Main Camp Opening Day!
Everyone was up bright and early at Falling Creek, ready to welcome the Main Campers to our beautiful mountains.
Our excitement emulated through the crisp morning air, as eager campers arrived and were greeted by our enthusiastic counselors. The energy was immaculate, as laughter began to fill the empty spaces at Falling Creek.
Friendships began to emerge, as boys were out by the lake catching fish and playing games around on the sports fields. We had cousins, neighbors, and friends all joining us together for the summer of a lifetime!
The first day has certainly set the tone for this summer session, as we are already creating great memories and building camaraderie.
Hear from our Campers:
Winston R. from cabin 5 is all the way from New York, he said that he is excited as well as nervous to be coming to Falling Creek for the first time. We assured him that he is going to have a blast!
William G. also a first timer, from Cabin 4, said he is really excited about joining us for this camp session. “I am feeling good!” he proudly announced.
Connor R says he is really stoked to be doing archery here at camp. It is his first time with us, and he is excited and ready for the adventure.
Oliver L. is in our Betula line, cabin 40, he is most definitely a camp veteran as he is spending his 9th summer with us. When asked what kept him coming back, he expressed how the beautiful nature and scenery has captured his heart. He will also be a part of our STEEL group.
Evin C. from cabin 14 is another first timer that I had the opportunity of meeting. He said that he is ready for camp! He is super excited to be embarking on this journey.
Campfire
Campfire is a long-lasting camp tradition that happens every Sunday at Falling Creek. We enjoyed our first campfire of the session to welcome the boys, although we couldn’t enjoy it in our traditional space because of some rain, we still retained the tradition by enjoying it in McGrady Gym. We all came together to share an evening filled with songs, hilarious skits, meaningful stories, as well as some important announcements about the session ahead.
We brought to light the theme for the week, Honor, and found lessons of honor in the stories and skits. Yates introduced the Keepers of the Flame, counselor Will Cameron and camper Willam D. as well as our Journeymen, Beans (counselor Johnny Ervin) and camper Thad J. We got to meet the STEEL program members, as well as the Honor Council who will be representing the campers throughout the session.
The message of Honor was greatly prominent, as we watched skits involving important messaging. One skit was of a Noble Knight, that was honorable to his King and the Kingdom. Sunny Durocher, one of our Program Coordinators, shared stories about how one must choose honor, even in difficult situations, even when the reward doesn’t seem as great and glamorous, as depicted in the story of the Noble Knight. Be honorable, even when you may not have a crowd to praise you, do it because it is the right thing.
It was clear in the brightness on the boys’ faces, and laughter that filled the air, that everyone was enjoying themselves. As we approached the end of the first day, it was evident that this is going to be an extremely wonderful summer session.
Evening Embers
Evening Embers are a camp tradition that helps the boys feel safe, connected, and settled at camp. This involves having a heart to heart discussion in your cabins with your counselors. Each camper is provided the opportunity to share their thoughts, feelings and emotions as well as their goals, hopes and expectations for the summer.
Evening Embers happens every night before bed, therefore the campers are provided a daily opportunity as a cabin group to check in with their counselors and fellow cabin mates. It is a safe space created through shared connectedness and building a community.
Important to Note:
We post daily blogs 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 cabin 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.