Spy Week Part II - Protocol One-Nine-Five-One

SPY WEEK 2014: Through the critical intelligence received from our informants discovered during All Camp Clue, the identities of the counselor double agents were finally revealed. But, just as they were unmasked they revealed the most revealing revelation of all...they accused half of our campers of being double agents themselves! 

"Impossible!" we said. "We have the greatest, most loyal, best the best better best campers in the entire world, our campers could never ever be double agents!"

But we had to be sure. The stakes were too high. So, we did the unthinkable. We invoked Protocol One-Nine-Five-One: The Camp Spirit Test. The Spirit Test has not been needed since Lindley G. Cook himself called one in the mid-50s, but we had to bring back this relic to prove camp was double agent free.

Every camper was issued a personal Spirit Identification Card. They had to pass through 16 stations in the categories of Head, Heart, Hands and Health to prove their spirit and loyalty to camp. Once passed, a friendship bracelet string would be tied to each category to indicate completion.

Would camp pass? Only the Spirit Test would tell.

Agent BearClaw prowls the grounds, and calls in Protocol One-Nine-Five-One  (over his super-sweet-functioning earpiece!) to initiate the Camp Spirit Test.

Campers proudly display their I.D. cards.

Filling up water balloons?! To throw off the bridge!? Into the spillway!? At our counselor Renaud!? That's got to take camp spirit.

A Mural on the White House wall!?

Being finger printed and identified on a top secret location on camp for ALL TIME!? (It's under a picnic table. I gave up that secret easy.)

Launching giant marshmallows for virtual S'mores out of a three-person catapult!?

Writing Warm Fuzzies! (More intense than it sounds.)

Blind Color Guard!

What an awesome station map. Good thing we have a professional cartographer on staff.

The Patience Station, where campers had to wait in line to give a camp suggestion to Molly. Suggestion not good enough? Get to the back of the line.

The Cleverness Station at Lakeside.

Slip and Slide Bowling!

Show off your BFI skills by stealing a flag from Roshan!

Shooting Fake Arrows at Tin Cans in the Bowl!

Jem leaps off the dock to go swim where no camper has swam before...beyond the swim lines.

The completed mural.

A completed Spirit ID card and great camp souvenir, all in one.

Who could argue with that spirit?

As we expected, our campers passed their Spirit test with flying-colors (flying colored string, to be exact). We realized that we didn't even need to find the lantern holding the camp spirit, because in our campers we had a 150 camp spirit reserves on hand all week. However, the counselor double agents were so impressed by our campers in the camp spirit test that they had a change of heart and returned the lantern to camp...conveniently, just in time to light the closing campfire.

Despite these successes, we managed to learn nothing more about this "Dark Agent" and his plans to take over Summer Camp. That will have to remain a mystery...until Spy Week 2015 that is.

Session 5: Spy Week (Part I- The Search for the Double Agents)

Session 5 was our first ever SPY week, and from all the fun we had something tells me it won't be our last.

At the opening campfire (despite our highest security lock down from Agents BearClaw and Rattlesnake), our camp spirit lantern was stolen! A Mystery Man revealed that a DARK AGENT was taking over Summer Camps across the country, and we were next on the list. To shake our disbelief, a refuge counselor from one of these camps burst out of the woods and confirmed this terrible tale. Not only that, but we learned the plot had already begun...the DARK AGENT had his hold on the camp, and four of our very counselors were double agents in his service. At this point, we were off to the races to try to discover the true identities of these double agents and regain our spirit.

Secret Agent Laser Beam Cabin Choice Obstacle Course!? Don't mind if I do, Cabin #8, don't mind if I do.

See the face Counselor Samalander is making in the left-hand corner? That is what face a spy makes.

Duh-Nuh-Nuh. Duh-Duh-Duh-Duh-Duh-Duh (Oh, c'mon. You know the song.)

Even spies need best friends. (And to think they didn't even know each other seven weeks ago. The danger of being co-counselors.)

Cabin #7 is up to something Top Secret in the Craft Shop.

What is it they're up to? That's confidential.

Clearly not a Spy. Paint tattoos don't lie.

Spy Week Battle for the Island is looking serious.

Our Animal Agencies assemble for their missions.

The R.I.F. Agency is ready to capture some flags. (Raptors in Flight.)

A "Spy Glass". Excellent choice.

The B.L.T. Agency lies in wait. (Beaver Logistics Team.)

Lying in wait is fantastic! 

No Agency is more ferocious than the B.E.A.

Wednesday Evening our own Agent Rattlesnake was abducted. But we didn't know where it happened! Or who did it! Or what item was used to do it! Sounds like a game of Camp Clue would be the only way to get to the bottom of it. Who was the culprit?

Was it Serpiente De Aqua? 

The intimidating duo that is E-Nivi?

Or perhaps Smooth Operator?

Tune into the next exciting edition of our Spy Week 2014 Unclassified Report to find out!

Behind the Scenes- The Making of a Staff Photo

We mark our summers at camp not by when it was or what happened, but by who was there. No one is more present on camp than the counselors, coordinators, and other staff who make camp L.G. Cook their home in the forest for two months every summer.

We like to keep a record of exactly who was on staff each summer with our traditional staff photo, usually taken toward the end of each summer. But, believe it or not a lot of work goes into the organization of this simple event. Below, revealed to the outside world for the first time ever, is all that goes into a staff photo.

Step one: Choosing of the location. "How 'bout lakeside?"..."Works for me."

Step 2: The gathering of the camp. "So we'll just leave all the kids in the dining hall as the entire staff leaves for the photo? Eh. We better take em with us."

"Sit on the benches. We need to take a picture."

THIS is how exciting it is to be there for the staff photo.

Step 3: The long process of getting everyone in place...

"Tall people in the back...someone sit on the bench...move over...no, not you...you...yes you...you're too tall to go there. Hurry up!"

"There, ok? Are we set? Everyone ready? Bridget! Sit down!"

Step 4: "Take the picture! Quick. We won't be able to keep this up long."

"Wait. Were we doing serious or silly?"

"Silly, right? Could we even do serious if we tried?"

And sure, while the whole camp is here you guys might as well get in the picture too.

Cutter found the camera.

"Gosh, picture day is fun."

All for this final result, to hang on the wall and remember all the fine folks on staff the year when we were those light blue shirts...

Sometimes serious...

But mostly silly, they are your Summer Staff of 2014.