Departure Day :(
It’s Departure Day and that means families across the country, and a few other across the world, will once again be reunited with their campers!
We had an early wake up at 5AM, and met in the dining hall for a 5:15 light breakfast as the Portchester/New Haven and Newton buses were getting loaded in the front yard. But, before we made it to this point, we did some cool things over the course of the week:
On the last class day of the session, class day 7, we had a wonderful Sharing Night, where we got to see all the cool skits and presentations the campers, along with their counselors, had prepared for us! This is a time where we make sense of what each class is about and what the campers have been learning in each period. Our junior lifeguards also took a trip to Belfast for a little cooling swim in the ocean!
The following day was a Lazy Day and the campers were treated to a day out to the movie cinema. On their return, we all met up at the rec hall and sat down to watch the first session musical — Seussical! — it was a day of lights, cameras, and action! The cast and crew all did an amazing job at bringing Dr Seuss’ magical world to life right in front of our very eyes.
The next morning we had Fair Day! This day, like every other Fair Day over the years, kicked off with the early morning Fun Run. The runners start at the top of the camp road intersection right after morning meeting starts in the front yard, and they run all the way down the road, down to the office where they are met by the entire camp, cheering them on as they cross the finish line.
After this morning run, we head back to our cabins for a short resting period and reconvene at the basketball courts for the Campers v Counselors Basketball game! This year’s game was no different to previous years — it was full of passion, full of 3-pointers, and full of energy! The campers brought their A-game as they walked away with full bragging rights by claiming a 26-25 victory!
At the end of the game we proceeded to the Fair, which went on throughout the day, all this while the Art Show is happening at the Hilton Hitching Post and stained glass studio. We saw a ton of great artworks made by campers, artworks such as paintings, darkroom photography prints, wood projects, glass projects, collages, and wonderfuly collated zines!
At the end of Fair Day, we shared a final dance together at the Fair Day Dance.
The following day was a busy one too as this was Packing Day! It was all hands on deck as we had to pack up all our belongings, clean up our cabins, collect our missing belongings from the lost and found box, collect all our art projects, and get ready for departure day! In the afternoon, we were saddled up and holding tight to our reins for the first session Brumby Show. We witnessed cool tricks and jumps and were graced with a visit by a unicorn!
We then met at the dining hall for our final dinner together at HVC, and what better way to share a last meal than with a Lobster Banquet!
And at the end of the day, we all relaxed, took deep breaths, and walked up to our final evening programme of the session — ending the session the same way we started it — Pinegrove!
We had a wonderful four weeks with everyone at HVC and wish everyone safe travels. Enjoy the rest of summer and 2025, from our cabin to yours, we will see you in 2026!
