The first round of letters have reached you, and many of you have raised a glass to cheer your son’s enthusiastic start to camp. However, there are a few of you who may have felt compelled to reach for the bottle after receiving letters with a less favorable review. These letters only reflect a snapshot of your son’s experience, and as you sit and try to analyze what every word means and the facial expressions of each picture, you are likely to drive yourself crazy. I promise you that if there is anything that is brought to my attention or unusual about your son’s adjustment to camp, I will personally be in touch. Needless to say, I love our open lines of communication and never want any of you to hesitate to reach out to me for updates. I simply want to remind you that these letters are truly just a moment in time.
Today was the first day of inter-camp competition. When I walked into the dining room for lunch, I saw teams of boys sitting in Takajo uniforms having a meal together before taking the fields. We had inter-camp competition in tennis, lacrosse, flag football, basketball, and volleyball. As I observed the boys chowing down on sloppy joe and grilled cheese sandwiches, I can see that these guys could not wait to compete. Our thirteen, fourteen and fifteen-year-old boys have developed deep trust and confidence in their bunkmates and friends in their age groups. They love the opportunity to put on a Takajo uniform and represent our camp. The boys played beautifully, and we certainly had our share of victories, but what was even more impressive was the effort they gave and the manner in which they conducted themselves during the “heat of battle.”
When our campers returned home, our twelve and thirteen-year-olds had just enough time to grab a shower, slap on cologne, and get ready for their first social. Back in the day, these socials were eagerly anticipated but awkwardly executed. Boys would stand in the MJG Playhouse on the opposite side of the room from the girls, barely finding the courage to introduce themselves, but our current group of campers exude confidence and look forward to these social events. This week’s forecast is calling for bright sunshine with temperatures in the eighties, and I can’t help but feel that we are on a roll.
