The Siren: June 28, 2023
We often get asked what we do on the weekends at camp, and people are generally befuddled when they hear that Tuesday is (typically) our weekend. Cruiser Days, which regularly take place on Tuesdays, offer a break from our regular programming and allow campers to enjoy cabin-based activities on a more relaxed schedule. Yesterday was a great first Cruiser Day!
Cruiser Days begin with a leisurely breakfast featuring mouth watering donuts, fresh fruits, and a variety of cereals served in a come-as-you-are morning picnic. Following the meal, each cabin embarks on an extensive cabin cleanup, doing a deep clean and mopping their cabins. Once the chores are complete, it’s time to dive into the activities planned for the day.
The boys work together as cabinmates and counselors to plan a wide range of activities for their Cruiser Day. These options span from the familiar camp favorites to exciting and whimsical adventures, including slip-and-slide bowling, camp-wide treasure hunts, cookie baking, paracord bracelet making, Musky Fun (where they can canoe for candy and snacks), and tubing on the lake.
Our Intermediate Village Campers had their Village Cruiser Day yesterday, where all of the cabins go together on an excursion. They went to Wild Mountain Water Park where they had a blast on the big slides, go karts, alpine slides and the lazy river.
The day ends with each cabin gathering at their own campfire site to prepare a delectable campfire dinner. Tonight’s culinary delight was a North Star classic: Tin Foil Surprise. This delightful meal involves combining potatoes, carrots, onions, ground beef, and cheese, wrapping them in tin foil, and cooking them to perfection. The result is a mouthwatering feast!. And, of course, s’mores for dessert.
Cruiser Days hold a special place in the hearts of campers and staff alike. These breaks from the routine for cabin-based adventures, agency in planning, and extra time with their counselors serve to create unforgettable memories.
Today started the 1st day of our second week of programming. Campers chose a new set of activities on Monday and Glick built out a fresh program for them all to enjoy. Today was a little damp with drizzle sprinkled in, but it didn’t stop the kids from having a great time. Speaking of weather, we’ve had some questions about the wildfire smoke and wanted to let you know that we’ve been closely monitoring the air quality situation. I spoke with the Health Department today and they feel that this is a very safe situation for our campers. We are lucky to be in a place with tremendous baseline air quality and limited pollution, and thankfully even when other places throughout the midwest have been under severe conditions, the Hayward area has been relatively lucky, primarily remaining in the moderate category.
Tonight, we all gathered inside Mike Hall for Open Mic Night! We saw musical talent, singing, dancing, comedy, skits and more as our courageous campers voluntarily took the stage to strut their stuff. We love celebrating our campers variety of strengths, and this was a great showcase. Cabins S-4 and I-5 left on their respective trips this morning and cabin I-6 departs tomorrow.
Today’s Grace:
– John Stuart Mill
“Those only are happy who have their minds fixed on some object other than their own happiness; on the happiness of others, on the improvement of mankind, even on some art or pursuit, followed not as a means, but as itself an ideal end. Aiming thus at something else, they find happiness by the way.”
