Tradition Tribal Fire

Congrats to all 65 first-year campers who were inducted into the Huawni Tribe tonight! It was a warm but beautiful evening as camp experienced one of Huawni’s richest tradition, Initiation.

One of our core beliefs at Huawni is “rich tradition reminds us of who we are”. That was never more evident than this evening. I got to watch legacy campers like Maggie E., whose mom Shelli came to camp years ago, go into the Tribe. That was really neat, especially since Maggie looks just like her mom. For me, Initiation seems to bring back so many good memories with my best camp friends. I can recall specific “spots” with some of my best friends- guys like Micah Howard, Charlie King, Josh Andrus, Andrew Clendenen, Chase Palmer, Steven Taylor, and others. The bond with Huawni friends is hard to describe, and sometimes it just leaves you with tears of joy and remembrance.

As we sang the Camp Song at the Tribal Fire, you could hear an actual whippoorwill singing in the distance. We hiked back to Camp and gathered at the swimming pool for our last sing song.

There was a crescent moon in the sky tonight as we sang You Are My Sunshine, When I First Came To This Land, Salty Dog, Long Black Veil, Now and Forever, Summer, and the Camp Song.

When passing out midnight snacks, Berry Patch West challenged me to wrestling match. I accepted, and officially finished the night with a 4-0 record…I will sleep good tonight!

We’re looking forward to seeing all of you parents tomorrow on Closing Day. Remember to please show up at 10am and no sooner as we’ll be preparing for your arrival. At 11am we’ll start closing ceremonies; your kids will meet you there after we finish our Final Pow Wow on Flagpole Hill.

It’s our last night of Camp for this session and life to the full was experienced this week. Thank you for entrusting us with your most prized possession, your kiddos. May this summer be the beginning of true personal growth in their young little hearts.