A famous basketball coach by the name of Joe B. Hall, head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats, was once asked how he slept the night after losing the NCAA college basketball finals. His response was, “I slept like a baby, I was up every few hours crying.”
As a camp director and caretaker of your child during the summer, I must admit that while I am not crying every few hours, I rarely get a restful night’s sleep. It just comes with the territory. Last night, I was awakened by the sound of a heavy rainfall. The timing could not have been better. Our fields are dry. The main road through camp is dusty. How fortunate we are to receive this much-needed rain while our boys were fast asleep.
While rain was predicted throughout the day, we were greeted by sunny skies and a bit more humidity in the air. The waterfront was in full-swing. Every sailboat and canoe was in use. Our motorboats were pulling skiers, wake boarders, and the banana boat from dawn to dusk.
After dinner, the entire camp came together in the MJG Playhouse (named after Camp Takajo’s founder, Morton J. Goldman.) Built in 1951, this iconic structure was featured in Fortune Magazine because it was the first building built in the United States with all wooden trusses. Morty wanted Camp Takajo to be known for its diversity. Therefore, he built this playhouse before he built the indoor sports complex.
Tonight was the counselors’ opportunity to entertain the boys on stage. We strategically placed this event midway through the first week of camp to give our counselors the opportunity to show our boys their hidden talents. It’s also a wonderful opportunity for our campers to be encouraged to step outside their comfort zone and to “ham it up” in camp.
When the evening came to a close our oldest campers, the Okeechobees or Okee’s for short, were invited to the stage to lead the camp in the alma mater. This impressive group of thirty-eight young men is a fine representation of the kind of role models we hope to provide to our youngest campers. As I looked into the eyes of some of our youngest boys, I could not help but think that some day they might take on this important role.
