A Day of Firsts
One of my favorite things about Summer Camp is the amount of “firsts” there are. Whether it’s a camper’s first time away from home, a staffer’s first two-week Session or the first time you’ve ever jumped on the Critter…“firsts” are a big deal here at Huawni. Actually, we LOVE them and we celebrate them!
Monday, June 10th at 8:00am officially began the FIRST day of Session 2! Campers eagerly scurried up to Flag Pole Hill awaiting the first Flag Raising. The Pledge of Allegiance kicked us off and as always, before we walked up to breakfast, Pine Top graced all of Camp with the “Birdie Song” and as always, left Flag Raising soaked. Cabins spent their first morning at the Critter Pond, the Ropes Course, the Pool, Giant Swing, Mountain Bikes, Slide, Trolley, Archery, Zulu, Hotshot and Huawni Pond. Lily Pad, Sweet Gum Suite and Willow Glen all conquered the Critter today!
After Chicken Cesar Wraps, a Birthday (HBD Liam P.!!) and the first Mail Call (cue Paperback Writer) of the Session, everyone headed back to their cabins for Rest Period to make Love Letter boxes. Huawni is big on hand written letters and Love Letter boxes encourages campers and staff to write each other during the Session.
Afternoon activities were a blast and the first (you see where I’m going with this) “Break” on Flag Pole Hill was a hit! Campers finished off the afternoon with two more activities and then off to Dinner they went (Pot Roast was on the menu tonight).
After Dinner Time is a special time at Camp. We love for our campers to feel somewhat “unscheduled” and get the opportunity to spend time with their cabin mates and Counselors on the Front Lawn before the Night Activity. While we most definitely stay busy at Camp, we also feel it’s important to “slow down” and rest.
We always say that each Session has it’s own personality. Session 2 really showed of their personality at Capture the Flag tonight. Dancing, Singing and of course an intense game of CTF! Capture the Flag doesn’t require much…cones, two towels and Counselors dressed up in crazy costumes. However, CTF is one of the most beloved Night Activities because it’s the first moment that campers get the opportunity to truly be silly with their cabins and encourages them to step just a little bit out of their comfort zone. Campers who may have been hesitant before begin to realize that Huawni is a safe place for them to be themselves.
Capture the Flag Game Stats
- Jack M. scored for the Spicy Purple Bananas!
- Ryan C. scored for the Nuggies!
- Counselors Lexie F. and Mason G. also scored for their teams tonight.
Final Score: 2-2
So of course, the only way to settle the tie was with a good ol’ fashioned dance-off to a CTF classic- The Hustle! After a hard fought dance battle, the Nuggies pulled out the win!
We wrapped up the first day of Session 2 with Sing Song at the Pool. “You Are My Sunshine”, “When I First Came to this Land”, “Salty Dog” and others debuted for the first time in almost a year for Session 2 campers.
As a former camper, Counselor and now Director, seeing campers and staff experiencing something for the first time is one of my favorite parts about Summer Camp. It’s an opportunity to see others grow, flourish and thrive and it’s impossible not to celebrate that.
What has been some of your favorite “firsts” at Camp over the years?