What's Happening at Camp: Great Beginnings

Excitement is in the air. The sounds of Sewataro are back. “Our tribe is red hot. . .”; “a little birdy in the tree said something very true to me. . .”; “Dan, Dan, I caught a fish”; “Who’s got the Green Gizmo?”; “Wheeeeeee!” screamed while coursing down the zipline or, in a slightly different pitch, while running through the Camper Carwash; “Green alligators and long-necked geese”; arrows and paintball smacking their targets; basketballs whishing through nets; soccer balls thumping into goals; “I pledge allegiance to the flag. . .”; “And the Spirit award for the Fox section goes to. . .”

Sewataro is a blend of old and new, tradition and innovation, ritual and improvisation, the timeless and the ephemeral. Those of you who have been here before know how essential to summer are things like the Green Gizmo, catching a fish, hitting a target, scoring a goal, seeing old friends and making new ones, ringing the bell on top of the climbing tower, watching small plantings grow into tomatoes, onions, and peppers and, yes, winning the Spirit or Clean Tent award. Those of you who are new will learn, if you haven’t already, how important these Sewataro things are.

We are off to a great beginning for our 2013 season. Four days of terrific weather with no raindrops falling until the end of our last period on Thursday. Tomorrow’s special event will celebrate the naming of our three sections this year as Fox, Bear, and Eagle. Seen around the camp this week were happy campers. Today the Huron boys caught fish so fast that Dan and his super fishing crew could hardly get them back in the water before another strike. Fourteen to sixteen inch bass were landed by at least four of the Hurons. At tennis, the Seminoles showed great potential on Wednesday under the guidance of our tennis counselors Malcolm and Jenna, progressing quickly on their forehands through ball bounces, rallying with each other, and a game of Champs and Chumps. It doesn’t hurt that their tribe counselor, Katie, is a reigning camp doubles champion. Over at the new garden that has been lovingly designed and carefully planted by Brittany, nearly every tribe is psyched by the mysteries of growth and sustenance. The Chinook have taken a special interest in tending the watermelon, while the Shoshoni have eagerly built a trellis for the raspberries. Down at Street Hockey Alex led the Blackfeet tribe in a spirited game of red vs. blue, capped by the ritual hockey handshake between the two teams, a lesson for all of us in sportsmanship.