Happy banquet day! The last Thursday of each session is banquet day, which tends to be everyone's favorite day at camp.
Everyone got to sleep in this morning! The wake up bell rang at 8:00 am instead of 7:30 am. Thirty minutes doesn't sound like a lot, but at camp it is definitely helpful for everyone. We made the early morning schedule a little quicker so we would be able to start classes at their normal time. We were back on regular schedule by 10:00 am! Classes were extra exciting today as campers got to find out whether or not they passed their swimming and boating classes! We are expecting a lot of rain on our last day tomorrow, so we made sure to take advantage of this beautiful day.
General swim was extra exciting today because it was, again, very hot! To accommodate for the heat many activity period options were revolving around the lake. Campers were able to jump off the tower, participate in a diving contest, and ride in a Sunfish.
It was a rather exciting day for meals today! Breakfast was english muffins and oatmeal. Lunch was what we call "pick up." We laid out the leftovers for some of our meals this session and campers got the opportunity to taste their favorites one more time before they leave! It was definitely a huge hit.
Dinner gets it's own paragraph today, because it was definitely special. For banquet night we have our own version of a Thanksgiving dinner - turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, corn, mashed potatoes and gravy. For dessert we offer two different flavors of Shady Glen ice cream!
Following banquet meal we sing songs, give out year awards, show a slideshow of all the pictures taken this session, and pass out the birch barkers (our camp newspaper). Then, while singing Amazing Grace, we all file outside and line up with our cabins. Each camper holds a bowl with a candle in it, and our candlelight readers read a bible phrase that relates to light. Cabin counselors choose a camper they think displayed exceptional behavior this session to be the candlelight reader for their cabin. It is a big honor to be chosen as candlelight reader at camp! The candlelight ceremony is a very traditional ceremony, and it is beautiful to see everyone's faces lit up around the circle. A very special night indeed.
After the candlelight ceremony campers are expected to be silent, so getting ready for bed tonight went very quickly. A calm night will help everyone fall asleep fast tonight.
One more day! Boy did this session move fast!
~Taylor and Shannon