Most of the time things are juuuust right... like when our sisters who attend nearby camps come to visit. The siblings give each other warm hugs, have dinner together, meet friends, play tennis and hang out til it's time to go. They’re happy to see each other, then seem equally happy to return to routine at their very own camp. Perfect.
The 30-minute drive, the one hour hike, and the 1.5 mile trek up Douglas Mountain was ideal for the Cubs and Lions today. At the top was an observation tower built by the former owner of the land, who donated the property to the town for all to enjoy. The view was spectacular, and you could see as far away as Portland. They talked about the Latin phrase that was carved into the stone -- "Non Sibi Sed Omnibus". That means “not for oneself, but for all”. Now that’s C2C!
Also "just right" is our Stars Division. This is a group who truly takes advantage of the leadership opportunities offered at Skylemar. The younger guys look up to them, and the Stars just about always remember the importance of this.
A Meal Minute, which takes place during announcements after a meal, gives any Star who wishes to do so the opportunity to practice public speaking. The Stars camper writes his own motivational message about something related to camp and presents to all. Way to go, Palmer and Noah, who both did a fantastic job.
As mentioned before, the older guys also lead their own Band of Brothers, which puts them in charge of 12-14 kids of assorted ages for a special dinner. After the meal they painted flags with their team insignia and played a giant trivia game. The insignia is also on the bracelet each camper proudly wears.
Now for the twists and turns of the day…
As mentioned yesterday, the Intercollegiate Cardboard Boat Race was supposed to be today. The oldest guys on each team got together to make a boat out of cardboard, duct tape and trash bags for their college team. The whole camp was supposed to go down to the lake to watch the Stars “sail” their boats, but 13U and 15U Hoops as well as 11U Soccer were a bit delayed and still competing at another camp. So the schedule was adjusted to instead do the race right after dinner.
The North Atlantic Wrestling Association Show was to be our evening activity. A giant ring was set up for this on the Mini Lax Field below the hockey rink, and all were excited to see these pros perform. There was a 30% chance of rain, but multiple weather apps seemed to guarantee we had a window of time to stay dry right after dinner. So the Boat Race was again postponed, and we headed straight from the meal to the wrestling ring.
But this time Mother Nature outsmarted the weatherman. Buckets of water poured from the sky, so back inside we went. It was disappointing to miss two fun events right after the other, but you know Shep always has a Plan B.
It’s a Tootsie Roll night! Bunks sit together at their table, and those in Tootsie Roll costumes hand out laminated playing cards to each group. The game is played like Bingo, with Shep (also dressed as a Tootsie) calling out the cards (i.e. “Nine of hearts!”). Get three in a row, and you holler “Tootsie Roll” to win. Prize is…you guessed it. Even though Tootsies are nowhere near as cool as Sour Patch Kids, tonight they were extra special. You would think they were playing for gold!
Heard this today…
Walking with several of the Cubs, Lions and Tigers after Strength & Conditioning Clinic, they were discussing braces and palette expanders. “I’m getting braces,” Keats proudly affirms. Pointing to his front teeth he innocently asks, “See how these two are social distancing?
... only at Skylemar.
Heard this today, too…
While playing “Would You Rather”, the question was asked “Would you rather be royalty or a Rockefeller?” “What’s a Rockefeller?”, one of them asked. “I don’t know”, said another. “Maybe it’s a rock collector”, said the wisest. (names withheld to protect history teachers).
... only at Skylemar.
