Bonding With Counselors

From the moment we open our eyes in the morning and hear the whippoorwhill to the second we close them at night to the sounds of gentle rains, counselors and their campers spend a lot of time together. We wake up in the morning and sing songs about being grateful that we have woken up. Sometimes we moan a little about how early or how cold it is, but with a little prodding from our counselors, we always get out of bed. Then we go to a place where we truly can bond with each other – the Lodge.

The Lodge is where our meals take place, and where we really have time to sit down with each other and feel like a family unit. We pass the food family-style, wait until everyone has been served before we start eating, and respect each other by using our best manners. This has a very homey feel to it. This is also where we ask each other about our days and get to know each other the most by asking the deepest questions such as, “Would you rather give up cheese or chocolate for the rest of your life?”

After the hikes, rest hour, and activities, we have free time. We can do things on our own or together. This gives up the opportunity to hang out as a cabin and bond. Playing music, making friendship bracelets, swimming, and sitting on the grassy hill by the lake are great ways for campers and counselors to bond while still being in the middle of all the free time action. Cabin time is also optimal bonding time. Games like apples to apples and Bananagrams are brought out and many laughs can be heard throughout the “Villes” (Girlsville and Boysville).

At the end of the night, Rose, Bud, Thorn is the perfect way to end the day. We each take turns telling each other about our days. Our roses were our favorite parts of the day. Our buds are something that we are looking forward to about tomorrow, and our thorns are something that might not have gone so well. By sharing all of this, we can feel closer to our cabin mates and counselors.

Through all of these things, we become close to our friends, cabin mates, and people leading us through our weeks here at camp. They become our friends, our confidants, and our guides. We begin to trust them and look up to them, and we know that we can always count on them, which is very important while we’re at camp. That creates the safe feeling that makes Green River Preserve feel like home.

Erin
WW1