Monday, July 11th

What a beautiful day we had today! Everyone awoke to a bit of a chill in the air but a delicious breakfast of waffles! As tradition goes, we had peanut butter and syrup. It sounds gross but of course, all the boys tried it and of course, they all loved it! 

All classes were held as usual. Swimmers had a lovely time in the water and many classes began their harder strokes. Arts and crafts was fun as always due to the amazing ideas Deb has for the boys. Sports class was played up on the field for what seemed like the first time in ages! Everyone was quite happy to be up there running around since was not too hot. The boaters had a very nice day since the lake was calm and the wind seemed to pick up for the sailors to work on soloing! 

Lunch was a delicious meal of Texas Hash with applesauce and bread on the side! The boys could not get enough of it! Rest hour seems to fly by for everyone due to the exciting events we were offering for the campers to choose from instead of going in for general swim. 12 lucky boys went with Deb to tie dye bandanas! They were all so excited to look just like Drew! Many of the campers decided to to go fishing and some even braved the chilly air to go in for a nice swim. The others all went up to the field to play a fun game up on the A-field.

The special thing about today was that we had a visitor for our 4th period class! We had a reptile enthusiast come and talk tour all about reptiles and amphibians today! We all were able to see live animals and even pet them! Many of the boys braved their fears of snakes to pet them and even had a nice time. We all learned so many interesting facts about these animals that can be very useful for us to know later in life!

Not too many people jumped off the tower even though that was an activity today. Many of the counsellors though took part in that activity! They played with the campers during a fun soccer game and a basketball game - both of which took place on the A-field. We even had a GaGa Tournament held today! The boys made teams of four and competed in a bracket!

Dinner was pulled pork, applesauce, and baby carrots and of course, everyone devoured the meat! There was none left by the end of the meal and they all loved it! We had yummy gingerbread for dessert which is something new for us all! 

Tonights evening program was a really fun one! We played a rousing game of "cops and robbers"! This is many of the counsellors favorite game. The campers are split into two teams and have to match a ticket of one of three colors with the other team. The counsellors however, are the cops and tag the campers. Once they tag the campers, they have to guess what color the camper has! Everyone will be sweaty so a quick dip will be necessary. 

We expect beautiful days from here on out and lots of excitement from the boys! 

~Allissa 

Sunday, July 10th

Today was not one of the warmest ones we have had at camp so far! We awoke to a chilly morning with a tasty breakfast of corn bread with butter and jelly for a spread and cereal. 

As we had track meet yesterday, our normal schedule of classes took place. With the brisk air, the boys were let out ten minutes early from swimming classes to allow for time to change out of wet bathing suits. Due to some slick conditions from the rainy night we had, sports class was held in the upper lodge although in the afternoon they were able to head up and play some games. Boaters went out as usual and today our sailors worked on capsizing their boats due to a lack in wind gusts! In arts and crafts, our crafters started many new projects and some even started new baskets with Carol! 

Lunch was what we typically would have had on track meet - ham and butter noodles with green beans and a squash and zucchini mix! The boys chowed down on everything in their sights including the peaches that were for dessert! 

Rest hour went well and because of the chilly air, some fun time activities were offered so as to not have too many cold boys in the water. Drew took boys up to the A-field for a fun game of Nonstop Cricket, while others went with Curt and Rory, two counsellors, to learn new songs on the ukulele. Many other counsellors also took some lucky boys out on our rowboats for some fun fishing! We had some brave souls to go in for general swim and even said that the water was pretty warm!

There were quite a few activities that were offered during activity period. Six  boys went out on paddle boards despite the dark skies. Two lucky boys went out on a sunfish to enjoy some strong gusts that thankfully came on later in the day! Nuke 'Em and soccer were filled with happy boys and staff members alike because the field was finally dry! 

Meatball subs, baby carrots, and applesauce were quite a filling dinner along with a nice side of chips. As traditions serves, our dessert consisted of green and white cake to represent our two teams for track meet! 

With some rain coming down currently, our evening program may end up being inside to keep everyone safe from injury up on the A-field! "Minute to win it" will be our indoor game. This game consists of many different tasks to be completed in one minute or less. The campers love this game and the staff always comes up with fun and creative games that allow everyone to have fun!

Hoping that everything warms up and the sky brightens up for tomorrow!

~Taylor and Allissa 

Saturday, July 9th

We are officially one week into our two week session! We had a change in the schedule today due to the rainy forecast for tomorrow. Usually we have our track and field day on Sunday, but we had it today instead!

All of the boys gathered on the A-field after they switched bunks in their cabins (we like giving everyone a chance to have a top bunk). Once they arrived campers cycled through three stations this morning: softball toss, running long jump and standing long jump. They traveled with their age groups: hilltop, lakeside and seniors. Each section voted on two team captains. We encourage the boys to vote for someone who is well motivated and supportive of everyone! Once the captains picked teams, the boys were off and running to their events! Hilltop started at the running long jump while lakeside was at the standing long jump. The seniors threw softballs that almost landed on the black top - all the way across the A-field! After each section completed all three events, our preliminaries for the 50 yard dash took place. Again each group battled it out against each other for a spot in the finals. We had to have a photo finish for many of the final races! 

We had the perfect lunch for a rather chilly day - lasagna! We also had salad and bread on the side. For dessert many of us had butterscotch pudding with whipped cream. After such an exhilarating morning we had many reports of campers napping during rest hour!

When the bell ending rest hour rang, many of the boys rushed up to the A-field for the marathon. Starting at the A-field, campers ran with their section along corduroy road and down the camp road, ending at the lakeside cabins. The Indian War Relay followed, a camp-wide race that involves every single camper! Two senior boys start running at the very top of the camp road, handing off the baton in relay form to about thirty campers until it reaches main dock. From there two sets of swimmers dive into the water and hand it off to the boaters. The boaters meet the canoes and the canoes meet more runners by Hungerford (the LT's home for this session). Making their way back to main camp, they hand off to two senior swimmers who race to the end! 

As it was a little chilly today, we decided to forgo a general swim and instead played games on the A-field. Or campers had the option to go fishing! Up at the A-field we played soccer, Kan Jam, basketball, knockout, and Spike Ball. A few lucky campers were able to go onto the ropes course!

Cookee bell rang shortly after and since it was kitchen staff's night off, we had a different way of sitting tonight. All of the counselors stayed at their respective cabin tables, while every camper split up so that no one was sitting with someone else from their cabin. Almost every camper mentioned how much they loved track and field, especially the Indian War Relay! We enjoyed a dinner of hotdogs, baby carrots and chips. And for dessert campers ate cookies and watermelon. After a rousing sing along the campers are on their way to the A-field to play a fun game of King Dodge! King Dodge is another form of dodgeball in which campers who "get out" go behind the other team and have a chance to get back in if they hit someone from behind with a dodgeball! 

Tomorrow we will continue our normal class schedule with hopes that the rain will hold off and it will warm up a bit!
 

~Taylor and Allissa

Thursday, July 8th

Sorry for missing yesterday! We had a very difficult and busy day what with the 5 inches of rain that fell within an hour and a half! At about 2 pm, just as rest hour was about to begin, we heard some rumbles of thunder in the distance and hurriedly got the boys into their cabins with the windows and doors shut. About ten minutes had passed and the skies opened up! Torrential rains poured down on us to the point that you could not see out across the lake. Rest hour was extended for a half hour to allow the storm to pass which thank goodness it did. The staff did a fantastic job keeping the kids calm during rest hour and with the storm passing, enjoyed a fun game of counsellor trivia with the campers! This game was played until we had a winning cabin and then the counsellors played board games and card games with the campers until supper time.

Luckily, today was a much better day! We awoke to some overcast but nothing compared to what seemed like the monsoon that washed over us yesterday. Breakfast was a camp favorite, chocolate chip bread with cereal on the side! Everyone ate that like there was no tomorrow! The swimmers had a nice time in the now slightly deeper lake. Thankfully, it was nice and warm so they were not too cold in the water. The boaters also had a nice time. There was some good wind for the sailors and a few too many waves for the canoers but everyone managed to have a nice time out on the lake. Sports class was still held in the upper lodge due to the wet conditions of the A-field. 

As soon as everyone found out that shepherds pie was for lunch, the cookees rushed to set the table and soon everyone was eating. Jello was dessert and the boys gobbled it up! We had a much better rest hour today. It was a nice temperature that allowed for a nice comfortable sleep. The wind has been howling today but thankfully the scorching heat we have had the past two days has died down a bit! Due to this heat reduction, some of the counsellors offered some fun time activities as opposed to going in for general swim. Kevin offered to take 8 campers out for a fun adventure while Deb took a few others to make some creative crafts. Aidan taught 8 lucky campers all about how to play the ukulele! Drew took over 40 campers up to the A-field for a rousing game of Non-Stop-Cricket! While there were not many who went in for general swim, those that did said how warm the water was and how it was nice to only have a few other swimmers with them! 

Activity period went smoothly as always with counsellors offering tower jumping, sailing, soccer, basketball, and a new addition of disc golf! Campers and staff alike were so excited to be back on the A-field playing games and laughing. The boys enjoyed some chicken patties for dinner with a side of applesauce, chips, and baby carrots. After chowing down, everyone rushed back to their cabins to throw on tied shoes for tonights evening program which will be played on the now dry A-field! We will be playing "garbage collector" tonight. This is a camp original that can be most accurately described as field basketball. We are anticipating a lot of tired, sweaty boys after this game so a quick dip in the cool lake will be taking place! 

We are all hoping for the weather to continue as it has today to keep us in good spirits!

~Taylor and Allissa 

Wednesday, July 6th

It is hard to believe we are halfway through the first week of camp already! The campers are loving every second and taking advantage of all of the opportunities camp has to offer!

This morning we awoke again to wonderful weather! Everyone enjoyed a camp favorite for breakfast - cinnamon bread alongside an option of cereal. Campers and staff alike were eager to get into the water this morning! Since the sun was so hot, canoers worked on capsizing this morning while boaters jumped into the lake before rowing. While swimmers continued working on their strokes, many teachers decided to play games at the end of class, so the campers could really enjoy the water! Sports classes were on the A-field but campers had plenty of water breaks to cool down. The arts and crafts room is nice and cool so campers comfortably worked on their projects while nature went fishing!

For lunch campers and staff were served meatballs, mashed potatoes, and salad. Sorbet was handed out for dessert - perfect for a hot day! After rest hour everyone went in for general swim. Aquarium played a fun tag game where campers pretended to be sharks and swam around "attacking" their targets. The splashing made it all that much more fun! Activity period revolved around the water today, as the sun was still hot this afternoon! Counselors offered jumping off the tower, paddle boarding, sailing on the sunfish, and those who chose to play ultimate frisbee on the A-field were rewarded with a quick swim in the lake afterwards!

Every Wednesday and Saturday the campers are treated to a unique dinner! Since the kitchen staff have their day off, cabins choose an area around camp to have a picnic dinner. Campers were spread out around the A-field, the counsel ring and even the docks! Everyone enjoys sandwiches with sides of pickles, chips, carrots, grapes and some cookies for dessert!

Campers were thrilled to hear that this evening we will be playing Pirates! The boys will scatter around camp searching for a "treasure". They may also gain points by collecting trash and engaging in "gun" wars (dishee rags filled with flour). There will most likely be a quick dip afterwards, as this is a high energy game! 

We are hoping this great weather continues for the rest of the session! 

~Taylor and Allissa

Monday, July 4th

Our first full day of this session went off without a hitch! After what seemed like a late night due to fireworks on the lake, campers awoke to beautiful weather. We enjoyed cornbread and cereal for breakfast. 

Today we started our classes: arts and crafts, swimming, boating and sports! Swimmers showed their teachers what strokes they knew so staff could better help them to pass their level. Deb, our arts and crafts director, had a multitude of projects for the campers to choose from including paracord bracelets, wood burning, or even the option to start a basket! Kevin, our nature expert, took a few campers from arts and crafts and hunted our "wild boar" Boris. He had them get in tip top shape in order to better catch her! During sports we played our usual first day game of Nuke 'Em, which is a great game to help campers learn one another's names. Boaters learned the rules of small craft and our rowers were able to get out on the water during class! Meanwhile, canoers practiced strokes in aquarium in an effort to prepare them for tomorrow! Our sailors worked on rigging the boats for the very first time this session. 

After a very busy morning, our cookees set the table for a ravioli meal! We also had salad and bread on the side, and ended with butterscotch pudding. While dishees finished sweeping, campers headed to the store for a piece of candy to enjoy during rest hour. 

Fortunately the weather stayed nice and everyone went in for general swim! After their last class of the day, activity period began. Counselors offered jumping off the tower, ultimate frisbee, aquarium games, and Nuke 'Em. It seemed that every boy took advantage of the opportunities presented to them during activity period today!

Dinner bell rang at 6pm and we all gathered around the flagpole for inspection results. Cabins 2, old 6 and 8 won cabin cleanup today! Shaved steak sandwiches with peppers on the side were served along with carrots and chips. Now campers are scrambling to the A-field for a fun game of Capture the Flag. Everyone is eager to get there quickly in order for the game to get going early, as we will be having sundaes after to celebrate the 4th of July!

Everyone is settling into camp and it is so great to see all of the campers getting to know one another and form friendships!

~Taylor and Allissa

First Day of Boy's Camp

Starting at 12:30pm, campers started driving down the camp road and began their two week session at Asto Wamah! They were greeted by Drew, our sports director, and then quickly began the process of settling in and getting to know their fellow cabin mates. They went through the given check in list and gave hurried good byes to those who dropped them off, eager to start the session!

After counselors gave tours of our beautiful grounds, we all met in the counsel ring for introductions and camp wide rules. Our first year campers had their swim tests, where they showed Catherine, our waterfront director, what they know! They were then placed in swimming levels accordingly. Once those were completed, campers excitedly rushed to check in for a camp wide general swim! Right off the bat, boys were leaping from the tower in deep water and playing games in aquarium! 

Cookee bell rang shortly after the end of general swim and the campers rushed to set their tables, eager to fill their bellies! Here at Asto Wamah, we have "cookees", those who set our tables for meals and "dishees" who help clear the tables afterwards. Campers and staff enjoyed our traditional first meal of hotdogs, tater tots, and a side of baked beans. Brownies were offered as dessert and as you can imagine, they vanished quickly! 

Tied shoes have been put on in anticipation for our evening program! Now campers are playing a variety of activities, including tether ball, the ever popular Gaga Pit, or knock hockey while waiting for the bell to ring. Tonight we will be playing "Medical War", a type of dodgeball game in which our "medics" can bring campers back who were "knocked out" during the round. In an effort to give as many campers who wish to be the "medic" an opportunity, we have set aside 45 minutes to play. We are expecting a high energy game from this enthusiastic group of boys! 

Following evening program, campers will return to their cabins and get ready for bed. Cabins will vote on a book to be read aloud by the counselors before bedtime. Many campers enjoy this aspect of the evening as it helps them to wind down after an eventful day!  

We are so excited to welcome all of these wonderful campers to Asto Wamah! They will surely have a rememberable two weeks here. We are looking forward to start our usual schedule of classes and activities tomorrow!

~Taylor and Allissa 

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!

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

Marvelous Monday!

Today got us off to a great start to the final week of boys camp here at Asto Wamah! We had blueberry bread for breakfast, pork chops for lunch, and burgers for dinner. At lunch we had butterscotch pudding for dessert and at dinner we had peach crisp (yummy!). This morning we woke up a half hour later than usual, giving everyone a chance to sleep-in. After breakfast we began our day according to schedule, everyone headed off to first, second, and then third period. It was a bit chilly today, so we did not have our regularly scheduled general swim. Instead, campers were given the opportunity to go back to their cabins and work on their skits for talent night (tomorrow). They could also use this time to prepare for our themed breakfast on Wednesday. This session’s theme is cabin’s choice, so each cabin will pick a theme and show up to breakfast dressed in costume (this is always a fun way to begin the day). We eventually moved into fourth period – which was held indoors – where hilltop built towers and mazes with wooden blocks, boating played board games, and arts and crafts went on as planned. Activity period was held mostly indoors as well, counselors offered various board games around the upper lodge.

Evening program was a rainy day classic here at camp, Murder by Night. Murder by Night is essentially a live version of the game of Clue. A counselor on their day off has “died” and the campers travel around camp with an LT as their leader trying to figure out who committed the murder and with what as their weapon. This game keeps the kids off the damp field, but still active and going around camp. The rain has begun to set in, so hopefully things will cool down a bit and everyone will have a good night’s sleep.

-The Birch Blogger

Track & Field Day!

Today was an exciting day here at Asto Wamah because it was track and field day! The campers were split into two teams, green and white, and competed both individually and as a team in various events. The morning began with four big events on the A-field: the softball throw, standing long jump, running long jump, and a 50 yard dash. For these events the campers traveled in their cabin groups (hilltop, lakeside, seniors) competing for first, second, and third place. The morning was filled with cheers for both the green and white teams. The afternoon featured a camp-wide event known as the Indian War Relay. This is the first team event that includes each member. The race begins at the top of the camp road; runners pass a baton between each other until they reach main dock. At main dock the baton is passed off to a swimmer who swims to white raft and hands it to another swimmer who goes to grey raft. Once the baton gets to grey raft, it is handed off to teammates in a row boat. There are two sets of boats who then pass the baton off to a canoe. The canoes eventually get to Hungerford dock (near where the LTs live), and pass the baton to more runners. The runners get it to pollywog dock where the last two swimmers swim back to main dock. In the end the white team was victorious! This is a big win because the relay gets the white team a lot of points.

This evening we had meatball grinders for dinner and the traditional green and white cake for dessert. Those on the green team had vanilla cake with green frosting and those on the white team had the same cake but white white frosting. Tonight we continue on with team events. The campers will once again be competing by their cabin groups (hilltop, lakeside, seniors), in a series of relay races on the A-field. Tonight’s events are worth even more points than this morning, so this is a great time for one team to really take the lead.

Track and field day has been a huge success thus far, but you will have to stay tuned to hear the final results! The final scores will be released in the Birch Barker (our camp newspaper) on Banquet night. All of this running around will definitely have everyone exhausted just in time for bed.

Until next time,

-The Birch Blogger

Sun-shine Saturday

Hello Birch Bloggers! Today we enjoyed bagels and oatmeal for breakfast, sheppard's pie - many campers' favorite- for lunch, and then hot dogs, chips, fruit and cookies for dinner. The kitchen staff had off after lunch so they extra staff and counselors whipped together a tasty dinner and then we all enjoyed the meal outside in the water front area.

The weather today at Asto Wamah was amazing! We have been very lucky with the weather so far but I found today to be perfect: not too hot, a nice breeze, and plenty of sunshine! Campers enjoyed another day of classes but are looking forward to a break from their classes tomorrow when we have track and field day - more to come on that tomorrow!

Today, six more of the campers were able to go out on the camps paddle boards and I came along on a kayak. We all went out at activity period, right around 4:40, and I cannot describe how beautiful it was to be on the lake at that time. We had a gracious sky above us while the boys paddled and splashed around, I had a great time and could tell that the boys really did too.

Tonight we will be playing King Dodge. Another game of dodgeball with a Wamah twist. Players are given the chance to rejoin the game by running to the other teams side, standing behind a marked line, and trying to throw the ball at a player on the other team. It is an especially fun game of dodgeball because there are balls flying from either direction, you really need to be on your toes to succeed.

I look forward to giving you the update on a fun-filled day of track and field tomorrow!

- The Birch Blogger

Fantastic Friday!

Hello again Birch Bloggers! Today was yet another fun-filled day here at Camp Asto Wamah. We had cinnamon bread and cereal for breakfast, chicken tenders for lunch, and tacos for dinner. Tonight’s dessert was apple crisp with whipped cream topping, one of our favorites! When the sun was out it was pretty hot, so it was the perfect day to be on the water. Swimming during both classes and general swim gave the kids a chance to cool down after running around during sports or rowing during boating. All this time spent outside makes rest hour a great opportunity to have a little peace and quiet. Rest hour also lets the campers recharge before heading to things like activity where they are running around yet again. Today we offered activities such as Frisbee golf, jumping off the tower, nuk’em, soccer and more! If they choose not to go to an activity, many campers can be found gathered around the tetherball pole, on fishing docks, or out in a boat.

Today is Friday, which means that we are almost at track and field day (Sunday)! This is a camp tradition where camp is split into green and white teams and the campers compete in track events. The captains for the green and white teams were picked after lunch; these are people who are both great leaders and full of energy. These green and white teams will come in handy for tonight’s evening program. The bell just rang which means everyone is heading up to the A-field for Pirate Gangs. This is a favorite amongst the boys because they get to run all around camp pretending to be pirates. Each person is given a sack of flour which is they can attack their opponents with. In addition to this there are two green jugs, which act as “treasure” hidden somewhere around camp. If it is found, the points awarded for finding the treasure usually determine the winning team.

This game is sure to have everyone running up and down camp throughout the evening, so (hopefully!) we will all be exhausted when it’s time for bed. We hope you have enjoyed reading the blog, so be sure to check back tomorrow!

-The Birch Blogger

Fun Filled Thursday!

What a great day at Camp Asto Wamah! Today we had English muffins for breakfast, some Swedish meatballs and mashed potatoes for lunch, and chicken patties for dinner with Sue’s famous cheese cake for dessert, YUM!

The classes went off without a hitch as usual! Since today wasn’t windy the sailboats practiced capsizing. Instructors flipped the sunfish upside down, then two or three campers worked together to flip it right side up. This is a very important skill for every sailor in order to be prepared for any sailing situation. The kids had fun holding onto the daggerboard and using their body weight to flip the boat around. Canoeing and row boating classes also enjoyed a break from fighting against the wind. A few classes rowed or paddled out to Frog Island, a sandbar in the middle of Columbia Lake. Swimming classes improved their strokes, and a few higher-level classes learned some important life-guarding skills like “Reach and Throw, Don’t Go,” “Think so you don’t Sink,” and how to help someone with a head, neck, or back injury.

The game for evening program tonight is Spies and Smugglers. Smugglers are given a piece of paper that has an amount of points on it, they will hide it in their pockets, shoes, bandanas, etc, and try to run up to the A-field. It is the Spies job to stop and tag the smugglers, to prevent them from getting points up to the A-field; spies get three guesses to try and find the piece of paper and if they guess incorrectly the smuggler gets to run free, until he runs into the next spy at least…

Since the game involved a lot of running around, the campers will have an opportunity to go in for a Quick-Dip, a quick jump in the lake to get rid of the sweat and dirt, and to cool off right before bed.

That’s all for now!

- The Birch Blogger

A Terrific Tuesday at Asto Wamah

Hello again Birch Bloggers, We've had a great Tuesday here at camp! The second full day of camp is always lots of fun because the staff is all done giving directions so there is plenty of time for swimming, boating, arts and crafts, and sports!

The day began with a delicious serving of blueberry bread, cereal, and tasty hot chocolate. After cabin cleanup and camp duties campers ran off to their classes. No one minded jumping into lake for swimming class since it was so warm outside. Sports classes played a big game of kickball while campers in their arts and crafts classes got to choose between making survival bracelets, clay, pillows, or baskets with Carol. Boaters were happy that the wind died down from yesterday so it was much easier to row around the lake.

By the time we got to rest-hour I think that most of the boys were ready for a break from running around and enjoyed the time in their cabins. There were some great activities offered for activity period including jumping off the tower, aquarium games, nuk'em, soccer, and volleyball.

Everyone is currently all done with dinner, tasty grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup. Now campers are running around playing tether-ball, ping-pong, horse shoes, and getting ready to head up to the A-field. We're going to have a quick game of triad, a soccer game with three balls and three goals. Then after running around everyone will go down to the lake for a nice general swim. It will be a great way to cool off after running around.

That about wraps it up for our Tuesday here at camp!

- The Birch Blogger

P.S. Parents of co-ed campers, there will be a survey on our website soon for your evaluations of camp this year. Please keep an eye out for it, we would love to hear your feedback!

First Full Day of Camp

Hello Birch Bloggers! Today completes our first full day here at Camp Asto Wamah, and boys camp is off to a terrific start. This morning we had corn bread and cereal for breakfast, which was followed by cabin cleanup. It’s still early in the session, but I’m sure that as the week progresses this will definitely be a hefty job. When the first period bell rang everyone was off to their classes. Today was a beautiful day here on Columbia Lake; we had the perfect weather for all of our outdoor activities.

Lunch consisted of chicken parm, spaghetti and salad (yum!). After lunch the campers settled in for their first rest hour of the session. This gives them a break where they can recharge for the rest of the day’s activities; it also gives the LTs (Leadership Training) a chance to practice their life guarding skills. The LT program is unique to the boys and first girls session of camp. This year we have ten guys – who are too old to be campers, but too young to be counselors – participating in the program. They will be helping out with a little bit of everything around camp. They will assist counselors in teaching classes, sit with campers during meals, and learn the ropes of being a counselor.

Following rest hour, everyone went in the water for general swim and then headed off to fourth period. Activity period begins immediately after fourth period ends; today’s activities included aquarium games, archery, and basketball among others. For supper we had pulled-pork with a side of salad and applesauce and lemon cake for dessert. The campers are now enjoying a bit of free time before heading to the A-field for an exciting game of capture the flag!

Be sure to check back daily for updates on the rest of the session. Also, parents with children who attended the coed session – be on the look out for a parent survey to be posted on our website. We would love to hear your feedback on you and your child’s Asto Wamah experience!

-The Birch Blogger

Boys Camp is off to a Great Start!

Hello Birch Bloggers! Today we welcomed the boys to Camp Asto Wamah! Campers got settled into their cabins, meeting cabin-mates, counselors, and reconnecting with old camp friends. Once the parents drove up the camp road the campers were getting a tour from their counselors, going over rules, and playing games to get to know one another. Campers were also given the opportunity to sign up to play tennis and go to archery archery during their sports classes. Then the bell rang and all of the campers and staff met around our counsel ring. Our director, Nancy, went over general expectations of the campers and also got the campers excited about the fun two weeks we are all going to have.

Then Catherine, our water front director, gave our first year campers their swimming placement tests. Each camper showed their best swimming strokes and then were assigned to a swimming level so they are all set for their first swimming class tomorrow. Shortly after the swim test, all of the campers got into the water for our first general swim. Catherine gave all the water front safety information. The water was very nice!

After general swim campers were given a little bit of free time right before dinner. It is a Camp Asto Wamah tradition for the first meal to be hot dogs and tater-tots with brownies for dessert. The campers loved it!

Now, as I type, the campers are learning the rules to our first evening program game, Medical Wars. Dodge-balls will be flying all over the A-field as campers are running around. A nice twist to our version of dodge-ball is that each team has to Medics which can bring the players back to life.After the game campers will head back to their cabins, get ready for bed, and then the counselors will read a book that they have all picked out for their campers.

The weather is great here, and we hope that after a full game of running around everyone will be able to fall asleep easily.

That's all for now, thanks for reading!

- The Birch Blogger