I feel a little disconcerted during Big Trip Week because, as much as I know how much our campers enjoy these amazing trips, I have a greater sense of comfort when they are back here in camp. Nevertheless, these are the struggles that we all contend with as parents, and we need to let our children explore.
Today, our Junior Grey League campers (finished sixth grade) departed on their two-day white water rafting trip down the Kennebec River. Tonight, they will spend an evening at a campsite near the river, so they can get an early start boarding their rafts tomorrow morning. The Greys will snake down the Kennebec on a twelve-mile journey, feeling the exhilaration of some class three and four rapids. The group will paddle to the shoreline midday to have a chicken and steak barbecue lunch.
Our Warrior Braves (finished third grade) had their massive sleepover party in the Takajo movie house, where they watched a series of movies. They stayed up past their bedtime and enjoyed a surprise pizza delivery before they went to bed.
We had our final staff meeting and worked on the enormous amount of details that go into closing the camp season. Like with any organization, it’s all in the details. We all have heard the expression about how every family comes with their own “baggage” to camp, but in the literal sense, you cannot imagine what goes into packing our boys up at the end of a summer. The notes that we have from so many families could make one’s head spin.
With just one day to go before our Okee campers return from their trip out west, we held a few closed-door meetings, secretly strategizing for our “Olympic break,” which signals the start of the Camp Takajo Olympics. The boys can feel the excitement in the air as they sense the annual tradition is only days away.
