A Night at Alpine
It’s Wednesday evening, I’m sitting on my screen porch at my house, directly across the road from the field and gym. It’s a humidity-less 74 degrees. The high today was only about 83, with pleasant north winds that drove away most of the humidity. The natural light is fading as I look out my screens, bringing into focus the artificial lights from the gym and field.
Directly across from me, through a small stand of trees in my front yard, I can see and hear the Trappers (rising 5th graders) playing games of Kickball. We have two back stops on our field so they’re divided up into 4 teams for more play time.
In the gym our Hunters (rising 3rd and 4th) are playing “Ultimate Kickball”. It’s kickball played with all kinds of fun Alpine twists and rules. It involves lots of base running, backwards direction I believe, and more than 4 bases. It was invented years ago by one of our program directors and has been a staple night program ever since. Truthfully, I’m not sure I even know all the rules. But I can assure you all your boys do!
Opposite the gym, on the other side of the field are our tennis and volleyball courts. Tonight our tennis courts, lit by the field lights, are serving as pickleball courts for a group of our Braves (rising 8th grade). Some of you may be familiar with a variation of volleyball called Newcomb. According to Wikipedia (which is always true, right?) it was invented in the late 1800’s around the same time as volleyball. I’m not convinced that’s true but we’ll go with it! At any rate, the boys love it. Our Warriors (rising 7th) are locked in two competitive games of Newcomb.
Some of our Scout age group (rising 6th) packed up before dinner for a short hike to one of our remote campsites on property. They are sitting around a fire, made with wood they collected, roasting hot dogs and S’mores as I type. They’ll sleep out under the stars tonight and return in the morning before breakfast. It’s a perfect, cool night and they’ll fall asleep to the natural noises of crickets and frogs as a sound machine. Our other Scouts are getting in a game of Capture the Flag on our newly lit Lacrosse field. Our Chiefs, the oldest, are having a “chill night” on the Ridge where they live, playing games and roasting S’mores in their fire pit.
Glee Club after dinner was raucous. The counselors debuted a new song tonight, much anticipated. It’s been the talk of camp and boys chanted for it after each song. The song is called Missing Alpine. It’s a high energy tune about being sad to leave camp and all the fun things going on while at camp. Kudos to counselors Davis F. and Ware C. for writing Alpine lyrics to the tune of the Killers’ Mr. Brightside!
By the way, Glee club meets each night after supper. All of camp attends, sitting on the floor and singing camp songs. Most are adapted Alpine lyrics to popular tunes. Tonight we also sang maybe the most popular of all time, Say It’s French Toast, to the tune of Weezer’s Say It Ain’t So. Some traditional folk tunes are sung as well like Will the Circle Be Unbroken. Tonight’s was Rocky Top, which of course always receives mixed reviews based on school allegiance. Glee Club is almost universally loved by counselors and campers alike.
Mrs. Gail and company brought out one of our favorites for supper: spaghetti noodles with meat sauce, buttered toast, and a green salad with chopped tomatoes and ranch dressing.
Activities are in full swing now, halfway through our first week. And friendships, new and old, have been solidified. All is well at camp.
Thanks for reading and good night for now, Glenn
