Camp Eve Celebration

This year, the first day of Summer Camp is July 4th!

And what does that make July 3rd?

Why, it makes it CAMP EVE, of course!

We even had a batch of campers in early,

After our Lantern Family BBQ,

To celebrate Camp Eve, And an early start to Session #1.

We started with some campfire songs (of course)...

And then called for the Camp Spirit (safe in our lantern from last season) to light the fire.

Wait. Who had the lantern last?

It was Tyler, right? T-Nivi, you had the Lantern?

But Tyler says Nurse Tosti had the Lantern last!

And oh no! Nurse Tosti says I had the Lantern last!

Me!?

We should have known better than to leave the Lantern with me! I can't remember where I put it!

Fortunately (as always) our Coordinator of Fun, Julia Langone has a pile of clues to lead us to the Lost Lantern of Camp Spirit.

We assemble into groups.

First step of Camp problem solving is always to assemble into groups.

So we dispersed!

Into the twilight lit Camp...

In search of our missing spirit.

That's a pretty smiley face for a serious spirit-hunt, Curtis!

That's more like it, McBride!

And so, treated with a lovely Lake Shawanni sunset...

We waited.

As the groups scavenged.

And then, just when we were losing hope our Lantern would be found...

Wait, what's that glow!? A lantern?

No, several lanterns!

That's right! Now we remember. 

We put the spirit in many lanterns this off-season to be sure we'd keep track of it. 

That plan kind of backfired. But it's okay! Because we found them all.

And followed the final instructions of our Scavenger Hunt clues to all converge at the Waterfront bridge.

Which, it just so happened...

When lined with campers holding spirit-filled lanterns, turned out to be the perfect setting...

To tell the true (actually true) tale of the very first Camp Eve...

When the waterfront bridge was completed by lantern light, just in time for the first campers to arrive on the first day of Camp in the summer of 1951.

And so we too again prepared, by lantern light, on yet another Camp Eve, for yet another summer, and yet another very first day of Camp.

End of Staff Training!

On the final night of staff training, most of the sessions had been held, most the plans had been made, cabin assignments were given, so there was only one thing left to do...we needed wrap things up by playing the:

So YOU Want to be Co-Counselors Game Show!

Bowls and spoons. Classic Camp buzzers.

Buzzing in is harder than you thing though.

And even when a team managed to buzz in...

Our Senior Staff hosts were not easily impressed.

Co-counselors needed to work together...

Confer...

Debate...

Smile...

And pose...

Their way to victory. 

Our judges kept dutiful score.

And what did the winners get?!

To spin the wheel, of course!

Yes! It landed on the mystery box!

Mystery box! Mystery box! (What was in the mystery box? Don't ask. It's a mystery.)

 Then!

The next morning it was off to...

COURSE AREA PRESENTATIONS!

The E.E. Staff taught us all to build survival shelters.

Tim's comfortable!

Everyone's comfortable. We're moving in.

A good team helps you in Survival class.

And everywhere else on Camp, too, for that matter.

Then Creative Arts taught us to jam in junkyard band!

And make our own fireworks in preparation for the 4th of July.

Glitter it up, Kuba.

Creative times with Creative Arts in the Craft Shop.

The band's album cover.

The band launched into a percussive,

Fireworky tune...

And the artists joined in to back them up visually, as it all came together.

But it ain't Camp without some Archery.

Bows!

Arrows!

Balloons!

What more do you need?

Campers!

Campers is what more you need! As fun as Staff Training is, we always get to that time where we've trained up, prepared all we can, talked and planned and dreamed about the summer as much as possible can, and it is simply time for the campers to show up. 

Yes, that time comes at the end of every Staff Training.

And this summer, that time is right now.

Yup. It's time to start Summer Camp.