There was a wonderful energy around camp this morning.
Our Senior Big Show, Hamilton, was a tremendous success. First thing in the morning at breakfast, I watched campers and counselors congratulating the boys who were in the cast.
What’s striking is how quickly camp moves on to the next adventure. As breakfast came to an end, many of those same boys who were on stage last night headed back to their bunks to change into their Takajo uniforms. Within minutes, they were boarding buses for intercamp competition at neighboring camps. Today, our boys competed in 11-and-under soccer, 13-and-under basketball, 15-and-under basketball, 12-and-under archery, 12-and-under climbing, 10-and-under tennis, 12-and-under tennis, and 14-and-under tennis.
We don’t ask campers to choose between being an athlete, a performer, an artist, or an outdoorsman. We encourage them to experience all of it. The same boy who has a leading role in Hamilton may also play on our basketball team. The same camper who spends hours rehearsing lines can represent Takajo in tennis the next morning. Others may compete in archery, spend the afternoon on the waterfront, and still find time to make something special in woodworking before the day is over.
We often talk about the diversity of our program, and certainly that’s part of what makes this place so special. A boy can take a bow on stage one night and represent his camp in athletic competition the next morning. But, the activities themselves aren’t what make camp magical. What makes camp magical is that they’re experiencing all of it with their closest friends. One night they’re singing a duet together in Hamilton. The next morning they’re setting one another up for a winning basket, backing each other up in doubles tennis, or cheering each other on from the sidelines.
That’s how lifelong friendships are built. They aren’t formed through one memorable experience, but through hundreds of shared moments that become woven together over the course of a summer. At the end of the day, when the lights go out in the bunk, the boys aren’t just talking about the play or the game. They’re reliving the memories they created together. That’s something you simply can’t replicate anywhere else, and it’s what makes a full-season camp experience so special.
We’re riding a wave of magnificent Maine weather. If Mother Nature cooperates, it appears we’re headed for another spectacular Visiting Day weekend.
As I watched those buses pull away this morning, I couldn’t help but smile. Last night, they took their bows. This morning, they represented their camp. Our boys are living their best lives at their home away from home.
