yates read last night, “This candle symbolizes the light in each one of us. It represents the talents, courage, and determination that each of us possesses. Although this light that is in each one of us is fragile and easily buried, when we give it away it multiplies and becomes like a campfire. From a single candle we have lit the fire which has given light to this whole assembly. In the same way, if we share our talents with others, we light the world and make it better for all.”
Once all the candles were lit last night, the entire campfire area was flickering with a bright, warm, glow. As guitars and singers filled the area with music, cabins were dismissed one at a time to begin walking out to the landsports field. As the campers and counselors walked around the field, they created a beautiful circle of light. To finish the ceremony, we sang “Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” followed by the first verse of Taps: “Day is done, gone the sun, from the lakes, from the hills, from the skies. All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.”
As we dismissed from the Ceremony of Light, many boys and counselors hung back to share some final words together on the field. There were many hugs, fist bumps, laughs, and even tears between friends. The boys returned to their cabins to share one last Evening Embers together and reflect on a great four weeks. We are so thankful for the individual light that each of these boys brought to this session, and are grateful that you chose to share your sons with us. We look forward to seeing you this morning as you pick up your boys, and we can’t wait to tell you all about the fun we had!