Banquet Day!!!

Banquet Day… our last day of camp began with a rain shower; appropriate for this very rainy summer and actually quite surprising (no chance of rain this morning as far as we could see… this little cell just appeared above the camp as we gathered for flag… funny!).

For Breakfast Club I told the “Frog and Scorpion” fable (beware of sin) and encouraged the girls to “keep their eye upon the donut and not upon the hole”. I then got to do the Morning Assembly talk on the ten lepers (Luke 17:11…). It is a comfortable routine that is very poignant too, quality.

We will have classes this morning until noon, but the feeling of camp has moved to the “laid back, lounging, languishing, lazy days of summer”. LOTS of “Plane Letters” are being written, intended by their authors to be opened only after leaving the gates of camp. This is a wonderful tradition from the years when half of the campers flew home and their friends would not actually see them on closing day because of early departure times. The letters are so good, the idea spread… completely generated by campers, this is not anything we coach the girls to do- they just do it. We have packed up all the bags that are going by UPS or airline; we box up the UPS and get it on the trucks and to the airport as needed. The cabins have organized their stuff into “mountains” of possessions that will be ready for pick up tomorrow. It is amazing to see.

Rest Hour will end at the normal time and the girls will go to the Pavilion for an “All Girl” assembly. There will be final awards from departments, a bunch of video shorts from the summer will be seen, lost and found will be sorted through one final time, the girls will learn the final claps and cheers and songs that will close camp at the banquet tonight. Finally, the teams will gather for their last “Team Meetings”, where the leaders will be recognized with little gifts from the campers… with deep appreciation.Then comes Banquet… and we do love our banquet. It is the favorite EP of most campers, a huge celebration of the summer. The dining hall is transformed into a theme that has been closely guarded all summer. The counselors dress in costume and perform a full play for the girls… it is very funny and amazingly well done. Preparation for this blow out EP has taken more than a month. Should be good.

Some final words before I say Good-bye:
To the parents who are on the road or about to hit the road. Plan to arrive at camp around 8:30 and please be careful as you drive. We are praying for a safe day. When you arrive, know that it has rained almost every day for two weeks… the grass by the riding ring is VERY WET, there is standing water in some places that is impossible to avoid. Either wear suitable shoes, or walk along the road by the golf green (in the dry). You are going to have a wonderful day… Driving home with a camper who has spent almost 5 weeks at camp is amazing. Here are a few suggestions:

Don’t let her zone out with her ipod for at least an hour. Don’t let her use the phone for at least an hour. Don’t turn on the radio for a while, let the silence of the car be your companion.

The time in a quiet car allows a slow transition from “the bubble” in a way that feels like camp. Don’t be surprised if she cries a lot. Tears are sometimes an important part of the process… they are the indicators of the impact of this experience. Camp fills the heart with joy and sadness. A camp experience is richly complex: transporting us to deep places that we don’t immediately understand. It is good… perfectly suited for a quiet ride in a car.

Some of you will pick up your girls from the airport… a different process, for that initial departure from the bubble has happened already. Make the arrival home a celebration! Think about the menu, make your own “evening program”, don’t skip the bedtime prayers and tuck in. These are the routines of camp that might enhance your first night home. The more prepared you make the moment, the better it will be. You have plenty of time to make the welcome home a big event! It will be so much fun!

Finally, I know that some campers will be reading this blog and I have a word for them too. To them I say “thank you”. We love you and we miss you. Remember to keep your eye upon the donut and not upon the hole. Remember to be thankful.

Thank you… EVERYONE.

Jimboy