First Session is coming to an end here on Johns Island, but several special and memorable events over the past few days have helped all of us bring closure to what has been a wonderful session.
Olympic Games are filled with color, excitement, and teamwork for the whole camp.
On Thursday and Friday, Olympic Games competitions gave our campers the chance to band together by color teams and participate in unique challenges together. Campers from every unit were divided into Blue and Red teams, complete with team captains, team mascots, team cheers, and more.
As points were awarded for the teams’ performances at various Olympic-themed competitions (such as land-based synchronized swimming), Blue and Red remained neck and neck. It was anyone’s game to win – and through a series of silly skits, our staff found creative ways of announcing the scores as they were tallied.
The Blue Team cheered their way on to an ultimate victory at the end of Olympic Games.
Throughout the games, special events filled our evenings. On the first night, the traditional camp salmon bake brought everyone down to the bluff above South Beach to enjoy a delicious salmon dinner. Some campers brought their cook kits – and some gathered driftwood from the beach to use as plates and serving platters. A few intrepid campers and staff even found extra long pieces of wood that they used to serve multiple people!
After the salmon bake, Art Night dazzled everyone with presentations of the projects that campers have made at the Craft Shop. Games, performance art, and a fashion show gave us multiple opportunities to appreciate the many talents that our campers have put to good use in the Craft Shop this session.
The Red Team performed their original team cheers with confidence and spirit!
On Friday morning, Red and Blue team leaders hosted a joint Chapel based around the themes of respect and leadership. Our reflections from this last Chapel service helped us to focus on the most important aspects of competition as we moved into the final segments of Olympic Games.
The Games culminated on Friday evening with Banquet, Musicale, captains’ speeches, and team songs. Everyone came to Banquet wearing their very best, and the Islanders and Wayfarers gallantly served the meal to all the tables. After enjoying a festive feast, campers and staff alike took part in the Banquet tradition of writing and passing notes throughout the Lodge. We then transitioned into Musicale, where the presentations of lovely music, amusing skits, and unusual skills reminded us again of how many talented campers we have among us!
It’s been a wonderful month with our First Session campers!
Musicale also contained the final segments of Olympic Games: team songs and captains’ speeches. Both Red and Blue Teams performed their assigned and self-selected songs with creative choreography, smiling faces, and a lot of heart. Similarly, the team captains all expressed love, joy, and deep gratitude to the camp community for the memories and experiences they are taking with them as they leave.
At the end of the night, the Blue Team was announced as this year’s Olympic Games winner. But as we joined arms and sang together “The Golden Day is Dying” one last time, we were reminded of the ties we have to one another, special ties that endure beyond competition – and beyond the end of camp. It’s hard to believe that our First Session campers will be leaving tomorrow morning, but all of us are confident that this summer will live on in our hearts well beyond the goodbyes we exchange for now.