Summer Blog Post July 6th

Happy Anyday!

After two days of special events, we are finally back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Yesterday was Carnival in the Dome! We started the day with an indulgent 10 am breakfast, meaning reveille was at 9:30 instead of our usual 7:50. As upper staff, we spent all morning decorating, coordinating, and organizing what would become our first true special event day of the summer. The campers had a super clean up in their cabins and then joined us in the Dome to set up their Carnival booths.

Carnival started right after lunch. There were inflatable bounce houses on the cadet lawn and in the pool. Treats included Rita’s water ice, soft pretzels, cotton candy, and popcorn. Booths (run by individual cabins) included a bean bag toss, hair braiding, face painting, bowling, a marshmallow race, and Questions with the Cubs, where our youngest 7 year old boy campers shared wisdom on any and all subjects (Jesse asked for some career counseling and they advised that he should become a gymnast and grow a mustache.) There was even a dunk tank where campers could dunk their favorite counselors and upper staff.

Last year, Carnival was the first day that I remember really feeling like I was missing out on something special that summer. I don’t think I had realized that camp wasn’t just sports, outdoors, and living without air conditioning – it was actually a lot of fun. I am so grateful that this year, I got to experience Carnival in person. It lived up to all of my expectations.

After dinner, we had our first dance of the season! Campers dressed up and gathered on the basketball court with a DJ to dance the night away. Jacob Gladstone and Nikki Weitzman were crowned this year’s Carnival King and Queen.

The past two days have been so much fun and full of so many unique adventures. I think all of us are ready for a little normalcy in our routine as we get back into the swing of things. Who know what next big event might be on the horizon…