Need an insurance policy to make sure the weather is hot and sunny? Just book an expensive indoor waterpark for 70 people. One of these summers we’ll get it right and it’ll rain.
In the meantime, the IC Day winning team, Bucknell, had a fantastic time at Kahuna Laguna Waterpark in NH. Sure, all the teams worked incredibly hard, and each deserved to win. But in a competition like IC Day the stakes are even and all's fair. Everyone had an equal chance, and there’s always next year to trrrrrrryyy again.
Polar Bear Swim this morning! That’s when everyone has the opportunity to challenge themselves to swim across the lake at 7am. All levels are welcome – you can even wear a life jacket if you like. Lifeguards swim along, with boats at an arm's length. It’s a proud moment when you reach the shore of “Bunk 71”. Aaron’s there to welcome you with a pre-breakfast donut.
It was a hot and steamy one today, so the schedule was changed to get all in the water at least once. Activity periods were slowed down a bit, so like instead of playing football they'd have a chalk-talk. Some switched to chess or board games.
Hilltop is a favorite place, no matter how hot it is. Diane and Maddie are the two best art teachers in the world, and kids of all ages like to spend time with them. Slowing down and spending time is what Hilltop’s all about. Whether your project’s made with wood, paracord, paint or tie-dye, you can focus on what you’re doing while still having really good conversation with those next to you.
POW. It stands for Person of Wisdom. It’s an activity period for life-skills that most young men aren’t getting today. For example, Peter taught the Sky II guys how to parallel park a golf cart and check the oil of a car. Jim taught the younger ones all about tools, and those a little older learned how to dry-wall and paint. Sara and Holly have been focusing on practical skills around the office and home, like how to answer a phone properly, address an envelope ("Do I need to put a stamp on it?"), and how to write a check. Today’s discussion was about the difference between credit and debit cards. Tomorrow they’ll be learning how to sew on a button, fold a fitted sheet and iron a shirt.
Drive-In Movie for Evening Activity. It’s such a nice scene to see the whole camp laying on the grass of the hillside, watching “Monsters Inc” together. The fresh popcorn smelled great too.
Meanwhile, the older guys had a social at a nearby girl’s camp. It’s easy to tell when they’re going because they stop into the office for breath mints.
An evening’s not complete without a Sheppie Goodnight. It’s a two-hour ritual, which Shep doesn’t like to share because he enjoys it so much. He goes to each of our 30 cabins, checks in with the guys and tells them the menu for the next day. As you know, they like to know what’s happening next. Sometimes Shep gets held up in a bunk when a question leads to a discussion, and next thing you know, it’s way too late. That’s ok though… Shep will sleep in September.
Heard this today...
Parent on the phone: "How did you get Jeremy to eat mashed potatoes? I’ve tried for years but he won’t even try them."
Director follows up with counselor to find out how he mastered this amazing feat.
Director: "So what’d you do to get him to eat potatoes?"
Counselor, quizzically: "I passed it to him?"
Only at Skylemar.
