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An Unforgettable Session One

By Brandon Marshall on June 16, 2018

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"You can trust us to stick with you through thick and thin--to the bitter end. And you can trust us to keep any secret of yours--closer than you keep it yourself. But you cannot trust us to let you face trouble alone, and go off without a word. We are your friends...” ― J.R.R. Tolkien

The first week of camp always seems to fly by. At points, time seems to stretch a bit and there’s the feeling that it’s not actually going to end, but then it does and those moments are lost in the chaos. Is it possible to memorize the names of every single camper in five days? Totally. Could we be so fortunate to have an entire camp session without rain? You know it. Even with all of the luck in the world, is it even remotely likely that our one-weekers would get a Grand Slam? Not really, but guess what–it happened!

It’s always surprising to experience the brief but everlasting impact of session 1 at the Preserve, and what an unforgettable week it was. On top of all the polar bearers, all of the spicy oregano challenges, and the myriad of friendships made, we had a Grand Slam! This means that within the five days of camp, we had both campers and staff witness a black bear, a rattlesnake, turkeys and a lone buck!

You might ask, how do we end the perfect camp experience? With the reverence and tranquility of the Wish Boat Ceremony, of course! With Jonathan, Farmer Phil, Avery and Katie playing into dusk, our campers sent their wishes into the universe, in the form of candles on the lake.

After many goodbyes, we are now in preparation for the next camp session, to begin tomorrow!

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