Opening Day Excitement
We are beyond excited to be welcoming our campers back to the beautiful mountains, and are happy to see loads of fresh, new faces. Yesterday was opening day for June Camp, our 56th summer, and we definitely felt a melting pot of emotions emanating through the camp. We had boys who were exhilarated, and a few that were nervous. After meeting their counselors, saying goodbye to their parents, and playing some awesome games, the campers eased in.
Ultimately, they are ecstatic to embark on their journeys this summer!
Ten Steps For Opening Day
Here are ten steps for what to expect on the first day of camp at Falling Creek. Let the adventure begin!
Watch Here
Like Father, like Son.
As parents arrived and dropped their boys off, I had the wonderful opportunity of meeting a few of them. One story stuck out to me, Tripp W. will be staying in the same cabin that his father, Lawrence W. stayed in, back in 1988.
The duo, including Tripp’s grandfather, looked at the cabin plaques and found Lawrence’s name. I was able to have a chat with them, and discovered that it would be Tripp’s 5th year at Falling Creek, making him a second generation veteran. His father went to camp from 1987 until 1990, and returned in 1992. He then went on to become a camp counselor for the years 1995 and 1996. We truly hope Tripp will follow in his father’s footsteps and become a great counselor too.
Speaking of following in his dad’s footsteps, Tripp will be doing some of the very same activities that his father did, all those years ago. He will be enjoying riflery, fishing, canoeing and backpacking, just as his father had.
Welcome, Fun and Games
As we waited for all the campers to arrive, we had the boys get to know each other while playing a bunch of awesome field games. This included having the Sorrel and Tsuga lines playing on the tennis courts, while the Robinia and Betula lines enjoyed the landsports field. The younger boys played tennis, hockey and pickleball. While the older boys played disc golf, football and Yoshi tag.
Campfire Traditions
Weekly campfires are a long-lasting tradition at Falling Creek that we thoroughly enjoy. Unfortunately a short evening shower rolled in and moved us from having our fire in the usual spot, and we enjoyed our alternative option, in the gym together with a lovely fireplace. It was the first campfire to welcome this year’s set of boys to Falling Creek. We shared a night filled with songs, funny skits, stories and important announcements. It was evident in the laughter that filled the gym that everyone was enjoying themselves, as we approached the end of the first day.
Following campfire, the boys walked to their cabins for “call to quarters”. This being their first night in camp, they were beginning their evening routines they had discussed earlier in the day. This is a new experience for many to be living/sharing a cabin together with 7 other boys and 2 counselors. Their enthusiasm is running high on this opening day and they can’t wait for tomorrow. The boys then shared Evening Embers, where they were provided the opportunity to sit in a circle facing a candle, a wonderful opportunity to discuss their feelings about the day with their cabin mates and counselors. They were making sure they all know each other’s names and where they are from. They talked about what they were going to do tomorrow when all of the camp activities start and what they want to do before the session is over.
Delicious Meals for Opening Day!
We had our usual Sunday feast which consists of fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, beans, and housemade bread rolls.. And of course, our alternative option, for extra sustenance, beans and rice as well as our usual salad bar. The boys were super excited to eat, they had their faces pressed up against the windows while waiting for everyone to finish the handwashing. Our dessert was homemade chocolate chip cookies which was an absolute treat following the wonderful lunch.
For dinner, we had a wonderful dish of spaghetti and meatballs complemented by peas and housemade bread. Our salad bar was open with options like hummus and guacamole, with the alternative options also lined up. To wash all that down, the boys enjoyed strawberry ice lollies for dessert.
Important to Note:
We post daily blogs, every morning, that will tell a story about what has happened the previous day. This will give you a glimpse into camp life and provide some brief insight into your son’s day to day life at camp. These won’t be a full recap, and may sometimes highlight certain adventures or activities such as our much anticipated backpacking overnights.
For more details about keeping up with what’s going on at camp, please see the email that Paige, our Communications Director, sent out last night. It explains camper mail, the upcoming “parent notes,” and online photo details. We can not wait to share all the exciting adventures with you during these next three weeks. And thank you for sharing your sons with us this 2024 Summer Camp Session!
Meet FCC’s 2024 Writer
Jesse Jaymes Capazario is the summer blog writer for 2024! She is from Johannesburg, South Africa, with a passion for both writing and photography. This is Jesse Jaymes’ first year on staff at Falling Creek, but she comes to us with years of experience in creating online and written content.