Camp Birchmont
Monthly Archives: July 2021
Week 4, But There’s So Much More…
Birchmont in the Rain, We Love You Just The Same
We have had our share of stormy skies and spotty showers but we have not let some wet weather dampen our spirits. Our white-water rafting trip on the mighty Kennebec River had enough adventure to keep our whole upper camp engaged for 2 days in the wilderness lodge property we rented just for our campers. The vaccinated guides were true pros and helped our staff and campers tackle Class IV rapids, under blue skies, mountain scenery, and bright sunshine.
Our Pioneers and Explores had the camp to themselves with some home-grown special events like late night glow in the dark mini golf, Hawaiian 🌺 Luaus, Limbo at the waterfront, and tented camp out overnights in our Orchard. The boys woke up to a light drizzle so their cookout breakfast will be re-scheduled but the girls were luckier with a foggy morning where Melissa Head of Girls Camp, Harris, our Athletic Director and myself grilling up “bird in the nest” breakfasts that the kids said they would try at home, so easy and delish on an outdoor griddle or inside kitchen.
Our Blue and White Day was a camp-wide affair full of spirit and sportsmanship. Every group competed in virtually every activity with loads of effort and fun. The Blue Team was behind all day only to pull out a victory in the running relay marathon and tug of war. They probably heard the cheers all the way across the lake when Greg announced a Blue Team Win…Never underestimate an under-dog!
Today we hosted our annual Chess Tournament with 32 participants in a single elimination touch/move battle with the final round being played tomorrow at Rest Hour on the Directors Cottage patio.
And did I mention we have hatched a huge clutch of baby quail that we are handling and will release in the Orchard later this summer.
We are looking forward to our always popular Hoe-Down. The food, ( Kitty’s fried chicken, biscuits, pickles and root beer ) the country western band, the games, the mechanical bull riding, Greg’s wagon hay rides, Martine’s pony rides, face painting, and western dancing all help make this a beloved Birchmont outdoor event. If you see your kids in freckles, braids and bandanas, you’ll know what’s going on.
We have been raspberry picking, water-skiing, fishing, cooking, kayaking, sailing, swinging from the trees, and we are healthy and happy as can be.
We are almost half way done but with a whole lot more fun to come.
We’re All Here, And Ready to Roll!
We have begun, and we have begun well!
After careful testing and monitoring, we have gotten back our 3rd PCR batch of tests, and happy to report we are all negative for COVID!This is great peace of mind, and we will be able to relax and ease into enjoying our bubble of wellness here at camp.
We’ve had some hot weather to start camp, but nothing was melting but our ice cream. The kids held up well and enjoyed our double swim days at the lake. Then a few days of rain followed and we are proud of our campers who are resilient, settling into cabins and becoming fully engaged in camp life. It is fitting that as we celebrate our country’s Independence Day, we celebrate our campers becoming more independent too.
We have gotten so much done already… campers are passing swim laps, horses are jumping, potters wheels are going, our tennis courts and fields are full, friendships are being formed, memories are being made as campers begin to think not so much about parents and pets left at home, but are allowing themselves to open up and enjoy this new experience that is the camp summer of 2021.
Our Pioneer Groups have been tubing at sunset, our upper and lower camps have begun their Club Nights, and we hosted our first DJ Social last night. We had our Opening Firelight ceremonies, boys in the Orchard Overlook and Girls at the Notches candlelight areas. We established goals for the summer, and welcomed everybody, new and old, as we sat around our roaring campfires. The girls’ firelight broke out into an impromptu dance party under the stars as we promised to hold each other in high regard, no matter where we came from before this first night of camp. For now we are all part of a big Birchmont family, with lots of fun in front of us.
At Quiet Hour this morning, Greg talked a bit about not being afraid to fail at camp. How simple and empowering it really is to change the mind set of “I Can’t” to “I Could if I…”
His examples seemed to resonate as campers began to realize that it’s true, “I Could If I” is a powerful little key to unlock the door of self-doubt so many children let get in their way of trying new things, or mastering new skills. Attitude is a young learner’s most precious resource.
It’s true that much has felt out of our control in this strange year; we can’t control the uncontrollable…but we can control our attitude, We share with our campers that YOU choose your attitude every day. You can control that.
Try waterskiing, paddle boarding, toss the ball high to serve, unfurl a sail, catch the fly ball, ride the horse, shoot an arrow, hang from a harness and fly through the trees… Everything is here waiting for our campers to try. Tonight we will have our 4th of July festivities with races, make your own sundaes, tug of war, and next week we look forward to our full day of spirited camp wide competition for Blue and White Day, our tented overnights and cookout breakfast for the Explorers, Rail Trail hikes and more. Make no mistake, although we are organized, and we have to be to ensure smooth sailing for many people, we will prioritize joy over efficiency, because especially this summer, we all need to maximize joy, and connectedness.
Charles Eliot, the past President of Harvard had put it another way; he said back in 1869, “The organized summer camp is the most important step in education that America has given the world.”
We couldn’t agree more, and we’re so happy to be learning and loving our summer amidst the mountains, lake, fields and forests that are Camp Birchmont in New Hampshire.
