Something Special
There is something whimsical about camp. Silly things take root, because of some camper or counselor “pushes” it into the camp zeitgeist. Examples this summer include Maui Monday, Wildlife Wednesday, Sparkle Saturday, the Zinc Club, the “I want to be Cat Lee” song, and the “Give me a cookie: Gervais, Gervais!” rap. Every summer it happens, every summer it makes us smile. Every summer it becomes a part of the camp story… a big deal.
For the person who successfully introduces a theme or a song, you can only imagine how awesome it must feel. An entire community embracing your idea… such power! This is one of the an unsung stories of camp every summer. It is an important part of camp life.
Ira Glass made this very thing the subject of an hour long episode of “This American Life”. Originally broadcast in 1998 and now one of the most listened to episodes of this great show, this episode put Ira Glass on the map… it remains one of the most popular of his works and I highly recommend it. “Notes on Camp” is a six-part, one-hour theme on camp… why campers and counselor love it so much, what silly things happen and why they matter. The introduction features a girl who says: “camp is all I talk about during the year… my friends all get mad at me, they’re like “camp! We don’t want to hear about camp anymore!”. Anyone who went to camp can relate. Situations happen at home that remind us of something at camp. It makes us laugh and we blurt out “that time at camp when…”, but nobody gets it! Camp only makes sense to those who were there at the time; but to those people, it is a BIG DEAL.
This is part of the magic of camp. The magic happens more intensely and becomes more memorable the longer we are here. For this reason, Main Camp is particularly memorable and particularly hard to explain. At this point in the summer things are really cooking. LOTS of funny moments occur every day, any one of them worthy of becoming a memory for a lifetime.
Next week, when you see your daughter for the first time, allow a lot of time for these stories to be told. Ask about things you read in the blog, things that they might have mentioned in letters. Notice the light that comes into her eyes with each story and even if you don’t “get it” enter into the moment with delight.
At it’s core, camp is very simple. Childlike. Easy to understand. Life changing in it’s simplicity yet composed of so many details it would take months to tell in it’s entirety.
Last nights Dinner was delightful, delicious, extravagant, raucous, and a celebration in every sense of the word. We have doubled down on theme nights, there are fewer of them but each one is planned to perfection. We decorate every table in the dining hall, hang banners and twinkle lights, play music, dress up, and do everything we can to make it special. Mexican night is hugely popular (just the food is enough to get a cheer) so it was easy to make the theme special. Our Mexican campers introduced the theme at lunch. Big cheers from everybody as they danced through the aisles from either end of the dining hall to meet in the middle and invite all to a special dinner.
At one point a chant is heard from an entire wing of the dining hall… everyone in that part of the room knew it and the whole dining hall tried to catch the words. As it turns out, it was the “Gervais, Gervais” Rap. It goes like this:
What kind of cookie are we havin today?
Do we need a napkin or do we need a plate?
Does it have chocolate or Sprinkles on top?
If it crumbles then we’re gonna need a mop!
GERVAIS! GERVAIS!
The “GERVAIS” part is shouted… and easy to hear from the other end of the dining hall. They sang the song twice in quick succession, the whole camp knew it in an instant. My guess… a new camp song has been introduced, some camper (or counselor) is now on top of the world knowing that she has accomplished something magnificent. She has moved the world and made an impact. She is special.
Got to love camp!
- Breakfast: French Toast and sausage links
- Lunch: Pot Roast
- Dinner: Cheese Ravioli, Caesar Salad
Tonight we will celebrate a moment of encouragement that will be a mountaintop experience for our Senior Campers. All of the Senior campers (rising 11th and 12th graders) are invited to perform (this is considered the Seniors “Talent Show”) and each cabin will sing a special song (often as tears glisten on their cheeks). Finally, about 15 girls are honored by their appointment to the “Queens Court” (a long tradition that has been updated for this generation).
The best part of the evening will unfold after the rest of camp has returned to their cabins. We will host a nice reception for the Senior campers in White Hall, catered by my sister Katie who is a wonderful chef. The girls attend the party in their pajamas and feast on Chickfila nuggets, dips, heaping mounds of tasty food and a huge assortment of desserts unique to the occasion. The night is capped off with a special devotion by Dr. Margaret. When they go back to their cabins they will be given wonderful cards that list the MANY wonderful character traits that have marked their time at camp… how they have impacted their friends in a positive way.
It is a huge encouragement and a memorable moment. One of the best moments of the summer. We love this night!
Thanks for checking in. We are having a GREAT DAY!
