Much has been happening in the past few days at camp! On Friday night, Owatonna hosted a "hoe-down" social. Cowboys, cowgirls, cowhands, and even cows (check out the photos to see for yourselves!) all came to Owatonna to dance. Besides the requisite music and dancing, there was also water balloon tossing, lassoing a "wild steer" (a bench with horns), badminton, hay rides, and other games. Friday night socials are always a favorite evening activity, and this was was as good as they come!
On Saturday, camp clean-up at both camps was followed by team afternoon. At Newfound the girls played Stratego, a team game that combines both speed and strategy. At Owatonna, the junior division competed in ultimate Frisbee while the seniors played basketball. Another Saturday tradition at both camps is CONGO BARS. Newfound sings for theirs by table at dinner, while Owatonna teams compose songs and perform their songs after lunch. The Owatonna kitchen staff "judges" them--the winning team gets to receive their treats first! To listen to some of these songs, check out the "Owatonna videos" section of the photos on our website. You'll be impressed with the creativity of the campers (and counselors, too)!
This morning, a combined 40 campers from Newfound and Owatonna got up at five in the morning and swam from the center of Harrison back to the Newfound canoe beach. They do this so early in the morning so they are swimming when the lake is still--no waves and no boats (except for our fleet of kayaks, canoes, and Whalers to support the swimmers). This two mile-long swim is a great accomplishment for the campers, and they are rewarded for their efforts by huge cinnamon buns when then get out of the water back at Newfound.
Later in the day today, five Newfound campers and five Owatonna campers headed to Camp Takajo for a co-ed climbing competition. Our campers were stellar! The combined Newfound-Owatonna team placed first overall after the day-long competition. Meanwhile, at another nearby camp, ten Owatonna boys played in a U11 street hockey match. Like their climbing counter-parts, the U11 boys came away with a 6-1 victory. Swimming, climbing, and street hockey--sports, yes, but most importantly, these campers felt satisfied with their efforts because they were able to support one another, focus on teamwork, and express humility throughout each of the events.
This final week of first session will be filled with fun, full days. We'll keep you updated through photos, blogs, and maybe even song about the fun we're having.
