First, we get to report that everyone tested negative for Covid! We received yesterday’s test results late last night, which allows us to move into our second phase of our Covid-prevention plans, including individual choice activities beginning on Saturday. For our vaccinated campers, this means no more drooling from here on out. Our next round of SHIELD testing will be on Saturday.
In other news, an overnight rain gave way to a beautiful day in the Northwoods today, and it’s hard to beat the enthusiasm of an 80-degree day with puddles to play in. In the afternoon we had our first challenge games where one representative from each cabin goes in front of camp at announcements and challenges another cabin to a game or an activity. The boys love this opportunity to speak in front of the whole crowd and put their humor on display. After the roasting, the boys proceed to the fun of playing the games, but today some of the boys played those games a bit differently. Soccer involved some puddle jumping and volleyball had some mud slinging, all with very dirty and very happy boys.
This evening, we began our Green-White festivities for the year with the announcement of teams for our first year campers. Campers are placed on Green-White teams during their first summer and those teams remain for the remainder of their North Star careers. Regular competitions, Green-White Series, the Green-White Marathon, games of All-Camp Capture the Flag, the Camper-Counselor Hunt, the Dodgeball Extravaganza and many more great activities will be a part of our ongoing Green-White competition through the summer.
Whether it’s challenge games, Green-White, or any other activities in which we compete, our philosophy on competition remains a core tenet of our life at camp. At its simplest, our expectations for how people should treat each other do not change during a sporting event or another competition. It is possible to compete hard and be kind at the same time, especially at camp. We ask the boys to remember that they are playing with their friends - they are their friends before the game, during the game, and everyone should behave in such a way that they continue to be friends after the game. In practice, that means supporting each other, teammate or opponent, both through their successes and their failures.
Before the day was really underway, cabins S-1, S-2 and I-6 departed on their camping trips. The boys who recently completed 8th grade embarked on their hiking trips on the Superior Hiking Trail, while I-6 (recently completed 6th grade) left for their canoe trip on the Flambeau River.
Yesterday, our Pine Manor campers (recently completed 9th grade) left on their Western adventure through the Badlands, the Grand Tetons, Custer State Park, Mt. Rushmore with hiking, whitewater rafting and more. The first reports from the trip were ecstatic, with plenty of bison among the beautiful sights they’ve already seen. We look forward to sharing more about this cool trip!
