Today was the last of the warm spell in Maine, and we enjoyed bright, sunny skies and temperatures that reached the mid-eighties. Our program was in full-swing, but the busiest area in camp was Hobby Lane. With our carnival just one day away, our campers are excited to create unusual and creative costumes. They take advantage of our supplies in the Takajo Art Center and the expertise of our amazing art department.
We encountered a little rain this evening, which blew out the last bit of warm, humid air. We look forward to enjoying a cool spell for the remainder of the week leading into visiting day. We have had a lot of inter-camp competition and trips over the last few weeks, but I thought I would share one particular story with you.
When I made my nightly rounds through all of the bunks in Warrior Camp last night, a few boys from one bunk asked me to take a walk with them. When I asked them where they were taking me, a camper replied, “To your favorite place in camp.” As I followed the boys up the road, we stopped under the Takajo welcome arch. When I asked the boys why they chose to bring me to this location in camp, they told me that they have learned the meaning of each of the twelve arch ideals. They said that during the first four weeks of camp, they have learned how to implement those ideals into their daily lives. We spent some time together going over the meaning of each of these ideals, then they paused at friendship and said, “Being here at camp gave us the chance to meet, and we know now that we’ll be friends forever.” With all of the amazing events that take place in camp daily, this ranks among the most meaningful to me.
