Green and Gold Day

Ahoy from Lake Summit!

Green vs. Gold, it’s hard to pick a favorite. Green is the color of life, the defining color of this mountain and all its trees and greenery. Gold is the color of the setting sun at night, and is a color full of value and richness. Both colors are important, and both hold value as the two colors of Falling Creek. Each boy who comes to camp becomes part of a Green or a Gold cabin, which decides what color they’ll be cheering for and earning points towards throughout the session.

The Green and Gold teams are divided by cabin for friendly competition in all camp events and evening programs. Cabins can get points for their team during tribal games or cabin inspections, and individual campers can also gain points during activities, or in rare cases, through random acts of kindness. On Tuesdays, we celebrate “Green and Gold days,” where points can be earned throughout the day in activities, culminating with a final chance to earn points in the Evening Program. The teams are competitive, but it is always a friendly rivalry. Throughout the day, you could hear chants of “Green Machine!” alternated with “Gold People!”, but both took turns yelling the cheers. Though there are two teams we are hardly divided, and campers seem to understand that it is one brotherhood first.

We began this Green and Gold day like any other, gathering at Morning Watch. Tre led us with a thought for the day, starting the morning with a story about a camp he works at back home during the school year. Since he works there during the winter, he described how the ropes course was really cold, and on one day he was particularly freezing while working. Some girls at the ropes course noticed, and brought him some hot chocolate and hand warmers. Tre thought this was extremely kind, even though it was a seemingly small gesture. Later on when the same girls were up at the highest point on the course, one of them was too afraid to move. Her two friends talked her through it, and she ended up making it through the course. Just those two small acts of kindness made a huge difference in how Tre’s day went, and how the day went for their friend. Tre ended the story by explaining how it’s the small things that have a large impact, and to not underestimate small kind acts. “It may not always be easy, but it will always be worth it. Look ahead of you, never behind. Have faith in yourself. If you do, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish. Remember, life is what you make it,” Tre concluded.

Tre sharing a thought for the day at Morning Watch

These words were relevant today during all the friendly competition, because boys have to remember that the Green and Gold days are “what you make it.” If they don’t work together cohesively, they’ll have a harder time being successful as a team. At the same time, if they aren’t good sports or let any losses get them down, the day won’t end up being fun for anyone. The first competition of the day was during Morning Assembly on the front porch after breakfast. One Green camper and one Gold camper get picked from the crowd to represent their teams in a silly “minute-to-win-it” style challenge. Today’s challenge was getting an Oreo from your forehead to your mouth first, but without using your hands. You have to contort your face and scrunch your forehead muscles to make the cookie move, which makes for some great and funny entertainment. In the end though, it came out as a tie since neither team could get the Oreo in their mouth during the minute. They both got to eat the cookies though, which is all that matters.

Trying to beat the Minute-To-Win-It Oreo challenge!

In some activities, the counselors plan games to allow boys to participate in mini competitions, gaining small amounts of points for their Green or Gold teams. Lukas told me how they played for points in archery, adapting the common basketball game “horse” to fit their archery needs. “You take turns shooting an arrow anywhere on the target, then the next person has to copy the same shot on their turn,” he explained. Green won that round, which he was happy about since he was Green. Meanwhile at the F.A.R.M., the boys were learning the different kinds of chickens that live in the coop, and those who could identify the most would earn points. Patteson was telling me about it while I ate lunch with his cabin, Ishi. He was excited to announce that Gold had won that round.

Playing ‘horse’ for points at the archery range

Every Green and Gold day ends with tribal games for team points. Tonight, Cherokee headed to the land sports field for soccer and ultimate frisbee, while Catawba went to the gym and turf field for basketball, soccer, and flag football. Tuscarora were in the Thunder Dungeon for different rounds of dodgeball-like games, and Iroquois was at the tennis courts playing pickleball matches. During these tribal games, boys divide into their Green or Gold teams and play for points that add up all session long. Tonight was the first chance to get a head start in the points, but there are plenty more chances ahead of us. We’re looking forward to even more fun and challenges tomorrow morning.

-Annie Pharr

Having a ball at camp already!

More Highlights From This Tuesday:

• We celebrated two birthdays at lunch! Owen L. turned 12, and we sang Happy Birthday as he blew out his candles. We also celebrated Drew Cotril, one of our awesome counselors.

Happy Birthday Owen!

• We had our first day trips head out today: Gilbert’s Rock for climbing, an AM and a PM trip to DuPont State Forest for mountain biking, plus a Lower Green River paddling trip. Many more to come tomorrow!
• Raines K. attained the level of Warrior today in Disc Golf, landing a 40’ final shot in the chains to clinch the score to earn him the rank. “It was an amazing shot” counselor Andy Killebrew announced this evening when he was recognizing Raines in front of everyone during supper announcements.
• Breakfast: warm cinnamon rolls with ham, egg, and cheese casserole, plus a fruit and yogurt bar (fresh blueberries today!) and an oatmeal station.
• Lunch: Frito Pie, a camp favorite made up of ground beef, fritos, and all the “fixins.” Boys could top their Frito pie with salsa, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, or any assortment of things from the salad bar. On the soup bar there was broccoli and cheddar soup, plus stewed apples at the table. For dessert, s’mores pockets! (personally tied with chocolate chip cookies as my all time favorite dessert)
• Dinner: Turkey and homemade mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans, dinner roll and apple cobbler for dessert.

Tandem teamwork to navigate the Lower Green rapids today