Hello again! We’ve been busy and I want to share our activities:
Long trips
Long trips were a huge success. Our groups made their re-entry singing and smiling, smelling ripe from the trail. The night was filled with skits detailing the highlights of their adventures. There were tales of breathtaking views, disappearing bear bags, exchanges with Flying Cloud, and a sock that didn’t quite survive the trip. Campers and staff then had the chance to share shining moments with the entire group, challenges they faced, and things they learned on the trail that could be applied to life at SAM camp.
Dance
Despite a forecast of rain, we crossed our fingers and proceeded with first session’s SAM contra dance. We welcomed guests from Indian Brook, Timberlake, Barn Day Camp, all of Flying Cloud, and even a couple of Tamarack Farm staff members! After a delicious baked potato dinner, we danced the night away to the tunes of a 100% F&W band! A big thanks to Rebecca for coming out to be our caller! The weather held out and made for a great evening full of skipping, twirling — all illuminated by the clouds at dusk.
Wild People
Wild People is a favorite evening activity among campers. The object of the game is for campers to transport beans from the soccer field to the Silent Meeting circle –without being tagged by a counselor. The game is usually played as daylight begins to slip from the sky. But during this session, there was a surprise announcement that Wild People was happening after the contra dance, in complete darkness! Because of this, the game took on a new flavor. Instead of being a game composed largely of foot races, the cover of night morphed the tactic into one of stealth and silence. Campers and staff wove their way through camp, taking cover from the occasional headlamp amid the forest surrounding our clearings. The game wound down just as the rain finally began. Tired, damp, and a little muddy, we settled into our beds after a fun-filled day.
Banquet
The theme of Banquet this session was a Teddy Bear Masquerade Picnic, themed after a grace we sing that goes like this:
“If you go out in the woods today be sure of a big surprise
If you go out in the woods today you’d better go in disguise
For all the bears there ever was will gather there for certain because
Today is the day the Teddy bears have their PICNIC!”
The afternoon began with a scavenger hunt in search of parts of a teddy bear. Groups scattered around camp and showcased their teamwork to earn clues and lead them closer to completing their Teddy. The hunt finished in the soccer field where groups combined into two teams to compete for the head of the Teddy in a new twist on the typical “capture the flag” type of game, even adding water balloon distractions.
During dinner we all took on different characters in a camp-wide game of charades. The meal was riddled with reunions, as Sherlock Holmes found Watson, John Lennon searched out his other band members, and Tinker Bell and Peter Pan had to flee from Captain Hook!
Variety show
After banquet, the SAM lodge was transformed into a quaint venue, with mood lighting and a stage. The night was filled with the sharing of a range of talents in our very own variety show! We watched as Sophie juggled six balls, listened as Hector serenaded us on the fiddle, and were shocked and awed at the powerful and beautiful voice of Olivia, among many others. Campers and counselors joined together for some lovely duets and group pieces. The show was completed with a full participation, interpretive dance to a Jesse original about Greg the Lobster.
Appreciations
The final few days of camp buzzed with creativity as each individual worked towards creating a gift for another member of the community. The afternoon of our final day was filled with kind words and insights about the qualities of one another, who were greatly appreciated and recognized throughout the session.
The circle of appreciations was paused as we broke into cabins to eat dinner. The five groups chose different locations around camp, such as the dock and the rose garden, to enjoy this meal with their cabin mates, and got the chance to have a closing ceremony.
After every member had been appreciated, we made our way to a fire that had been started in the center of the Silent Meeting circle. There we shared the things we were thankful for and the challenges we had overcome. We closed under a star-filled sky as we sang each other off to bed.
We so enjoyed our first session campers, wish them well and hope to see them again next summer!
— Kelly Davis, SAM Program Director