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Tak Talk Blog- Camp Takajo – August 7, 2016

By August 7, 2016 January 4th, 2019 Tak Talk
Camp Takajo for Boys in Naples, Maine

I don’t want to sound redundant, but we had another picturesque day in Maine today. The temperatures at camp remained in the mid-eighties, the sun glistened on the water, and the warm breeze from the lake offered great relief to the boys playing hard during Olympics. Our campers enjoyed their last Lazy Man’s Morning of the summer. They took advantage of a later reveille and enjoyed coming down to breakfast for their favorite treats from Dunkin’ Donuts for the last time of the season, plus hot chocolate, fresh fruit, yogurt and cereal.

Camp Takajo for Boys in Naples, MaineLater in the morning, our Junior and Senior campers rehearsed for their song competition, which will take place in a few days. Our Warrior campers took advantage of a free morning to water ski, sail, ride the banana boat, or play in impromptu pick-up games.

Camp Takajo for Boys in Naples, MaineDuring the afternoon, the Warrior camp participated in a track meet, and every boy participated in multiple track events. There were field events, such as the long jump, baseball throw, football throw, and running events, such as sprints, shuttle relays, one-lap competitions, and the cross-country run. It is always fun to watch boys during a running race. You can look in his eyes and tell whether he will find that extra gear to get over the finish line, or give into the stitch that aches his side. Every Warrior camper and counselor was present to root on their fellow campers and to make the track meet a success.

Camp Takajo for Boys in Naples, MaineThe Junior competitions today involved land sports. There were many baseball and soccer games played. Once again, every camper was involved in the action. Our Senior campers met down at the waterfront for a swim meet. What makes this event so captivating is that the captains need to be very strategic with their line-ups, especially when it comes to the relays. While certain campers excel in the water, very few boys are proficient in the butterfly and backstroke. Finding boys willing to put forth the effort in the less popular stokes makes all the difference to the end result. While the day was filled with athletics, by far the highlight of the day was when the camp came together in the evening for the camp’s annual art show on Hobby Lane. This evening, we took a well-deserved time out and made our way to the Art Center to enjoy viewing the amazing projects created in camp this summer.

Camp Takajo for Boys in Naples, MaineWhat makes Camp Takajo so unique is the emphasis we place on the arts. We hire talented counselors who teach creative skills to our boys, and the fruits of their labor were on display this evening. We all enjoyed viewing amazing projects in the fine arts and also projects created of clay and wood. We watched videos shot and edited in camp, and stared at beautiful photos shot on this magnificent landscape. As the night came to an end, our Senior boys made their way to the dining room for an ice cream sundae party followed by their annual dance-off; a tradition started just a few years ago. With just five days left in the summer and so much to do, no one wants it to end.