July 8th

This morning started off with a camp tradition for breakfast- waffles and peanut butter. Cabins were cleaned and campers went off to their first three classes. Boating classes are coming along nicely, all of the boys are practicing their rowing and canoeing skills while sailors are learning to read the wind. Boys are learning to sew in Arts and Crafts with Maddy, so expect to see some pillow coming home! Lunch today was chicken tenders and rice, with vanilla pudding for dessert. We had some bad weather today right after lunch, but luckily all of the boys were in their cabins for rest hour. General swim and fourth period went on as scheduled. Activities offered today included: fishing, the tower, paddle boarding, Kan Jam, and a counselor taught the rules of Rugby!

Every Wednesday and Saturday, the kitchen staff have their day off starting after lunch so dinner tonight is what we call "Eat Out". Today we took orders for sandwiches and each cabin chose a spot around camp to have a picnic, complete with bug juice, nectarines, and cookies. Most cabins sat on the docks to enjoy a breeze while they ate. Evening program tonight was "Murder by Night" (a game similar to clue) where LT's lead groups of campers around to counselors trying find alibis that matched up to reveal the killer. Now the boys are getting ready for bed and everyone seems to be in full camp swing.

LT Trivia from last night: Wolverine, Cyclops, Ice Man, Phoenix, Rogue, Magneto (Answers Varied)

LT Trivia today: What is Superman's birth name?

In other (very exciting!) news, we have created a camp Instagram! Follow us @campastowamah for pictures around camp, favorite meals, and updates throughout the session!

Talented Tuesday!!

Welcome Back Birch Blog Followers! Today was a breezy and cool day on Columbia Lake. The campers woke this misty morning and gathered around the flagpole to do our flag raising and "chicken fat". They then ventured indoors to fuel up for another busy day at Asto Wamah. Breakfast was wonderful waffles with peanut butter, maple syrup, or cereal with nectarines. The morning proceeded as usual with camp duties and morning classes. The campers are all working diligently to get their crafts to completion and to nail certain skills in their boating and swimming classes. The dinner today was  a camp favorite, Shepherds Pie ( ground beef, corn, and potatoes) baked in the oven to warm the campers' bellies. The dessert was also a camper/counselor favorite, C.P.P. (chocolate pudding pie). After a fabulous meal, campers enjoyed a longer rest hour to catch up on zzzz's. Due to how cool it was on Columbia Lake, we played a game on the field instead of going into the lake for a general swim. The game called, "All Around Town", is  a kind of camp-wide kickball game. The offense team kicks the ball to the opposing team and then the kicker has to run around their own team ( all lined up) as many times as possible to get points. The opposing team fields the ball, line up, and throw the ball through the legs of everyone on the team. Once the ball makes it all the way through the legs of the fielding team, the kicker has to stop running. The white team won the game!! Hooray!

The rest of the day went according to normal schedule although many campers used activity period to get their skits/talent show acts together by making props and doing dress rehearsals. The supper tonight was chicken fajitas with applesauce, carrots, cucumbers, and chips. Dessert was a refreshing lemon cake. The campers gathered in the upper lodge for talent night around 7:30. This session is full of talented campers! We had several comical cabin skits, beautifully soloists, fabulous musicians, and graceful dancers. It was one of the best shows i've seen at Wamah!! The campers will get an extra half hour of rest tomorrow so that they be energized for this final stretch of camp.

That's all for now followers!

-The Birch Blogger

Monday Funday!!!

Welcome back birch blog followers!! Campers awoke this morning to the aroma of cornbread baking in Sue's oven! We met around the breakfast table shortly after 7:30am(8am real time)  to dine upon the cornbread, nectarines, and cereal. Then campers briskly went back to their cabins to clean and get ready for their morning classes. Today in sports classes, campers had the opportunity to try out various elements in our Ropes Course! Several campers got to rope swing or try to balance on our 'whale watch'. The swimmers participated in a butterfly clinic, where they practiced several drills to help them get the tricky rhythm of butterfly down. The boaters are still perfecting their skills and working hard to try and pass into the higher level by the end of this week.

The noontime meal , dinner(lunch) was a hearty feast of Texas Hash ( ground beef, rice, tomatoes, peppers), bread, and salad. Following this was a dessert of vanilla pudding! YUMMY! The rest hour brought with it, clouds, small showers, and a bit of wind so instead of going in for a general swim the campers enjoyed a game of non-stop cricket. Campers next proceeded back to their normal schedule of fourth period and activity period. Activities offered today were the tower (the rain stopped in time:) , badminton, sailing, and working on their arts and crafts projects. Most of the girls decided to forgo activities in order to run skits, songs, dances, or their talents in preparation for talent show tomorrow night! I am SO excited, the acts sound really entertaining. I will report on it tomorrow night :)

Today's inspection winners were cabins 2,5, and 8. Supper (dinner) was a round of steak sandwiches with cheese/peppers, applesauce, carrots/cucumbers, and a special orange cake for dessert! As I type away, campers are on the A-field, playing a camp favorite, King Dodge. Campers try to get out players on the other team in traditional dodgeball style but when a camper gets out they go to jail. Once in jail, if a camper gets hold of another dodgeball, they can try to hit unaware campers on the opposite team to get back in the game.

Tonight we will all sleep well after such an exciting and active day!!! See you on Tuesday followers!

-The Birch Blogger

Track Meet!!

Today was an exciting day at Camp Asto Wamah. Instead of going to the usual morning classes, campers went to the A-field for a day of running, jumping, and throwing. Split into teams of Green and White, campers competed against other campers in their area (hilltop, lakeside, seniors) in the running long jump, standing long jump, softball throw, and 50-yard dash. By lunchtime, everyone was good and hungry for a hearty meal of noodles, ham, corn, bread, and fruit. After lunch, we had our usual Rest Hour, followed by another track event--the "marathon!" The marathon starts on the A-field and continues down the camp road and past the lodge, finishing in front of Cabin 5. The marathon is an optional event, but quite a few runners showed up for the challenge! Those not running formed a line at the finish to cheer on their friends.

When the last marathon runners had finished, it was time for the Indian War Relay. This relay goes through all of camp, starting with 2 runners at the top of the camp road. The baton is passed along down the camp road and is then handed to boats, more runners, and finally, swimmers. White Team won in an exciting finish. It was a hot day, and the general swim that followed the relay was a welcome way to cool off from the day's activities.

Before supper, we had activity period. Campers jumped off the tower, played Nuke 'Em on the A-field, participated in swim races, and had their hair braided or wrapped. Supper was hamburgers, carrots, and chips, followed by a delicious dessert of green and white cake!

As I write, campers are getting ready to play Pirates--a camp favorite--for evening program. The game involves winning battles to collect others' "guns" (rags filled with flour) and looking for treasure in the woods. It is sure to be a fun game!

Super Saturday!!

Hello again Birch Bloggers!! We have been incredibly lucky with weather this entire summer at Camp Asto Wamah! Today the sun was shining, everyone enjoyed and took advantage of the beautiful weather!

Today we had french toast and yogurt for breakfast and a tasty meal of meatloaf and mashed potatoes for lunch (with butterscotch pudding for dessert). Then for dinner, it was the kitchen staff's night out so for eat out, each camper had to sit at a table that no one from their cabin was sitting at. It was fun seeing the campers sit with friends that aren't in their cabin and also get to meet a few new friends as well.

We had a normal schedule today, all of the classes going swimmingly... especially the swimming classes. Since it wasn't too windy, the canoeing and sailing classes practiced capsizing today. They flipped the boats over and learned the best way to get them right-side up with little to no water in the boat. It is a fun way to cool off and also be prepared in case the boat flips over.

Tonight the girls are playing Spies and Smugglers, one of everyone's favorite games. The smugglers will be running up and down from the flagpole to the A-field trying to get their piece of paper (with 25, 50, 100, or 200 points on it) to their base. At the same time the spies are trying to stop them and guess where the smugglers have hidden their paper. They have three guesses, if they guess correctly, the spy gets the paper, but if not the smuggler is free to attempt again to get to the field. It is such a fun game. Since it is still pretty warm out, we will be having a general swim after the game. It is always fun when we have a chance to go in the lake during the evening.

That's all for now!

~ The Birch Blogger

Today was another great day here at camp! After gathering around the flagpole for flag raising and Chicken Fat – our daily morning exercise – we went up to the lodge for breakfast. This morning we were treated to bagels (plain and cinnamon raisin) and cereal.  There was also the option of yogurt and plums as a side. Lunch was chicken parmesan with pasta, and then blue raspberry sorbet for dessert. For dinner, we had tacos, followed by delicious apple crisp for dessert!

This morning we had all of our regularly scheduled classes, boating, swimming, arts and crafts and sports. And this afternoon everyone enjoyed the rest hour break and the general swim that followed. Fourth period had campers at whichever class they didn’t have this morning (hilltop at sports, lakeside in boating, and seniors in arts and crafts).

Activity period allowed campers to jump off the tower, participate in a cannonball/diving competition, Can-Jam, volleyball and paddle boards. During dinner we experienced a bit of rain, which means that evening program will be indoors tonight. We will be doing a Minute-to-Win-It style program. As the name suggests, campers will have a minute to complete silly, but difficult tasks. They will be competing as a cabin in an attempt to complete the task the fastest.

Following evening program we will begin Secret Sister. As those of you who had campers here last session know, all of the girls love Secret Sister. Everyone in camp selects a name out of a bucket; this person is their Secret Sister. They will then have a few days to do random acts of kindness, and get to know their “sister.” We hope that it is someone that they do not already know, because meeting new people and making new friends is what camp is all about.

Until next time,

-The Birch Blogger 

Beautiful Wednesday!

It was a beautiful Wednesday here on Columbia Lake! We had a normal camp schedule today. For breakfast we had waffles, which many campers put peanut butter on - an Asto Wamah tradition, then ravioli and farm fresh salad for lunch, and for dinner each cabin had a different picnic spot around camp. Some of the cabins were on different docks, at the A-field, and at the council ring.

Classes have been going very well! The arts and crafts classes are making many different types of bracelets, ceramic animals, pillows, and a few girls are learning how to cross-stitch. During sports today there was a big game of kickball while a few of the girls played Kan-Jam, a fun Frisbee game. There has already been so much improvement already in the swim and boating classes.

There were many fun activities offered by the counselors during activity period today. Campers were jumping off the tower, boating on the lake, playing aquarium games, running around the A-field playing soccer, and more!

Now the campers are getting their sneakers on and will soon head to the A-field for evening program. Tonight we are playing Tri-Ad, a fun soccer games with not one but three soccer balls, and three goals. There is a ton of running around and lots of balls flying around. It is a fun game and really involves all of the campers, making sure everyone is running around and having fun.

Every night, after evening program, the counselor's lead a few songs while snack is passed out and then one or two counselors will give vespers. Our vespers includes a skit or story involving morals that the campers are learning throughout their time her. Examples of the different vespers include Making the most of camp, Remember the other fellow, Conserving the environment, and being respectful. Last night we saw a fun skit about a beautiful flower and remembering to keep enjoy, not destroy the nature around us.

That's all for now!

~ The Birch Blogger

Tremendous Tuesday!!

Hello Birch Bloggers! Today was another beautiful day at camp. Breakfast was corn bread and oatmeal, for lunch we had Swedish meatballs and mashed potatoes with chocolate pudding for dessert, and for dinner we had chicken patties and then cheesecake for dessert.

The warm weather made it the perfect day to be on the lake. Everyone was eager to get in the water for both swimming classes and general swim. All boating classes were able to go out on the lake as well. In arts and crafts, campers continued projects they began yesterday, and in sports, they played a game on the A-field.

Activity period had many kids out on the lake in boats and canoes. Counselors also offered activities such as jumping off the tower, paddle boarding, water aerobics, and aquarium games. If they didn't want to go in the water, campers had the option of playing games like Can-Jam, tetherball, and nock-hockey.

Tonight we will be playing a camp favorite, Capture the Flag, for evening program. Following evening program we are planning on having a quick dip. This gives everyone the opportunity to jump in the lake and cool off after running around all evening. We hope that all campers will take advantage of this, and jump in and cool down. Capture the Flag will tire everyone out, so they will be ready for bed and have a good night's sleep.

-The Birch Blogger

FYI: Many of you have been asking about pictures taken throughout the session, and when they will be posted on the website. Pictures from the 2014 Asto Wamah season will not be posted until the end of August.

Fabulous First Day!

Hello Birch Bloggers! Today was a fabulous first full day of camp here at Asto Wamah! We started off the day with blueberry bread and cereal for breakfast, which was followed by cabin cleanup time. Once the cabins and camp were all set for the day, we were off to first period! Hilltop went to arts and crafts, lakeside went to swimming, and seniors went to sports. They went from first, to second and then finally third period before having a bit of down time during counselor swim.

For lunch we had baked ziti and then mixed fruit for dessert. Lunch was followed by rest hour and then a general swim. Fourth period was moved indoors, due to the rain, but it did not put a stop to the fun. Boating classes learned parts of the boats and sports class played our new game, Same or Die.

Counselors offered board games in the upper lodge for activity period, so campers played games like Scrabble, Uno and Cards. Dinner was a delicious meal of chicken melt and then orange cake for dessert.  Tonight evening program will be held in the upper lodge. There will be a series of mini getting-to-know-you type games including counselor trivia and “How Do We Differ.” Overall today was a very successful first day of camp, and the session is off to a great start!

-The Birch Blogger

First Day of our Second Girls Session!

Welcome and welcome back to our second session of girls camp!! Today we welcomed 24 new campers and about 63 returning campers to Asto Wamah today. The rain stayed away while the parents came down camp road with their excited campers. Counselor's happily greeted their campers and gave them a little bit of time to get settled and then it was time to say good bye to family and let the Asto Wamah fun begin. Once most of the campers arrived counselors began orchestrating ice breakers like Where the Wind Blows, a game where one camper stands in the middle of a circle while everyone else us standing at a spot in the circle. The girl in the middle will say something about herself (favorite sports, number of siblings, favorite animal, etc), and if someone shares in that interest she will leave her spot and hope to find a new one, one camper will end up in the middle and then it is her turn to share something about herself. Counselors will also go over rules, expectations, and go on a tour with the campers to either teach to remind them the Wamah Way.

After rules and icebreakers, the bell rang around three o'clock, time for everyone to meet around the council ring and listen up to Nancy. We introduced all of the staff to the campers, Nancy gave her expectations for camp, and then Catherine (the water front director) went over water safety rules. That brought us to swimming classifications for first years or campers who haven't been to camp for a few years. Campers did their best swim strokes so that Catherine could see which swimming level the camper will be in.

For dinner, we had the traditional first night of camp meal - hot dogs, tater tots, and delicious brownies for dessert. The campers ate everyone piece they put on their plate.

That brings us to evening program. Any minute now the bell will ring for evening program and all the campers will make their way to the A-field in their tied shoes. Then Drew, our sports director, will go over the rules for... MEDICAL WARS. We always play this Wamah-version of dodge ball on the first night. The main difference is that after a camper gets out, she will sit exactly where she was hit and yell to the medic to come and save her. The medic, protected by two guards, will run up and revive the camper who got out. It is such a fun game!

Medical wars is the perfect game to get the campers running around and hopefully a little tired out before bedtime. The first night sleeping in any new place is always a little difficult but we hope that the campers will be able to sleep well on this nice, cool night because we have a fun, full day ahead of us tomorrow!

That's all for now! Please check in throughout the week to get more updates from Camp Asto Wamah

~ The Birch Blogger

Banquet & Campfire

Hello there Birch Bloggers! We have had an exciting past two days here at Asto Wamah, but first, we would like to remind you that pick-up is TOMORROW from 8:30-10am.  We are all so sad that the first girls’ session has finally come to a close. Yesterday was banquet, a Thanksgiving-style meal that has everyone dressed up in green and white. Sue, the cook, served us a delicious meal of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry slices, and bread. This was followed by either chocolate chip cookie dough or chocolate caramel crunch. During banquet we sing plenty of songs, see a slideshow of pictures from the session, and campers receive year awards. Banquet is concluded with a candlelight service; it was too windy to put the candles on the lake, so we stood in a circle around the flagpole before blowing them all out.

Today was the final day of camp, so campers had one last chance to show off all of their newly acquired swimming and boating skills, and finish up any last minute arts and crafts projects. We were also finally able to finish our game of Mission to Mars in place of activity period. There was a bit of thunder, but we were still able to have our campfire this evening.

Campers were treated to s’mores and songs. They also were recognized if they passed in either swimming or boating, or if they placed in any of the track and field events. This has been another wonderful session here at camp, and we are sad to say goodbye to what has been an amazing group of girls this session. We hope they have enjoyed this session as much as we have!

One final REMINDER, please arrive between 8:30-10am TOMORROW MORNING to pick-up your campers!

-The Birch Blogger

What a Wednesday!

It's been a wonderful day at Camp Asto Wamah! The day started off with a nice swim to Frog Island. There is a nice sandbar in the middle of Columbia Lake, about a quarter mile away from camp. Swimmers who are in a level six or seven swim class can participate in the swim, so during first period four or five campers each follow a row boat, being rowed by a lifeguard, out to Frog Island. Then the swimmers have a little break at the sand bar, when many will look for the perfect rock to keep as a souvenir, then the different teams turned back toward camp and made to to second period just a few minutes late.

Swimming classes have improved a great deal, and many of the girls are just about ready to pass to the next level. It is really wonderful seeing the girls become more confident in the water, especially when it is here that girls are first learning to swim and dive here. The girls are becoming more confident in general throughout all of their classes and even in their free time and decision making. What a great experience.

Today the LTs are putting on a carnival for the rest of camp. They have been working hard to come up with a theme, costumes, signs, and most importantly lots of fun Games for the campers to play. There will be lots of booths set up around the flagpole, arts & crafts room, upper and lower lodge, and porch area. Each camper will get a few beans that she will need to play the games (and get her face painted) and the girls have the chance to win more beans by beating the different games. It will be lots of fun for everyone!

Thanks for reading!

- The Birch Blogger

Track Meet Recap!

Hello Birch Bloggers!The weather had our track meet (scheduled Sunday) split into two days. Yesterday morning we were struck by rain, so instead of the regular events, we played a new dice game called Same or Die. It was created here at camp, and has become a fast favorite. The afternoon was met with sunshine, so we were able to do our morning events after rest hour. Campers competed in the running long jump, standing long jump, 50 yard dash and softball throw on the A-field. They were then given the opportunity to participate in the marathon, a half mile run from the field down Corduroy Road, the Camp Road, and finishing at the Cabin 5 wash stand.

We later competed in a set of group challenges which forced the girls to work as a team to earn points. The evening brought even more rain, so we had a game night in the lodge. Counselors selected their favorite board game, and campers were able to jump from game to game as they pleased.

Today, we had our regular classes, but before general swim, we did the Indian War Relay. The Indian War relay has campers running a baton from the top of the Camp Road down to the docks where it is passed to swimmers and boaters. The boaters bring the baton over to Hungerford Cove, and it is then run back to main camp and swam in to main dock. The green team walked away victorious, in what was a very close race!

Tonight we are either finishing up Mission to Mars, or playing games in the lodge. Campers have been looking forward to Mission to Mars, so hopefully the rain holds out and we are able to play. Tomorrow night is talent night, so stay tuned to hear all about our wonderful acts.

-The Birch Blogger

A Beautiful Thursday at Camp

Hello Birch Bloggers! It was another perfect day at Columbia Lake! The weather was beautiful and everyone is having lots of fun. Today we ate wonderful cinnamon bread, one of my (and most campers) favorite breakfast breads. Then for lunch we had Sue's famous lasagna, and hamburgers for dinner - everyone's stomach's are full and happy! Classes ran smoothly, as usual. In arts and crafts, many of the campers are starting to sharpen their sewing skills, learning how to make pillows and cross stitch - you will be amazed by their skills when they return home. Sports classes played nuk'em and Kan-Jam, while swimming and boating classes went smoothly.

Campers just picked out teams for track and field day which we will have on Sunday. All of the campers are split into two teams, green and white and there will be different games and activities throughout the week, opportunities for campers to win points for their team. Tonight, to start off the competition, we are playing Pirate Gangs! This is an extremely fun game which takes place throughout most of camp. Campers are dressed in black and running around the camp look for a hidden treasure, trying to collect trash for extra points, and partaking in "gun battles" with girls on the other team. (Camp Asto Wamah guns are a small cloth tied with a rubber band to keep hold flour in it, so when a camper is hit, a small spot will appear on her dark clothes.) The girls all love the game and were so excited when they heard we were playing it!

That's all for now!

~ The Birch Blogger 

Thrilling Thursday

Thursday was yet another beautiful day here at Camp Asto Wamah. We received a bit of rain last night, but all was well by morning time. We woke up this morning to everything being a bit damp, but we did not let that hold us back! For breakfast we had waffles and peanut butter, which was followed by cabin cleanup and camp duties time. When the first period bell rang, seniors were in the upper lodge for sports, lakeside was in the lake for swimming, and the hilltopers were making arts and crafts. Today marked the second day of our Secret Sister program here at camp. Last night each camper drew a name out of a bucket; this person was to be their secret sister for the next couple of days. Over the course of the program, everyone is expected to do something nice (give compliments, make a craft, help out, etc.) for their secret sister. The catch is that it is a secret! Tomorrow night we will have a big reveal, and so everyone will know who their secret sister was. This is a great way for campers to get to know someone new and maybe make a difference in someone’s day.

Tonight we enjoyed tacos with all the fixings (tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, hot sauce, etc.) with apple crisp for dessert. Everyone is currently up at the A-field where they are getting instructions on how to play King Dodge. This is another favorite amongst both the campers and staff. It is sure to tire everyone out and make for a good night’s sleep.

-The Birch Blogger

Wonderful Wednesday

Hello Birch Bloggers, Yesterday was a hot day that made it perfect for swimming on the lake! All of our classes ran smoothly, per usual, and in addition to our normally scheduled programming, we had a special visitor. Instead of activity period, we had Bwana Iguana, a reptile specialist, come as special entertainment. Each session we try to bring in special acts as a way to mix things up a bit. Bwana Iguana brought all types of reptiles: a box turtle, alligator, snakes, etc. This was both a fun and educational program for the campers.

Last night the campers played cops and robbers. This is both a camper AND counselor favorite! Cops and Robbers has campers running through the woods with numbered slips of paper looking for their match. The counselors act as cops who stop the campers and try and guess the color of their paper in order to win it from them. The game definitely tired everyone out, making for a sound night’s sleep.

Today we enjoyed bagels and oatmeal for breakfast, chicken parm and spaghetti for dessert, and then had a fun eat out for dinner! Every Wednesday and Thursday the kitchen staff has off once they are finished cleaning up after lunch. That means we have a meal of turkey and ham sandwiches along with as many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as each camper wants. The most fun part is that each cabin picks a different location to eat, some are on the A-field, Main Dock, different rafts, or on different picnic tables around camp. It is definitely a fun time.

Today was a windy day so sailors really enjoyed being out on Columbia Lake. Sports classes today went out to our ropes course; campers had to work together to accomplish a task on the different equipment. One class took to the Nitro Swing, each camper had to swing over and either land on an “island,” base, or wooden board. It seemed easy at first but then the campers had to put extra thought into their movements when the landing zones started getting more crowded. All of the girls had a great time!

Tonight we will be playing a rousing game of capture the flag! Capture the flag is always a fun game but it is even better on a big field with 40 to 50 people on either side. It’s fun seeing campers either sneak onto the other side to attempt to capture the other team’s flag or jail, or see them just sprint in a mad dash. We are confident that we will be able to get in a fun game before it begins to ran and we look forward to the rain bringing in a bit cooler weather!

- The Birch Blogger

Magnificent Monday!

What a fun first full day for our first girls session! We started the day off being woken up by our bell, just like every morning. Then all the campers gathered around to raise the flag, say the Pledge, and do Chicken Fat – a quick morning aerobics (jumping jacks, toes touches, etc). Then it was time for breakfast and we all enjoyed Sue’s blueberry bread. After breakfast campers head back to their cabins to clean up, get ready for classes, and also do a camp duty – every one helps make sure each cabin and the different buildings around camp are nice and clean, the way that we all want to use them.

Then classes began! Campers all have arts and crafts, swimming, boating, and sports throughout the day. We have three different options for boating classes, row-boats, canoes, and sailboats. Sports classes either played kickball or nuk’em (a fun game that is like the opposite of dodge ball, instead of trying to hit someone you want the ball to hit the ground). There are many different options within arts and crafts, many campers went to nature, basket making, or staying in class to make bracelets, geckos or pillows.

In the afternoon, we had a lovely general swim. The weather was perfect so all of the campers were able to swim around and enjoy Columbia Lake. In the afternoon counselor’s offer different activities and campers can decide what they want to do. Many campers signed up to go on The Hunter, our camp’s sailboat, the paddle-boards, or on the sunfish. Other options were volleyball, jumping off the tower, Kan-Jam, Spoons, and Apples-to-Apples. Everyone had a great time!

This evening we will be playing Spies and Smugglers. A game when half of the campers will try to smuggle a piece of paper with a point value up to the A-field while the other half of the campers are trying to stop them from getting the points up. After the game it will be time again for bed. It is always much easier for campers to fall asleep on the second night after a full day of running around.

Check back in tomorrow!

- The Birch Blogger

Last Couple of Days at Asto Wamah

We are wrapping things up here at Asto Wamah and what a fun and exciting past two days it has been! Yesterday was a normal day until we got to the evening and then some new festivities began. At each two week session, we have a banquet on the last Thursday. Campers are told to wear their cleanest pair of clothes that they have left and to clean up, then all of camp is seated in the upper lodge and we all, along with a few invited guests, and enjoy a wonderful meal just like at Thanksgiving. We enjoyed turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, corn and homemade gravy - and boy was it delicious!! For dessert we had ice cream from Shadyglen. The festivities didn't end with dinner. Campers were given a quick break to leave the lodge and run around and then the evening continued. We sung some of the campers favorite camp songs, watched a slide-show with pictures from the past two weeks, the campers received year awards, and then there was the candle light service. Every year campers receive a C.A.W. (A felt C with a W going through it to create the camp's initials. The awards also have a number on them representing how many years each camper has been coming to Asto Wamah. Nancy always asks returning campers to raise their hand if they still have their old year awards and nearly everyone in the room (including staff and guests) have their hands up! For the candle light service, the cabin counselors choose one camper from their cabin to to read a quote from the bible about light. Counselors choose someone who has been a wonderful camper in every sense, always participates, listens, is respectful, and enjoys camp. If your son comes home and tells you he was a candle light reader, know that it is a great honor and there are only ten out of all the campers and LTs. After the camper reads his blurb, he and the rest of the cabin place a candle, in a bowl, into the lake. It is a beautiful sight to see the candles floating away.

Today was another fun day, and the most exciting part is about to begin, Camp Fire! Campers will gather around the counselor ring where we will sing sons, receive awards from track and field day, cabin clean-up, swimming, boating, and archery, see a funny skit by the staff, and get a s'more for snack! It is a great time for everybody!

After Camp Fire campers will settle back into their bunks for the last time. I have heard so many campers say that they can't believe how quickly these two weeks have gone by, that they will be sad to leave, and they are excited to see their parents, pets, and siblings (usually stated in that order).

That about wraps it up for the Boys Session 2014. We have had a great time these past two weeks at Asto Wamah and look forward to seeing you bright and early tomorrow!

- The Birch Blogger

P.S. Reminder: Check out begins at 8:30 and usually finishes up by ten o'clock - see you then!

Dress-Up Wednesday!

Hello again Birch Bloggers! This morning when we arrived at flagpole, everyone was dressed in costume. Dress-up breakfast featured campers dressed up as various staff members, people dressed for the beach, and ninjas. The cabins went around and introduced themselves and who they were dressed up as, ending with the extra staff who dressed as characters from the Wizard of Oz. For breakfast we had waffles with peanut butter and cereal. A light rain hit camp right around first period which kept us indoors. In sports, campers played ping pong baseball in the upper lodge, swimming classes played Scattegories, and boating classes learned parts of the boat. When the lunch bell rang, we were treated to lasagna! And for supper we had another eat out-style meal; counselors picked locations around camp and brought their cabins with picnic baskets to enjoy a nice meal.

Tonight for evening program we have a special treat, the LT carnival. The LTs have worked hard over the past couple of days to put together a carnival for everyone in camp. All session long the LTs have been putting on a movie-themed trivia contest, so their carnival will reflect the movies they’ve referenced. Traditionally, carnival includes games like potato sack races, musical chairs, limbo, etc. This is a great way for the LTs to put their leadership skills to the test! We are now halfway through the second week of the session which means there are only two full days left. Tomorrow is banquet, so everyone will be sporting their best outfits for a Thanksgiving-style meal in the evening. Be sure to check back tomorrow to hear all about this scrumptious meal!

-The Birch Blogger

An Awesome Tuesday!!

Even with a little bit of rain we still had a fun day here at camp. We were able to have all classes today around the rain but instead of having sports outside, classes were in the upper lodge. I don't think anyone minded being inside because we still played some fun games including Wild West Showdown. During activity period the wind on the lake was great so our sailboat, the Hunter, went out with six campers and many of the intermediate and advanced sailors took to the lake as well. Other campers played basketball, ultimate frisbee, and can-jam.

During free-time many of the campers have been preparing for the talent show tonight and dress up breakfast tomorrow. We always have a talent show at girls camp but this is the first time in years that boys camp will be having a talent show and the campers, LT, and staff all seem very excited! Then tomorrow morning each cabin will dress up and put on a little skit. The theme is "cabin's choice" and I've heard rumors of Super Heroes, Counselor impersonations, and Spartans; it is definitely going to be a fun breakfast.

Thanks for reading!

- The Birch Blogger