Where has the first week of second session gone? On Monday we said good-bye to our CITs who headed out on their boundary water canoe trip.  Now 6 days later, all of them have arrived safely back at the Gunflint base camp.  They were eager to take showers and everyone enjoyed a hot lasagna dinner.  Sunday, they will rise and shine and board the bus back to camp and we will greet them with wide open arms and lots of Camp Agawak hugs sometime around 3 PM.  

This past weeks activities consisted of a sign-up, 3 days of non-stop activity days, tubing, waterfront fun, a social, a few Blue and White games and a silly PA pageant.  On Friday, the rain came in and took us indoors but it did not dampen our spirits.   Our PAs led “Say What karaoke”  (in the absence of our CIT’s).  I was impressed with their leadership and their willingness to “take charge”.  Happy Camper Hall was “on fire” that night as campers danced the night away.  The next morning, flagpole was filled with hoarse campers who could barley speak. A week without the CITs gives our second oldest campers the opportunity to shine and demonstrate their leadership skills which were in full swing. 

We celebrated Camp Kindness Day this morning. The entire camp was engaged in various activities that took them throughout camp and together we helped spread the “kindness matters” theme.   On the beach front lawn campers attentively listened as Iris and I read the book, “Each Kindness” out-loud.  It’s a wonderful book which contains a powerful message.  Campers shared stories of times when someone was not nice to them. We talked about how it made them feel. Then, campers took turns sharing stories about a time when someone else’s kindness had a positive impact on them.  Throughout the morning, cabin groups worked together and designed their own kindness message using sidewalk chalk. By lunch time the asphalt path outside the tennis courts was glittered with inspirational messages on kindness. Campers also created and painted “kindness rocks” which they later scattered around camp. All day long I stumbled across these colorful rocks with powerful and positive messages of kindness on them. Everywhere I walked and everywhere I looked I was reminded of the importance of kindness.  Even if it was only for a short time the morning’s activity got us to slow down and to reflect on how we treat one another. Special Agawak Kindness buttons were also given out. Maybe your camper will arrive home with one. If she does please ask her why she received one. 

At 11:45 tonight we’ll be heading into town for our last midnight movie for 2018. Junior and intermediate campers will watch Hotel Transylvania and the seniors will enjoy Mama Mia 2. It’s a good thing we have lazy breakfast tomorrow which will give us an opportunity to “sleep in” and “catch our breath” and enjoy Ducky’s chocolate chip, blueberry, strawberry, cinnamon and plain pancakes made to order. Yum, Yum!! Morning will be here before we know it. :))