What a whirlwind of activity the past few days at Camp have been! A magical evening of song, dance, and ceremony kicked off our weekend on Friday night as the entire Camp witnessed dances in the Bighouse, the capstone event of our Native Cultural Activities program. The Mountaineers and Troubadours premiered the dances and songs they have been learning all session long, leading off a beautiful program that showcased North Coast dancing, music, dress, masks, folklore, and stories.
The Troubadours’ entrance dance in the Bighouse introduced the dances with grace, color, and beauty.
Saturday was Anchor Day, complete with all the special, once-a-week activities that day entails. But it was also Visitors’ Weekend! On Saturday and Sunday, we welcomed a total of 275 visitors to Johns Island. Our campers loved seeing their family and friends and giving them tours of the island, their units, and their favorite departments and activities. Camp was abuzz with the sounds of excitement and laughter throughout the weekend!
Visitors’ Weekend was a wonderful time for campers and families alike – though it was hard to say goodbye at the end of the day!
After our visitors departed on Saturday evening, it was time for Opry House. Our drama instructor and young dramatists have worked diligently for the past three weeks preparing skits and monologues for the event. Two stages were set up, including our “Hidden Hollow” area in the forest, which was draped with twinkling fairy lights for an enchanting effect. All of our performers were outstanding, and the whole Camp enjoyed a fantastic evening of poetry, drama, and comedy.
Our young actors put on an incredible show at Opry House.
Sunday morning brought with it the departure of our Forester and Voyageur units on their Little Big Trips! Similar to our Big Trips, the Little Bigs leave Camp for four nights, and participants embark on adventures in biking, sailing, and alpine backpacking. While these middle units have been out of Camp, the other campers have been busy as well, enjoying special activities including Coffee House, which was hosted last night by the Troubadours. It was a wonderful evening of live music, sophisticated refreshments, and magical “Garden Party” decorations. What a weekend!
This afternoon, all the campers prepared to leave for their final overnight trip of the session. When they return tomorrow, preparations will already be underway for Olympic Games, Art Night, and Banquet. There’s so much fun left in store for this last week of First Session!