A Time to Connect and Unwind
Evening Embers is a long-standing tradition at Falling Creek.
Each night after the lights-out bell rings, the campers and counselors in each cabin gather around a lantern on the floor of their cabin to debrief their day and let their cabin mates learn more about them and their lives. Guided by prompts from their Counselor’s Journal that are tied to the weekly theme, counselors facilitate quiet conversation that serves as a comforting way to ease into the end of the day.
I recently had the opportunity to join Cabin 11 for Evening Embers.
The counselors did an incredible job guiding the conversation, and the campers showed great vulnerability and contemplation. I left the cabin with a warm feeling of connection.
The root of Evening Embers is establishing a setting where campers can connect as a cabin. A lot of camp focuses on skills and more physical aspects of campers’ experience, but this allows counselors to focus on campers’ mental and emotional lives. Campers come out of the experience feeling like brothers.
counselor and former camper, William Ashcroft, Austin, TX
A Space for Reflection
The question of the night was, “What gives things value for you?” Answers ranged from connections with loved ones to memories of fond experiences. One camper mentioned military medals from his great-grandfather; a counselor mentioned having received a record of his favorite album from someone who went great lengths to find it for him.
Without exception, campers gave insights into their lives and how they felt. Everything shared was new to all the other people in the cabin and gave one another the ability to see each other on a meaningful level.
Evening Embers is a place for you and your cabin mates to talk about things you’re looking forward to and things about your life outside of camp.
camper Ace P., New Rochelle, NY
A Lantern and a Listening Ear
Sitting around the lantern and listening to what everyone had to say, it was clear that everybody cared about one another and was locked in to what everyone else was sharing. They fed off of each other’s energy and referenced each other’s responses in their own. Boys frequently tied in things they had experienced in their lives outside camp to things they had done and seen at Falling Creek.
Campers and counselors in the cabin get to know each other more deeply during Evening Embers. I like it because we can help each other when we’re struggling with something.
camper Harrison B., New York City, NY
A Quiet Moment That Lasts
Evening Embers may be one of the quietest moments of the day, but its impact is often among the deepest. In a place filled with energy, adventure, and constant motion, it offers boys a chance to slow down, be heard, and really listen. The stories, insights, and laughter shared in the soft glow of the lantern become building blocks for empathy, trust and lifelong friendship.
It’s one of the clearest reflections of Falling Creek’s core values — because when a boy feels known, he feels at home.
One of my favorite Evening Embers prompts is asking who each boy’s role model is. Counselors selecting a good question and being willing to be vulnerable themselves sets the expectation and example for the campers. It opens them up to seeking their own adventures.
– Tsuga Assistant Line Head and former camper Rex Bowen, Houston, TX
One recent evening, I asked the boys in Cabin 11 what was the hardest thing they have done and what they learned from it. Their answers helped me learn about how the campers think. It’s helped me to learn more about them, which is important for our relationship throughout the session.
STEEL camper John Hayden S., Oslo, Norway
Falling Creek is a great community. Evening Embers is a time when you can bond with your cabin mates. It helps when you’re going through something or even when you’re having a great time.
camper George C., Alexandria, LA