Yesterday was quite a fun-filled day of activities as the Family Camp families and Youth Camp campers all enjoyed the sunshine and warm breeze that flowed through camp. It was a gorgeous Sunday that started with our Sunday School and church services, followed by book marking the new Bible Lesson, God.
The afternoon went as such. Family Camp had multiple areas of camp open for them to explore – the high ropes course, the waterfront, and Arts & Crafts. Youth Camp continued to rotate through their classes, which included Quidditch, Arts & Crafts, horseback riding, and many more.
I had the pleasure of going up in the trees with the families who were participating in the high ropes course, and it was truly such a loving and wonderful experience. The high ropes course is a very special place at camp because it provides an outlet for people to go outside their comfort zone and try something new and exciting.
All the participants in the high ropes afternoon activity had never done the ropes course before, so it was a new experience for everyone to learn and grow together. The weather was nice and breezy, the zip-line was open, and many smiles were shared amongst the family members as they tackled the high ropes elements one-by-one.
The whole camp came together for a fifth period free swim, and the screams of laughter could be heard from all across the camp, and once again that Aqua Mat was a huge success.
When the evening came, so did Council Fire – the greatest evening activity of all time. Of course, I am probably a bit biased because Till-Ee-Come, I believe, is the greatest game of all time, BUT the families here for Family Camp were all placed in their clans! Which is the best part! Every clan gained new members, and we all sat happily as we went through the traditions of Council Fire that make it so wonderful.
Our fire dance brought all the clans together, as our four fire dancers (one from each clan) shared the fire brought by the 
turtle that was then passed on to the turkeys, who then passed it on to the wolves, who then passed the fire on to the bears. They all then came together, lighting the bonfire which roared for the rest of the night.
The games we played brought out the competitive side and immense sportsmanship amongst the clans. We started with a bit of tug-of-war, where campers and family members were able to challenge on another on behalf of their clan. We had camper vs. camper, brother vs. brother, and even mom vs. dad as both sides squared up on the tree stumps, trying to pull the other off the stump for victory.
Family Camp counsellor Gabe led us in a song, and once the song was finished we played Till-Ee-Come, the whole can game that’s basically an adventurous version of rock-paper-scissors.
It’s iconic.
All of us came together at the end to hold hands and sing Symbol of Serenity, the Crystal Lake Camp theme song, before closing the night with Taps to send everyone to bed.
The sun is always beginning to set as we sing, and as we all held hands and smiled at one another across the circle, the warm presence of ever-present Love could be felt. Though there are many families here with us, together we all create a family environment where we’re all siblings, all supportive, and all loving towards one another.
It’s now a Monday, and the first day of July! And the day has started with another bright, sunny day. We’re looking forward to what’s in store! Happy Monday!
– Zoë
Social Media Director/Camp Photographer
zoe@crystallakecamps.org
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