The Banquet

Banquet… even the word just sounds grand!

Banquets are reserved for the most special occasions. Banquets are times of great celebration, they require a great deal of preparation, and are attended by a large group of connected people. Many of these girls have never attended a “real” banquet… they have always wanted to go to one… we will have one at camp tonight! Anticipation of our big banquet will consume our minds and our hands all day.

Campers love our banquet, it is listed as the favorite EP in every session… always has been that way. Counselors have prepared for two weeks, today they will work most of the day putting all the details together. After breakfast we will break down the dining room, moving every table and chair to form gigantic 60 foot long banquet tables that surround a center “stage”. We will hang hand painted murals, assemble the centerpiece decorations, and slowly transform a familiar space into a dream come true. The counselors will unveil the theme at Flag, which is then followed by a long skit… really a play. Sometimes the play is in the pavilion, sometimes by the lake, sometimes by the pool, sometimes it is in multiple places. I can see why other camps don’t do their final night this way. To do this much work… is it worth the effort? Absolutely.

The banquet is a gift from the counselors to the campers, way more than is necessary and given out of love. The counselors go all out and it shows. The campers appreciate the effort, it somehow validates the camp session in everyone’s mind. It is a very nice way to end a camp.

We will have classes this morning, though “extra” counselors will work in the dining hall during that time. The classes end at 12:30 when we have our famous “Hot Dog Buffet” on the lower road. After Rest Hour the counselors spend the afternoon finishing the preparations and the campers go to an “all girl assembly”. They will see slide shows, video shorts of the summer, learn songs, and go through the unclaimed lost and found items.

Weather is going to be perfect, again. If you get a chance tonight, look at the moon. It is full and it is beautiful… it is most beautiful reflected in the waters of Lake Summit, but I am sure it will be pretty in Asheville and Hendersonville as well!

Tomorrow… we will wake up at 7:00 and eat breakfast at 7:30, so please don’t feel that you need to be here first thing. We will need a little time to get the trunks down to the track for pick up. By 8:30 everything is set out and organized. If you arrive before 8:30 go straight to the cabin (we will have greeters to show you the way)… it is so much fun to get that first hug! After 8:30 the trunks, duffles, and laundry bags are organized by cabin group. You will park, then point out your bags and we will carry them to your car whenever you want to load up. Make sure you get everything (we tag each bag with your name and the number of bags you need to pick up). If you want us to ship anything, we are glad to do that for you (just fill out a shipping form at the Hostess Cabin).

Early Bird… Camp is full for next year. Some of you were on the wait list “way back when” and are fearful of getting stuck there again. No need to worry. All enrolled campers are guaranteed a spot in any session they like… this “window” lasts for about 2 weeks, so don’t delay. Go online to the same place you look at photo’s… it is very quick to register, I did it this week for my two daughters and found it took about 3 minutes! We will send you a couple of email reminders, all is designed to be easy and “risk free”. Call if you have questions, Diane is happy to explain things.

Thank you very much for your support and friendship. This is the best place on earth thanks to you. I am very grateful.

May God Bless You.

Drive Safely,

Jimboy