What a week, what a week! The first week of camp is always a whirlwind and this year was no different. Now on my day-off, showered and shaved, I am able to look back over the last seven days of Timberlake 2008.
Well to be sure, it has been a “moist” week. Luckily we have been spared the two week waterfall that was the start of 2006, but we have certainly had our share of the rain. But, as on Opening Day, campers and staff have made the best of it and life at TL hasn’t missed a beat. When we could get outside we did, and when the weather stopped us, life continued in cabins, lodges and other buildings around camp. We have trudged muddy paths, walked flowing trails and swam under grey skies, taking full advantage of the sun when it made its appearance.
The resiliency of the campers has been wonderful, but I want to applaud the incredible work of the Timberlake Staff for their high energy, positive attitude and willingness to get wet…really wet…really, really wet. Now this is not to say that we haven’t had our challenges: learning the names of new friends, eating new food and learning to share space. There were conflicts to resolve and difficult skills to learn. Boys new to TL spent the first days working on their Woodsman skills, navigating the many acres of property and getting accustom to camp culture. Returning campers immediately went about the business of welcoming back old friends, making new ones and jumping right in to all that was familiar. There were the inevitable conflicts and the necessary resolutions that follow, both of which bring us closer together as a community as well as help to create stronger friendships.
Cabins went out on overnights, we played all camp games and campers spent mornings and afternoons learning many new skills in the five different activity areas. Groups set off to repair stream bridges that had been taken out by the hard winter and to prepare the farm for the arrival of the goats and sheep. While the conditions on the waterfront were not postcard perfect, swim lessons and boating instruction went off without a hitch. It was so wonderful to see the large number of older Senior Lodgers stepping forward to take on leadership roles and to give so much to the community that they love. I am inspired by the commitment to Timberlake and hope to see many of them return as counselors in the future.
What else did we do this past week …as always at TL, we like to work! Whether it was waking at 6:30 to complete the many chores that are needed to keep our home up and running or the larger projects in various locations around camp, we accomplished much in seven days. There were carpentry projects to build and many campers contributed to the work on the Interdependence Day bonfire that unfortunately was rained out, but will be rescheduled.
We also know how to play as hard as we work: 3-Kingdoms, Battle Blanket, Kabadi, Rabbit Sticks, Capture the Flag, Magic Tricks and Drum Stalking. Caving at Plymouth Caves, Star Wars Capture the Flag, Nert, King of the Monster at General Swim, Soccer, Touch Football, D&D and Slack’em. And as always, a day at Timberlake wouldn’t be a day without song. Like clock work, when breakfast ends we move towards the stage and send our voices to the far ridge! This year we have a number of camper and staff musicians and already have found some of our favorite songs. We’ve eaten incredible meals and the TL Cooks deserve immense praise for all of their hard work. The food has been diverse, fun, healthy and there’s been plenty of it. We’ve been doing our best to remind your boys about writing home and so I hope you have been getting some reports of your own.
And we learned what it takes to live in a community of brothers (and many sisters!): Sitting in beautiful silence during Silent Meeting, helping a friend who misses home find another home here and carrying buckets of compost to feed our gardens. Waking up early to do the chores that keep the camp running, cleaning our own plates after eating a meal and appreciating the many people that give of themselves fully, each day. We’ve talked about personal boundaries and those of others and what it means to respect someone’s individual choice as they face challenges. I have the boys “climb a mountain every day” and for many it seems one just isn’t enough! I have been so proud of TL and each of us should be equally proud of what we have accomplished as individuals and together as a group. We live, work and play together and sometimes we fight and sometimes cry. But we learn to be committed to each other and to Timberlake and to hopefully work towards our common goals, even as hard as that can occasionally be. At a Silent Meeting on Sunday, there was a great outpouring of emotion from several staff and campers and the incredible love and support by the community as a whole was beautiful.
Can you believe this was only Week One? There is an amazing energy that you can feel when you walk through TL and we’ve only just begun our adventure together. Trips begin heading out this week and most of the campers have chosen to hit the mountains, farms, trails and rivers of New England with others remaining in camp to enjoy daily programming. Our J1 campers have been taking part in every bit of camp life, but have also enjoyed some exciting moments of their own, including a visit last night to Flying Cloud for a FC Naming Ceremony. For our J2 families we look forward to seeing you this weekend and admit that we will be sad to soon see our J1ers head home. I also know that many families have begun considering the possibility of extending their stay and with extremely limited spaces available in the August sessions, I recommending calling me ASAP.
This week has been a huge success and your boys have been wonderful. They have stayed positive through all of our rough weather and the sometimes rocky transition to camp life. As we being the second week I look forward to really moving fully into program and the more consistent sunshine I believe is coming our way. I get anxious for each morning and have to remind myself not to rush things too much. There are so many single moments worth experiencing over and over and I only wish I would be everywhere at once. I know I have said it before and will indeed be saying it again, but I am constantly impressed by the Timberlake Staff. They have worked so hard this first week to make camp home, to make it substantial and to make it fun. They step up in so many ways to nurture and to care for your children and I would be hard pressed to find a better group. Now that’s not say that there is not learning to be done and that mistakes are sometimes made, but their commitment is real and with an experienced and dedicated Senior Staff, we work to give them the support that they need.
As always we enjoy speaking with families and want to do what we can to provide support. Hopefully our communication has been quick and if not please let me know. I hope all is well out there in the world and we send you our best.
Until next week!