2nd Term Weekend Update

Camp kicked into high gear in the last half of this week as we enjoyed full days of activities and night programs leading up to the second Sunday of the term. As one camper put it, “the first couple days felt like a week, and then the next week felt like a day.” The routine of camp truly does make time fly, which, as they say, happens when you are having fun.

Thursday morning was kicked off with pancakes and sausage in the dining hall, followed by meatloaf, fried okra, creamed corn, and salad for lunch. Campers enjoyed getting into some of their activities for the 2nd or 3rd time, which means learning next level skills and getting to try new things. Wilderness, for example, has been teaching campers survival skills like shelter making and fire starting. Tennis has been playing a game called “King of the Court” where boys attempt to become king by winning two straight points and then holding off the other players who take turns hitting back and forth with the king. Up top, golfers worked on hitting balls to targets set at 50 and 100 yards.

Friday was a similar feel, but thanks to the rotating schedule, campers got to experience 5 different activities. Fueled up by eggs and grits in the morning, and fried fish, field peas, and scalloped potatoes at lunch, the boys attacked the day. Our horseback classes have been going on trail rides to work on their riding skills. Minor Sports has been playing Banana Ball- a game where the boys use plastic scoops to throw wiffle balls to each other and into goals. In guitar classes, boys worked on chords by learning to play some of the more popular camp songs. At the end of the day, we all enjoyed a picnic supper of hamburgers, baked beans, chips, and oreo cookies, before heading off to glee club and night activities.

Night activities are special because they are typically games that aren’t played in other activities, and are also played as an age group. We try to rotate more physically challenging games, like Capture the Flag, with more relaxed things like going for a night swim at the pool or making S’mores at a campfire. One popular option this term has been “Alpine Hockey” in the gym. We flip over benches to create a rink where campers try and score goals with soft plastic hockey sticks. In lieu of a puck, we’ve found a large wiffle ball works best. Teams of 7 rotate after each goal is scored making it a fast paced, exciting game to play or watch.

Another fun night activity option is Xtreme 4 Square. Teams of two compete in a classic game of 4 square played on the tennis courts with a large 16 inch wide ball. Players can set the ball to maximize slams and work their way to the kings square. Another fan favorite is known as Newcomb. Invented at Newcomb college, this game is a variation of volleyball that allows players to catch the ball and throw it back over. If the ball hits the ground, a player on that team is eliminated. This continues until one team is out of players.

After all the excitement, Saturday featured a block period in the afternoon to allow the guys to catch a break from their activities. Tonight, we plan to head to the gym for a movie night ahead of a late wake up call tomorrow morning for a restful Sunday. With some showers in the area, it’s likely we will fall asleep tonight to the sound of rain on the metal cabin roofs.

Thanks for reading! Wayne