A Testament to How Great Our Campers Are

By Sara Schmidt on July 25, 2013

 

 

This two week session is FLYING BY.  I know it’s only Thursday of the first week, but that’s CRAZY.  Campout is almost here!!  It’s a testament to how great our campers are and how jam packed and fun the camp schedule is that time goes so quickly.  

Today, campers took their mentor hikes (no grand slaminal sightings today), ate lunch, went to activities, ate dinner, and are now at lower council fire.   Evening Programs are my favorite part of the day – the whole camp joins together for an activity.  The camp grows together, learns together, plays together, and laughs together during this magical time.  

 

 

 

Our first Evening Program is a huge tradition at GRP – Upper Council Fire.  UCF is reserved for opening and closing nights, both extremely important in their own right.  There, campers learn about the purpose of GRP – to conserve and teach about the beauty of nature, sing songs, and hear stories.  Sometimes, like on Tuesday night, we get rained on together.  For Predator Prey, our first evening program, we all set out into the woods in our best camouflage and face paint, hoping to survive the night without being eaten or contracting DDT.  Soon after we left, the sky betrayed us and rain poured down. 

 

I’ll be honest, I underestimated our campers.  I thought there would be complaints about having to play in the rain, but they surprised me.  It was one of the most fun Predator Preys I’d ever taken part in, partly because the kids were so joyful even in a compromising situation that many others would not have enjoyed.  On Wednesday, campers enjoyed the SHINDIG, a huge camp-wide dance thrown line-dance style.  Tonight, campers will be captivated by stories, music, performances, and skits at the Lower Council Fire. 

Whether Evening Programs are serious or lighthearted, outside or indoors, active or not, they are a magical part of camp.  Whether we’re learning about the importance of avoiding chemicals like DDT and their harmful effects on animals or singing Wagon Wheel, I love being surrounded by some of the best campers in the world to end my day. 

-Z

Sara Schmidt
Sara Schmidt

Sara Schmidt serves as the Administrative Director and Registrar for Green River Preserve. She is excited to be part of the GRP family in her role which focuses on “all things camper.” Her primary responsibilities include camper registration and billing, camper retention, and the GRP Camp Store. Sara also serves as the Editor of Green River Preserve’s seasonal newsletter, Whispers From The Preserve, and she manages the camper scholarship committee. Her newest endeavor is to help build GRP’s Annual Fund and partnership program.