Cool temperatures and an overcast sky provided the perfect backdrop for another great day out on the Takajo fields. The group leaders remarked that the lack of humidity and heat has cut down on the fatigue and dehydration that sometimes occurs at the start of the camp season, especially when boys are not in “camp shape.”
As we reached the end of the first week, we took a little extra time during Rest Hour for our weekly Nurses’ Inspection. We have nine amazing nurses in camp as well as two doctors. The attention to detail is incredible, but their “bedside manner” is equally important, as our medical team recognizes that there’s nothing worse to a little boy than feeling sick or injured when they are away from home. Our nurses are assigned to specific bunks, and every week they visit every camper in those cabins to perform a head-to-toe medical check.
During this assessment, our medical team is trained to do a wellness check and assess how campers adjust to camp, their connection with bunkmates, how they feel about their counselors, and whether they find enough to eat in our dining room. Over my years of running camp, I have found that we can pick up more than the occasional bug bites, rashes, and soar throats by assessing each camper privately and confidentially every week.
As the dinner hour approached, a bus pulled into camp with an energetic group of lovely girls from Camp Vega. The social for our 14-year-old boys was the excuse we needed to get these teenagers to take a shower and wash their hair. Our boys arrived for dinner and met our guests wearing khaki shorts and clean polo shirts. Our guys looked like a million bucks. But more importantly, they were gentlemen and escorted their dinner guests around the dining room, ensuring they were well cared for.
After dinner, our 14-year-olds transitioned to the MJG Playhouse, where the lights were dimmed and the music was blasting. Our other age groups enjoyed Saturday Night at the Movies, where each division retired to their respective indoor facility for a night at the movies and a bag of popcorn.
As our boys made their way back to the bunks, they were excited to know that tomorrow would be our first Lazy Man’s Morning, when they would have the opportunity to come down to breakfast in their pajamas, sit wherever they wanted, and enjoy their favorite Dunkin’ Donuts.
