Inside Staff Meeting
Staff meeting is one of my favorite times of the day and it’s been around for as long as I’ve been alive. What is Staff Meeting? Staff Meeting is daily 7:20am meeting where all our counselors meet up in the staff room to prepare for the day ahead. This morning I realized that it is so much more than that. It’s a hot cup of coffee to get you going. It’s maybe one of the most communal times together here at Camp. If you’ve ever been on the Huawni Staff, you know what I mean.
For those of you who have not had the opportunity to sit in staff meeting— here’s a glimpse of this special time.
- 7:00am counselors begin to file into the Staff Room at the Main Cabin. The coffee bar is usually the first stop!
- Kelsey launches staff meeting with a game of Heads Up (see pic above). We laugh…a lot. The winning team draws from the staff lottery bucket and win a sleep in card for any staff meeting (ironic!).
- We pass out schedules as counselors look at their responsibilities ahead.
- Kelsey overviews the day ahead.
- Kelsey shares reminders to staff, including how Fishing Tonight is a major opportunity to love your kids.
- Directors compliment staff on how great a job they’ve done after supper. They have been giving their time, effort, and attention to these kids after supper and I am encouraged.
- Counselors pitch for campers of the day.
- Counselors give great sales pitches on why they should participate in chubby bunny this evening.
- Kelsey ends staff meeting and senior counselors meet up with directors to check in on emotion and energy.
- 8:00am the PA system cranks up and our day officially begins! Time to wake up the campers.
Camp Update
Camp is running along great. Last night campers flooded the Front Yard as we hosted Capture the Flag. Our counselors put on their crazy costumes and it was a mixture of pure CTF competition and one big dance party. Zanyness is the best way I can describe it. We finished last night with a Sing Song at the Pool.
This morning campers enjoyed daily activities including Critter, Trolley, Mountain Bikes, Zulu, High Ropes, Archery, Hot Shot, Sand Volleyball, Arts and Crafts, Slide, and Huawni Pond waterfront, which included paddle boarding, kayaking, and canoeing.
Tonight we are taking cabin pictures and headed to Huawni Pond for our famous, famous, MOST FAMOUS Fishing on a Tuesday Night.
Conflict is Good
Your kiddos are beginning to settle in this session and it’s been fun to watch cabin dynamics. One great thing about sleepaway camp is that campers learn to face conflict, which usually comes up when campers live in close quarters and don’t have anywhere to run. I just had a conversation with one of our boy campers about how his cabin is learning to deal with conflict and get along with each other. They are on the front end of understanding what it means to live with people they don’t necessarily like and who are not like themselves. What a great life lesson. I’m so proud of our counselors as they are walking alongside these campers step by step, teaching them humility, listening skills, consequences, and forgiveness.
Homesick Update
We have very few homesick cases thus far this session. Again, I am so proud of our counseling staff for how they have gently handled our homesick campers this summer. If your child is homesick, I would recommend going back to our homesick and happy blogs that can be found on my post yesterday.
We are loving your children- thank you for sharing them with us! They are unique and one-of-a-kind!
-Travis
Parents, tell us what you are experiencing at home being away from your children for the first time (share below).
