Awards Night

Last night, campers gathered at Morning Watch for Awards Night. Awards were handed out, progression stickers were earned, and boys had the chance to look back on everything that happened during the session. Three weeks ago, many of these same campers arrived with goals they hoped to accomplish. Some wanted to earn a progression. Some wanted to go on a trip. Others simply wanted to try something new.

One of the things that makes camp special is that boys are willing to work hard here. They sign up for activities they’ve never tried before. They spend hours practicing skills that don’t come easily. They take on challenges that might have felt intimidating just a few weeks earlier. Awards Night gives us a chance to look back at some of those moments.

When Lawson B. from Tampa, Florida arrived at camp, he had a clear goal. He wanted to complete his Fly Fishing prep and earn Scout. Over the course of the session, he learned how to cast, practiced patience, and reached that goal. Along the way, he also earned Scout in Horseback Riding, Woodworking, and Pottery.

I’m ready to try for Explorer next year,” Lawson said.

Not every camper ends up exactly where he expected.

Teddy R. from Charlotte, North Carolina arrived convinced Mountain Biking would be his favorite activity. Instead, he found himself spending more time at the lake.

I learned how to flip my kayak and earned my Yaklet,” Teddy said. “It was hard to get the hang of it at first, but now I can go on more trips. Next year, I want to earn my Redlet.

Then he added:

It’s kind of cool how things can change at camp.

Trip T. from Charleston, South Carolina spent six summers at camp before signing up for his first backpacking trip. Not because he wasn’t interested, but because he hadn’t done a multi-day trip before.

This summer, he decided to go.

In the past, I didn’t want to go because I was nervous,” Trip said. “It was my goal this session to get out of camp overnight and couple of guys from my cabin wanted to go too. It was so incredible to be out in nature and see the clear water. It was awesome.

When asked about progressions, he continued,

I like experiences more than progressions. I know I still accomplished something. It’s fun to get better at things.

Some goals take a little longer.

Alan S. from Columbus, Georgia became the only camper this session to earn Ranger in Woodworking. It was a goal he had been working toward for two years.

To earn Ranger, campers must:

• Identify and explain nine different wood joints
• Complete a project using a joining technique beyond a basic butt, miter, or dovetail joint
• Successfully use a technique such as a biscuit, lap, dowel, or finger joint
• Complete a project using a miter box to create mitered joints

When Alan first came to Falling Creek, he already had some experience in woodshop.

My dad and I build stuff at home. When I came here two years ago, I told myself, ‘I’m going up on the wall in Woodworking.’

This session, he finally got there.

I’ve been really motivated and working on this box for two days.

Joe Dixon, the Soccer Activity Leader from East Yorkshire, England, has had a front-row seat to that growth all session.

Every day, there are boys working on progressions who won’t stop until they reach their goal,” Joe said. “Other boys just want to play. Some want to lead games and bring people together. I’m glad there is something for all of them to find success every day. Three weeks ago, a lot of these boys weren’t in that same mindset.

Last night, some campers were recognized in their favorite activities. Others received new stickers for their Waypoint Maps. Every award and achievement represented hours spent practicing, learning, trying again, and sticking with something long enough to improve.

Three weeks ago, many of these boys arrived with goals, questions, and maybe a few nerves.

Last night, they had the chance to see how far they had come.

Session Highlights

Many campers reached progression milestones. Here are a few highlights from the session:

• Five campers reached Warrior in Archery, including Carter L. and Guy W., who also earned Ranger.
• JP G., Mac S., and Xander M. each completed both Ranger and Warrior in Backpacking.
• Callahan H., Hayes P., and Phillip S. earned both Ranger and Warrior in Theater, one of Falling Creek’s less frequently earned progressions.
• Tommy N., Walker B., Callahan H., and Thad J. all earned Ranger in Music, another activity where campers don’t often reach progression milestones.

Featured Activity Awards

Congratulations to this session’s featured activity award recipients:

• Heart of the Range: Bolden A. (Archery)
• FC Player of the Year: Rowe M. (Basketball)
• The King: John S. (Chess)
• Golden Boot: Holden K. (Soccer)
• Water Wizard: Charlie D. (Paddling)
• Super Shredder: Bowen S. (Music)
• Sorcerer o’ Stone: Tripp M. (Climbing Wall)
• Hammer Head: Henry D. (Woodworking)

We’ll take a closer look at the Waypoint Progression System and what these milestones represent on the blog next month.