We woke up to rain at Camp Takajo today, which was fitting as Olympics came to a close yesterday, and we have turned our attention to preparing for departure. As I sat in my morning meeting with our administrative staff, we relived an amazing moment that took place at the end of the Senior Olympics yesterday. After four, hard-fought days of competition, the whacked-up relay came down to the pie-eating contest.
The two pie eaters were Okeechobee campers, who are finishing their camping careers this Friday. One of the Okees happened to be the captain on his Olympic team. As one might imagine, trying to eat a pie as quickly as you can is hard enough. Eating that pie surrounded by hundreds of screaming campers and counselors makes it an even greater challenge.
As both campers were near the end with only crumbs remaining on each plate, the Senior group leader, Paddy Mohan, lifted the plate for the green team, declaring the winner. This brought the grey team captain, who made a heroic effort, to tears. As the green team made their way for their celebratory dip in Long Lake, the grey team surrounded their captain and gave hugs for support. Composing himself, and keeping this experience in its proper perspective, the grey team captain wiped away his tears and charged down to the lake to join the victors, who are also his friends, in their Olympic dip in the lake.
A true leader leads by example, and so, it was only natural that the grey team followed their leader in for the swim. I am so proud that this is the kind of leadership we have in Senior camp. After a long day of packing, we came together for our final banquet. As a custom, we ask a camper and a counselor to deliver a final camp speech. The counselor selected to speak was Harrison Manchel, and he spoke about his joy in watching these campers grow and develop into such fine, young men.
The camper address could have been delivered by any of the forty graduating seniors, for they each have a unique story to tell, and camp holds a special place in their hearts. However, I selected a camper who has spent six years at Camp Takajo, but was unable to return to camp last year. This camper wrote to me during the winter and shared with me that missing camp last summer threw off his equilibrium. He commented in his letter that he was not the same student, friend,or son because he mourned the loss of his time at camp. His return back to camp this summer was illustrious, and his enthusiasm and energy made us all better. His love and passion for camp came through in his speech, which was greeted by a standing ovation. With just one day left in camp, we celebrate this amazing summer and give thanks to all of you who shared this amazing journey.
