Banquet

Banquet… what a wonderful word! It is an evocotive and exotic word to a camper (who often has never attended an actual “banquet”). The word assumes even greater weight at camp for it is the single most anticipated EP of the summer. The theme has been debated since opening day with a little cat and mouse game between the campers (who want to know the theme) and the counselors (who passionately protect the theme). It is a wonderful build up!

Of course the reason for the success of the evening has less to do with the funny skit and favors that the counselors have prepared for their girls than the fact that this is our last big event of the session. It is a mountaintop moment of thrilling success for every camper and every counselor in camp. Such moments deserve to be treated with an extravagant banquet!

Today we enjoyed our last Breakfast Club (The Frog and the Scorpion), our last Morning Assembly (Luke 17, the Ten Lepers), and our last classes (1st to 4th period). This afternoon we will take good showers during rest hour (everyone is a little “grey”) then have a really fun assembly where we watch some of the video’s Leland has made during this session, see a great slide show, go through lost and found, and tie up a few details while the counselors get changed into their costumes for banquet.

The dining hall has been completely broken down and reassembled into 8 HUGE tables with a central award space. We will run down the road in cabin groups (the pictures are amazing) then take our place in the banquet hall. Each camper and counselor has a place prepared (just like heaven!) and will feast with their cabin friends one last time. Afterwards we give out Banquet awards (a huge honor to be mentioned for these highest honors in the departments) and then have a last tuck in at the cabin.

In years past we considered not making such a big deal of banquet (the preparations take an entire session and add a lot of pressure to the counselors) but in the end we always decide it is worth the effort. Campers and counselors alike LOVE the process. So we will embrace the challenges of this day with delight!

Council Fire and Closing Vespers were wonderful last night. Today it is hot (feels hotter than any other day this summer) with a chance of afternoon showers. We will be glistening at the banquet if we don’t get a cooling shower!

Your girls continue to delight and surprise us with their sweetness and spunk! They are wonderful in every way and we will miss them when they go.

Most parents arrive before 9:30 (we suggest you get here around 8:00 at the earliest in order to give us time to bring your bags to the track and have them organized). Most parents choose to go straight to the cabin after arriving (who can wait another minute?). You will love meeting the other girls in the cabin and having a chat with the counselor. It is fun to get a tour from your daughter, hearing the stories of camp as you walk… but often they most want to get in the car and go to McDonalds! That is great too!

We encourage you to turn off the cell phone, turn off the radio, and give all your attention to the conversation that will naturally occur on the drive home. It is a wonderful transition out of the “bubble” of camp and you will be amazed at how many silly moments have become important in ways that might be hard to understand. Don’t underestimate the growth that has occurred in the past three weeks.

Camp is great. We are honored to have been accepted into your families and hope that this summer will bear fruit for years to come. Thank you for supporting the camp and reading the blog. It has been a pleasure.