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It’s Time for a Shindig!

By Green River Preserve on June 23, 2016

“When is Predator Prey?” If it’s not the first question out of my campers’ mouths when we are getting settled in on Day 1, it’s the second. We have many highly anticipated Evening Programs here at GRP, including Pirate Night, Twinner (twin dinner), Lower and Upper Council Fires, and more. My favorite, though, is the Shindig.

While I do LOVE to dance, and contra dancing is especially fun, Shindig holds a special place in my heart for a different reason. During dinner, a mere hour before Shindig begins, the Lodge echoes with protests of “I don’t dance!” and “I have to dance with GIRLS?” Counselors try to quell insecurities and divert attention to dressing up in our best back-country attire; I like to pull out my especially flowy skirt and dancin’ shoes.

In the end, though, it all comes down to our final rendezvous on the front field. Our caller, Clementine (Program Director Ruby’s twin sister from Tennessee with an accent to boot), assembles the kids and teaches our first dance. Eyes roll, hands are held, and the music begins.

All of a sudden, something switches in even the most skeptical kid’s brain. We dance, we mess up, we laugh, and we get silly. If everyone’s dancing, it’s the cool thing to do! Our top-notch musical accompaniment, an assortment of mentors, counselors, and even a camper or two, plays on while we learn more dances. There’s partner switching, do-si-do-ing, swinging, and sashaying. It’s a howlin’ good time, especially when the “yee-haws!” come out.

-Lauren Betz

Green River Preserve
Green River Preserve

Green River Preserve is a non-competitive, coed summer camp connecting children with nature. Located on a 3,400 acre private wildlife preserve in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina, this extraordinary natural setting inspires campers to have a greater understanding of themselves, their environment, and their fellow man. Designed for bright, curious, and creative children, our program nurtures character development and fosters skills like perseverance, curiosity, communication, optimism, creativity, and GRIT.