SLEEP LATE FRIDAY!

Sleep Late Friday… a tradition much loved by all. We have four “SLF’s” at Main Camp, and we love each of them dearly! Laura Hollowell gets the credit for Sleep Late Friday (also for Apple Cart and Watermellon Table). She has been here for 38 years (she was a camper for a long time… we count that as “training”) and her sense of tradition and innovation is razor sharp. Several years ago she noticed a need for a languid wake up for at least one day every week (Sunday doesn’t count, we run Stumblers at 8… remember?)… so the thinking cap goes on.

How to sleep an extra hour yet not short change classes (a bigger deal than you think)? The idea struck her like a bolt of lightning: Reveille blows at 8:30, Counselors pick up Breakfast and bring it to the cabins, the girls have “breakfast in bed” and we go straight to Assembly at 9:15 (regular time). Voila (thunderous applause from the counselors… bravo, encore!!!). Ahhhh the luxury of an hour in the summer. Today we ate sausage biscuits, juice, milk… light and satisfying.

I am actually writing this during the extra hour of this glorious morning. I will just write the update now and post it when I get to the office; the extra hour in the office will give me a chance to start a little planning.

One of the things that makes camp good is preparation. Good people thinking about every detail before the moment arrives… We plan, we have back up plans… Our team is very good: Laura (Sleep Late Apple Cart Lady), Kelly (Program Director; the hardest working person in the world), Sarah (our “great with child” Head Counselor; specializes in marketing/ new campers/ summer calendar; she also is a great aid to my happiness level because she is so funny), Dr. Margaret (my wife and my Health Director), Gervais (Kitchen Director and good friend… also husband of Apple Cart Sleep Late Laura), and our Group Leaders (amazing… each and every one). This doesn’t even mention Diane and Jessi (in the office), Sam and his Merry Men (in Maintenance), Lell (also a good friend who we gave the title of “Director of Services”), Helen and her crew at the barn, the Hostesses, the counselors… it does indeed take a village.

My point is, good preparation is a way of life with each of the individuals listed above. Each one of them focus on camp from a different angle. Each one puts their personality and genius into making the next week, day, hour better than it would have been. We expect everyone who works at camp to love it with a passion and make their “corner” better each day… and all that love and attention is what makes the summer so good. It also makes the summer a delight for me! With so much help, I can just enjoy the ride!!!

I try to look ahead to the next year with a particular eye to the facility needs. Some 2012 considerations at this point.

1. We are testing new solar powered gable fans for all upstairs cabins that are not currently insulated (most of the cabins in camp). The concept is that during daylight hours, these high tech fans will pull the hot air from the peak of the roof thus making the cabins cooler. This weekend will be a good one for testing the effect (supposed to be very warm).

2. Staff Lodge… Our staff is much larger than you think. About 60 counselors are given the lucky ticket to be cabin counselors, the rest are “out of cabin”. We need housing for hundreds… a real challenge. A new staff lodge for 60 would be a nice addition (if we can get building permission, a long and difficult process). We would tear down 5 cabins (1940’s motel at the staff entrance of camp… pretty run down) and replace them with the lodge. Hope it comes together!

3. Shower Doors… we replaced all the shower doors in the Tentalows this year and the result has been a delight to everyone (housekeeping, campers, counselors, maintenance). We will replace the cabin and bungalow shower doors this year.

4. Not much else… camp is almost perfect. But we are interested in your comments. Our plans get firmed up during Main camp (Main camp clarifies our thinking, you have great influence).

We have been around for 90 years and have made improvements each of those years… in 90 years I really wonder what will we look like?

Today will give us a big dose of summer. Clear skies and hot temps in the afternoon (high around 90 degrees, it will get hotter tomorrow).

Big EP Surprises this week. Last night we had “Senior Hunt” instead of “Opening Vespers”… and it was a HUGE success. Very active game of Hide and Seek, combined with a scavenger hunt, combined with a version of “Clue”, and lots of water (getting in water, having water fights). It is a bit confusing, but a wonderful change of pace and a good night to bond as a cabin group. Tonight we will have a surprise concert by Mockingbird Sun, a country/pop fusion group from Nashville who is remotely connected to camp (guitar player went to Bible Study with one of our Ministers, he is the one on the right of the band photo if you click the link to the band). Their June concert was a HUGE HIT; we kept thinking that they needed to come to Main Camp. They LOVED playing here and REALLY wanted to return. Busy schedules only opened one day, today… so we are having them come and surprise the girls.

Keeping this group on their toes takes a lot of work, but it is worth it. The delight of camp comes from never completely figuring it out! This is going to be a great night, this is going to be great… stay tuned.

Only the “fans” will be reading the news (our news readers will drop by 1/3 today)… Stay tuned!

Enjoy the holiday weekend.

Jimboy