2nd Session has begun!
The second session of the Summer of 2013 has begun! Just from the bus ride, it was easy to tell what a great group of boys that were making their way to camp. The boys, both new and returning, were willing to shake the hand of a new a acquaintance, introduce themselves and become fast friends. We really do have the nicest boys in the world. And when the buses arrived at camp, they were greeted by 90 giddy staff members with the same the same demeanor. After the enthusiastic welcome, the staff all began to shake the hands of the campers to learn about all these great kids, find out who they are and where they come from, and what their interests are. As we announced cabin assignments around the flagpole, the counselors’ enthusiasm was again on display. This mix of compassion and enthusiasm helped make for a fantastic first session, and I know your sons will love these guys.
The campers are now unpacking and all of the new campers are getting tours of camp. The staff are running games so that they can all of the campers can learn each others names. At 6:15pm we will have a delicious dinner of hamburgers and fries. The food this summer has been fantastic, and we’re looking forward to a great dinner and many more great meals. After dinner, each camper will sign up for his first week of activities. He will get a list of about 100 activities, and, with the guidance of his counselors, he’ll narrow it down to six.
Tonight each cabin is playing in challenge games with another cabin, which will be followed by our traditional opening candlelight ceremony. As is tradition, the counselors will lead a cabin meeting that includes further introductions, goal-setting and sharing everyone’s expectations for the summer. The candlelight ceremony is part of the team-building process at camp, which the counselors continue to develop all summer long.
Tomorrow we get right to it. The kids will get checked out by our medical staff, take their swim test, and play several games of continuous dodgeball. The 8-weekers will he headed out on some great day trips. Evening program will be our first game of All-Camp Capture the Flag. And on Tuesday, we’ll be right into regular activities. The boys will have their first three instructional periods that they chose tonight.
It’s the fun that causes the summer to fly by so fast, but it’s the great people we have at North Star that makes it such a special place. I look forward to seeing friendships form and strengthen throughout the next four weeks. I look forward to the boys learning new skills, and from those skills learning self-confidence, hard work and teamwork. And as we discussed at our visiting weekend Friday Night Service, I look forward to seeing this great group of campers and staff continue to teach one another about the meaning of positive character and values.
FOLLOW CAMP ONLINE
From here on out, you can follow along with the summer of 2013 on our website at www.NorthStarCamp.com/blog. We will also be posting updates on Facebook at www.facebook.com/northstarcampforboys and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/northstarcamp.
We post pictures online on a regular basis, and you can access those directly from your CampInTouch page. To access your CampInTouch page, go to www.northstarcamp.com and click “login” in the upper right hand corner. From there you can click on “Photos” to see those smiling faces. If you’d like to set up guest accounts for friends or family you can do that from your landing page by clicking on “Guest Accounts.”
Thank you for trusting us with your boys. We are psyched for a great second session of the Summer of 2013!
Thanks,
-Andy