This is a highlight week for our boys in Senior Camp. Our trips are out, our boys are thriving; but, admittedly it’s hard for me to sleep at night when they’re off campus. I know they’re in great hands, I trust my staff, and frankly, I trust our boys. Our Intermediates had a blast last night watching the Red Sox play Cleveland in Fenway Park. This iconic ballpark has been home to some of the greatest moments in baseball history. Most of our boys had never visited this legendary site and enjoyed every minute of the game.
Our golfers had a 12:30 tee time at Belgrade Lakes Golf Course. They enjoyed another beautiful round. While it’s rumored that their bags get lighter as the golf balls shank left and right, our golfers are respectful of the course as they take advantage of the vistas on some of the most scenic courses in New England.
Other Seniors canoed through Loon Bay today as reports from the Saint Croix River exceed all expectations. These boys are on their own version of the Survivor show as they live out in the wilderness among each other. It’s a challenge to break down camp at the beginning of each day, secure all equipment inside their canoes, and paddle in the hot sun. This trip requires incredible trust in one another, teamwork, patience, and sheer grit. I’m sure our boys are already craving a hot shower and a good meal at the end of the week.
Reports from Mount Katahdin indicate that after a 4:00 AM wake-up and breakfast, our guys began their hike at 5:30 AM and reached their summit around three o’clock in the afternoon. The hike was exhausting. While there were moments when some questioned their resolve, the group persevered as they motivated each other to take one more step up the mountain.
Camp Takajo Seniors Summit Mt. Katahdin
This picture taken at Mount Katahdin today is worth a thousand words. It doesn’t just speak to the boy’s accomplishments today, but also to the success they’ve achieved throughout their years at camp. I’m sure there were moments when they were Warrior campers that they were faced with great struggles, missing home, not making a team, and challenging moments living in a bunk. All of these moments require inner strength, self-reliance, adaptability, courage, and fortitude. This picture speaks to all that they have accomplished during their years at camp. They are not individuals who’ve experienced their own journeys at camp, rather they are brothers who are able to rely on each other based on a lifetime of experiences they have achieved as brothers at Takajo.
Our Okees departed for Canada after breakfast this morning and arrived in Quebec late afternoon. After checking into hotel Plaza Quebec, our boys enjoyed a delicious dinner at Pub Saint Patrick, an Irish pub with outdoor seating in the city of Quebec. After dinner, our boys experienced the Quebec Ghost Tour, hiking the streets and listening to stories about some of the most historic events in Quebec City’s past. This must-see event features costumed tour guides who take our boys through the darker side of Quebec, educating our boys on some of the historic events that took place in this magnificent city.
Back at home, our fourth graders made their way to Camp Vega for their first social/cookout– what better way to motivate young boys to take a real shower with soap and shampoo. At the same time, our sixth-grade boys hosted Camp Vega for a cookout outdoors on our expansive beach. Our Warrior Hawks (finished third grade) came down to my house for movie night and enjoyed the same creature comforts as our Crows and Eagles.
As I sit back and reflect on this one day and we approach the end of our fifth week in camp, it highlights how each week of our summer builds into an incredible crescendo. These relationships, meaningful friendships creating iconic moments, can only happen when experiencing a full summer at camp.
