Leadership Weekend

Leadership Weekend: It's just like Summer Camp.

Except there are no campers.

And no counselors.

And instead of a lovely temperate North Jersey summer the weather goes back and forth between being -10 degrees and then dumping 5 inches of snow on us.

So it's just like Summer Camp, if everything about Summer Camp were different. 

So it's not Summer Camp! It's Leadership Weekend, a time for transitions. Our CIT graduates transition from being campers to being Junior Volunteer Counselors. Our former Volunteer counselors transition to being Veteran Volunteers (or even future staff members). Our Senior Staff transition from last summer to next summer. (And hopefully winter transitions to spring! We've had our Leadership Weekend, thanks for being so appropriately "winter" the whole time, but we don't need you anymore! You've served your purpose. Don't wear out your welcome. Get warm. Start now.) 

Here's some snapshots (literally and figuratively) from the weekend.

The weekend was run by a group Staff Emeritus, sharing summers and summers of counseling experience. 

Fun in the Winter Headquarters. 

The face of a role model.

It's never too early in the weekend for a group photo.

How do you learn leadership? Work projects, that's how!

Work projects like...shoveling!

And more shoveling!

And taking down the Winter Gathering decorations because it's the end of February and we have absolutely no excuse for being the last people in the state with our holiday decorations STILL up!

And working on the benches for our new Lakeside Fire Ring.

Look at those intense, thoughtful stares.

Look at those sparks!

Look at that coiling!

Look at those grilled cheese sandwiches. (Or an early stage of a grilled cheese sandwich. Grilled cheese sandwich larva? Nope, not that. That sounds gross.)

Mass grilled cheese construction requires a good factory conveyor-belt like atmosphere.

Relaxing by the fire was a work project in itself.

T-Nivi is at his happiest during the Leadership Weekend.

Hustle and or bustle.

Now the real work project begins! This hill needs sledded down! (Sled down? Sleddeded down? Sleddeding?) Regardless, it needs it! Get to work.

It's a tough job, but some one's got to do it.

Eye on the summit, Schneids, eye on the summit.

Action shot!

This is where the work comes in. Down the hill is easy. Up the hill is another story. 

This kind of thing was happening constantly.

Broomball on the frozen lake?

Deal.

Well. All this working and shoveling and building and cleaning and leading and learning and sitting and grilling and cooking and eating and smiling and laughing and slipping and shivering and sledding and friendshipping and leading (did I mention leading) have worn us out.

We'll be back with more pictures and reports from the weekend after a quick break to warm up around the fire.
Another difference between Leadership Weekend and Summer Camp!
Here we keep our fires safe inside sturdy metal boxes.

Next Time: MORE From Leadership Weekend!