Our morning began with the final Chicken Fat of the session (no CF tomorrow because parents will be en route!) Not a single camper complained when this fact was revealed, though I suspect at least a few will be singing the melody at breakfast tomorrow… “Push up, every morning, 10 times! Push up, starting loooooow” Breakfast was bagels with cream cheese, jelly and butter. OJ, hot cocoa (coffee for staff) to drink.
Cabin cleanup was very important for the boys and Lakeside girls, as the Senior race had been clinched last night by cabin 8 (7 had a “lights on” disqualification). Everyone wanted to make extra sure their cabin was impeccable when Nurse Karen made her rounds!
Campers were excited to go to swimming and boating this morning because they all knew today was THE DAY. Counselors evaluated rhythmic breathing, whip kicks, and treading in the water. Meanwhile, in boats and canoes, counselors had everyone practice docking their respective craft. Solid and consistent feathering was a must, especially with the wind being rather strong and steady. At the end of each period, campers found out whether or not they pass. To be honest, I was pleasantly surprised to see how many kids passed in both swimming and boating. Normally during the one week co-ed, it is incredibly tough to pass, given the available number of days. We had more people pass than I have ever seen! All the rowboats were occupied by (new) advanced boaters during Counselors’ Swim and Activity Period. We went from 3 to 13 kids checking into Deep Water (level 5+) for General Swim and Activity Period saw 20 new people jump off the Tower after just passing into level 4! A plethora of additional kids probably would have passed with another week of practice in Columbia Lake!
Arts and Crafts was in “finish mode.” Basically, no new projects could be started today. For all of you seasoned parents, we have some great news… Beginning this year WE ARE NO LONGER CHARGING FOR ARTS AND CRAFTS PROJECTS! We decided the kids have more fun when they are mentally unburdened; free to do whatever they want, instead of worrying about “whether or not my parents can pay for this,” or “if I have enough $ in my store account.” Our hunch was proven correct, as Deb and Sawyer report that Arts and Crafts was amazing this session. Your kids got to be kids, allowing their creativity to flourish. Hopefully these projects will end up somewhere in your home. Regardless of the shelf, deck or mantle upon which they rest… they will serve as reminders of a truly positive summer experience. I suppose it’s ok to wear a matching friendship bracelet on your wrist though :)
Both girls sports classes played Non-Stop Cricket. This is a baseball/tennis hybrid, home-run derby. The nice thing about this game, as opposed to softball/kickball, is that everyone gets a chance to bat in each inning. The batter hits a pitched tennis ball (underhand lob) and then must run around a cone, make it back to the plate and pick up the racket before the fielding team gets the ball to the pitcher. There are not 3 outs, the entire team must be gotten out before switching sides. The girls were very competitive, a few diving to catch line drives. Those who showed up to class early got to practice batting before the game started. Boys sports played multiple games: Basketball, Football and Soccer. A half-field Soccer match was led by Jackson and Colleen. Drew and Kate split the Basketball court in half. Kate led games of knock out and horse. The other end got a little coaching, and learned fun trick shots like behind/over the backboard, bouncing off the ground, and non dominant hand shooting. Kids from Cabin 1 just wanted to throw a football amongst themselves.
Dinner was Ziti with melted cheese, salad with ranch dressing and baguettes. Water to drink. The best meal was yet to come…
Rest Hour was a bit shorter than usual because campers filled out surveys after the meal. We strive to find out their likes/dislikes, favorite meals, games, etc… This allows us to keep aspects of the program that are liked, and change things that are not as popular.
General Swim had great energy. The lifeguards were on high alert with so many campers swimming in new areas, but witnessed mostly giggling. A few campers swam around exploring, like an excited puppy running around a new house, looking at EVERYTHING!
Supper was Pick-Up. It’s basically leftovers. The great thing about this meal is that we have 20-30 options for food. This means that even the most picky eaters will find at least 3 or 4 things they want. Here is an incomplete list… Meatballs with gravy, taco meat, shepherd’s pie, egg salad, grilled cheese, hot dogs, manicotti, corn, green beans and 17 more! Pick-Up is served buffet style with the youngest campers getting to choose first. Dessert was also Pick-Up, with only 3 options: Vanilla pudding, banana pudding and Apple Crisp. Chocolate Pudding Pie usually doesn’t survive long enough to be for Pick-Up unfortunately.
After supper, campers went back and began to pack. We do this so the morning is a bit less hectic for you and us. As the boys were cleaning and packing 2 songs could be heard blaring throughout hilltop… “Country road, take me home, to the place, where I belong.” and (Yankee fans cover your ears) “Sweet Caroline, * * *, good times never seemed so good.”
Lastly, a time honored tradition at Asto Wamah: Awards Campfire. Certificates are presented to campers who passed in boating and/or swimming to thunderous applause. Non-cabin staff cook s’mores for the kids. Karen announces the cleanest cabin in each area and gives them candy. Cabins 3, Old 6 and 8 were victorious. We brought out the CAW song books, getting through about 15. Any old campers know that we ALWAYS end with “Linger.” If you are interested, CAW song books are located on our website. If you’re sending someone to girls camp, it may give them a leg up if they arrive already knowing some of the songs. Girls camps sings, A LOT. We were singing the Baby Shark song before it was a internet thing…
Julianne played taps on her trumpet.