What could be in the plastic bags?!?
Greetings, everyone! Cara B. here with a super exciting update as staff training draws to a close.
A lot has happened since we last spoke. Firstly, we have AWACs!! our 10 fabulous AWACs arrived throughout the day yesterday and we are so excited to have them. They spent the day getting to know each other and talking about their special role in cabin life. Last night, they enjoyed a campfire and s’mores and slept over in the Foothills dance studio. This afternoon, they will receive their cabin assignments and move in with their co-counselors!
Yesterday, counselors were busy continuing prep in different areas around camp. There was a mountain biking drill in the morning and a drill up at the ropes course in the afternoon- both went absolutely swimmingly. Speaking of swimming, some lifeguards were down at the lake preparing for windsurfing and boating classes! How fun does that sound?
After a long day of class and cabin preparations, counselors and AWACs gathered in the dining hall for the staff training lobster banquet! There was delicious lobster for all and chicken parm or spanakopita for non-crustacean eaters. When everyone was finished with dinner, something peculiar happened. The dining hall was hushed by a whistle from Chris, one of our head cooks. Meg and Sandia (adorned in their cow suits,) wheeled out a cart containing plastic bags, their contents a mystery for anyone new to HVC. They were silent, and staff stared in awe, confused by the lack of table-pounding and screaming that usually accompanies this point in the evening. Once Meg and Sandia returned to the kitchen, the noise started slowly. The rumble of hands hitting tables and voices yelling for ice cream grew, and soon the dining hall roared for the tasty treat. Soon, Meg and Sandia returned with Ben & Jerry’s for everyone, the perfect ending to the amazing meal. Staff gave the kitchen staff a huge cheer for the amazing meals they cooked us this summer before we headed off for our final staff training evening program- Pine Grove.
Pine Grove is a super special camp spot at the top of Tipi Hill where we open and close each session. Staff walked up Tipi Hill guided by torch light (there is no technology up at Pine Grove- not even flashlights!) to share camp songs, stories, and poetry by the fire. It was a wonderful way to reflect on the past few weeks and remind ourselves that we are all here to support each other.
Today is a big one, the final day before arrival day! This morning counselors chaperoning bus trips were sent off to their collection destinations in Boston and New York. Counselors on camp will continue to prep their cabins with a big clean, bunk tags, a welcome sign, and more! Counselors have created some fantastic themes for their cabins:
Wombles Pirates
Down Under the Sea
Avalon Aliens
Pawuatahnee (Cats and Dogs)
Gimme Shelter Guardians
The Burrow Busy Bees
Loons Spoons
Shangri-Lahbstahs
Atlantis Dinosaurs
LCH Lotsa Chickens
Chateau Fiasco Noir Films
French 1/4 Fromage (cheese!)
Fiddlers Green Gardens of the Galaxy
Valhalla Velociraptors
Camelot Candyland
Treasure Island Deep Sea Divers
Wabanaki Wizards
Haley’s Comet Starry Night
Forbidden Planet Forbidden Mittens
Taj Mahal Moons
Awesome! Some campers have already arrived with their amazing pro-staff parents, and more will be arriving this evening from the Portland airport. It really feels like summer now that camp is filling up with incredible campers! Mama Iguana and I are SO excited for arrival day tomorrow and for the summer to officially begin. Stay tuned for lots of arrival day updates tomorrow including front yard activities and opening night skits. For now, enjoy some photos from the lobster banquet and of our lovely AWACS!
Climbing away,
Cara B. Ner