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Celebration

By Green River Preserve on July 04, 2017

Campers woke up this morning well-rested from a rigorous game of Capture the Flag last night, complete with a firework show to celebrate the Fourth of July as the two sides (that is, the British and the Americans, of course) sat down together and ended the night with another round of Sisters, Brothers. This morning, there are still traces of red, white, and blue paint visible on many campers’ faces and arms, overlooked remnants of the festivities that filled the day before.

Although yesterday was a day of explicit celebration, centered around a national holiday with its own distinct traditions (and, in the morning, an impromptu yet rousing camp-wide rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner), the overarching sentiments of joy and festivity that permeated the air yesterday were not, in GRP’s world, unique ones. Yes, they took the form of red, white, and blue warpaint, of USA banners in the lodge and patriotic popsicles for dessert, but these symbols of celebration were just one of its many manifestations here at base camp.

Every day at GRP is a day worthy of celebrating, regardless of the weather, the evening program, or any particularly exciting occurrences that happen throughout the day. GRP chases these feelings of happiness and unabashed joy that so often accompany celebration, constantly promoting a style of living that bursts at the seams with excitement for life. This, perhaps, is why lunch and dinner announcements are so often punctuated by calls to “stand up and be recognized.” Campers stand, whether for catching a rainbow trout in the trout pond, Polar Bearing at Uncles’, or reaching the top of the rock tower, and they receive celebration for their accomplishments. Even the smallest accomplishments are worth rejoicing over, and we at the Preserve, given the opportunity, find a very distinct joy in celebrating not just the earth on which we live, but the campers who experience so much growth during their time here.

Katherine Poore
Photos by Brandon S. Marshall & Samantha J. Keebler

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.