We are safe and sound here and Agawak. The last 48 hours have been filled with a mix of emotions due to a tragic incident at Greenwoods Camp for Boys. Many of you are already aware that a 15 year old boy drowned during an organized evening swim.  My heart sank when I heard the news. I am deeply saddened by this heartbreaking news. My thoughts and prayers are with all the families, friends and Greenwoods Camps that have been affected by this devastating news. All of us here will continue to pray for all those that are forever impacted.

On Wednesday morning, after Flagpole, I held the entire staff back and sent the campers up to breakfast.  We informed the staff of the drowning and reiterated our waterfront rules and procedures. As expected the staff was silent and now more than ever feel a greater weight upon their shoulders.  The incident at Camp Greenwoods reminds all of us in the camping community the grand responsibility we take on day after day. All of us here , who know Dayna Hardin, pass along hope, courage and strength to her and her staff.

Directly after breakfast campers remained in the lodge. I shared with them the drowning incident. I let them know it was a 15-year-old boy from Buffalo Grove, IL. and told them we would have counselors available to talk with anyone affected once the name was released. Tomorrow morning, I will release the name. Please know we are here for your daughters physically, mentally and emotionally.

Although we do not have organized night swims here at Agawak we do have our morning Lake Swim which occurs once per session. The safety procedures for the Lake Swim begin well before they enter the water. Campers are tested for endurance prior to the event.  The swim is conducted in the early morning before boaters enter the water.  Counselors swim across with a small group of campers, boats and kayaks with life jackets and walkie-talkies line the right and left side of all swimmers until they safely enter the swim area.  Each camper is assigned a number written on their shoulder in black. Campers are crossed off when they shout out their number entering the swim area.  No camper is allowed to swim the lake without the endurance they need to complete the task. If any camper begins to look slightly tired they are instructed to get in the boat and may not reenter the water.  I want all of my parents to know every measure is taken to insure the girl’s safety on the water as well as on land. We will continue to be diligent.

Last night’s evening program was Project Runway.  Just like the show, Project Runway, campers were given two different colored plastic table clothes and two sets of string to dress their counselors up for the runway show. Happy Camper Hall was transformed into a high fashion runway with campers sitting on either side of the “cat walk.”

Counselors, dressed head to toe in plastic table clothes, walked down the runway one by one and showed off their handmade outfits. The counselors did a terrific job displaying their outfits, designed by their campers, and had to explain to the camp where they were going in these outfits. Our three finalists were: Dana G., Jessica F. and Steph C. Dana dressed up in a pink and yellow dress and explained that she was MP’s secret admirer. She even sang a song about him and read an excerpt from her diary! You could hear the campers laughing from a mile away. Jessica dressed up in a blue table cloth with a black belt and claimed to be the famous Oprah Winfrey. One of her famous lines included, “You get a camp! You get a camp! You get a camp! And a full staff!” She truly embodied Oprah and looked fabulous.

 Steph Crow walked the catwalk and was ready to go to her high school prom. Her campers even added special designer techniques to the dress which made it look extra beautiful. Cabin Y, Oakwood and 12 received 100 Agawak dollars for their counselor’s winnings. Overall, this night was truly entertaining and a camp favorite.

Daniella Mayer and Beth Grosky, our evening program coordinators, always put on a creative and amusing evening program for the entire camp to enjoy. I am grateful for their leadership.

This afternoon campers get to “bust” out of camp for the afternoon and head to town. Then most of camp will enjoy pizza in the park before we head to the Minocqua bat ski show.  We will then board the bus back to camp to get a good night’s rest before another full day of fun. With tomorrow being a half-staff day, the campers will enjoy a day full of alternative programming. And, if I heard correctly, campers will be finding out which Final Four team they are on in the morning. But shhhh, I probably wasn’t supposed to tell!

Until Tomorrow…..

Mary and Staff