It was another full day of classes, and I have to say, we really are enjoying the sunshine! All the classes are in full swing from the soccer field up in Boys’ Camp to the waterfront down along Crystal Lake. The sun is shining, the boats are out, and if you listen closely you can hear the sound of hooves walking along the paths as the horses and campers enjoy their trail rides.
We started the day with a Metaphysical Activity Period (MAP) as always, and it was led by Kathleen, our practitioner for the session, on Psalm 23. Did you know that psalms weren’t meant to be read, but instead they were meant for singing and praise? There are literally psalms within the book of Psalms in the Bible that are specifically called ‘praise psalms’ that praise God and all his wondrous works.
So, obviously, we had to write some praise psalms to some cool beats.
Split up by cabin, the five cabins all went about talking about things at camp they would like to praise – their cabin mates, the classes their taking, this gorgeous weather, the fact that they got a good kapers score that day, the way the clouds reflect off the lake – the list was endless.
At the end of the period, all the cabins were able to share their psalms to whatever beat they chose and we were blown away by the way all the campers were able to come together and express their praise for the things they love about camp in so many different languages. Wahalla was able to incorporate “God is Love” into their psalm in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, and Filipino.
And Norman rapped. I don’t know how else to express how great it was other than to say if you’ve never heard a group of boys ages 8-11 beat boxing and rapping about how cool the tire swing is next to the Lodge then you have not lived.
After MAP, campers broke up into their respective classes. Arts & Crafts is working on painting, drawing, sketching, and studying how to draw animals (which was really exciting for everyone that decided to draw their clan animal since tonight was Council Fire). Archery saw quite a few bulls eyes fly into the targets, and the dancers in dance class sure worked up quite a sweat dancing and leaping around.
I’m not a soccer or flag football professional, but the amount of energy bouncing around on the soccer field sure was high, that’s for sure. And there was not a moment that the waterfront was quiet whatsoever. We started with boating, moved on to water sports the next period, and then ended up with a free swim at the end. That Aqua Mat did not get a rest, and the amount of campers sliding down that slide was endless.
It’s remarkable how wonderful some consistent sunshine can lift up the energy of the camp. We do a remarkably wonderful job of making the best of the rain at times, and there are for sure some great water/rainy day sports and activities we have perfected over the years. In fact, I’m pretty sure the mud sports we play on the game field are the most anticipated the moment we see the weather update.
But there’s something about the sunshine that keeps us smiling, keeps us laughing, and keeps us dancing along the path on the way to our next activity.
And tonight, the night of nights, was Second Session’s Council Fire. My goodness, was it a good one. We had some full clans tonight and the logs were packed with new and old members of each clan coming together to cheer on their clan mates in multiple games. We played tug-of-war, sang Dip Dip & Swing as the sun set, and enjoyed a rousing session of Till-Ee-Come to end the night.
Tomorrow we’ll start packing for Overnights, and the day after the campers will be on their way to their respective camping sites and hiking trails! But until then, we’re just enjoying the weather, learning and growing in our classes, and making some lasting memories along the way! We’re looking forward to Testimony Meeting tomorrow night! And a great day before that to keep spreading the love!
– Zoë
Social Media Director/Camp Photographer
zoe@crystallakecamps.org
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