Challenge Day

It is Challenge Day today, a wonderful tradition that ALWAYS happens ten days into camp. Ten days is the “sweet spot” of the camp experience: when the campers fully adjust to camp life and the real “meat” of our camp experience begins.

Till this point we all are emotionally adjusting to life at camp. We have found that it takes about ten days to fully adjust (a fact my Great Grandfather noted from the very first year). After this point, camp is experienced in a deeper, more relaxed fashion. For this reason, Main Camp is special.

Main Camp allows us to naturally adjust to camp and then have two solid weeks of “normal camp life” before the closing week madness. These middle weeks are the best weeks of the summer: full of deep growth opportunities and character building moments. Now is when the girls breath out a deep sigh and settle into the languid pace of camp life. There is LOTS going on, but the activity is all geared to building friendships and growth in the four fold way . The jokes are funnier, the conversations deeper, and the lessons of camp much more poignant. This is when the tears begin (Saturday’s 5 year celebration will have a lot of them) and the love builds. We appreciate the good things of life and are thankful. The very definition of a “Sweet Spirit”.

The weather continues to be VERY comfortable (highs in the low 80’s) and sunny (we have overcast skies which will clear as the morning progresses). A normal 20% percent chance of rain (leading to rest hour showers most days). The girls will be worn out by lunch and take a good nap (don’t expect many letters to be written today!).

Tonight’s EP is Council Fire. We will gather around the old fire pit and speak of “important things”, tap members of the temporary honor council, and give award patches to those who have passed levels in their classes. It is a nice quiet end to a nice busy day.

The movie last night (Lilo and Stitch) was a huge hit. The HD movie system was stunning and the setting was perfect under the lovely full moon. We sipped on juice boxes and munched on fruit gummy’s as the fireflies rose in the clear night sky. It was another memorable moment of the summer… everyone gathered in groups around the pagent court taking in the glory of the post card setting as the movie gradually pulled them into rapt attention. Cheers and laughter erupting throughout the movie… wonderful.