“Who are we? Co-Man-Che!”

The sound of the drums echoed through the camp as the 2013 Tribal Wars commenced. With great anticipation, the campers silently paraded from the activities center to the lakefront, led by one of their CW Chief, Kate! Met by Chief Cole at the lakefront, our two Big Chiefs welcomed the three new tribes, Sioux, Comanche and Seminole, who joined last summer’s victor and current holder of the deed, Choctaw.

The CIT team leaders’ opening speeches set the tone for yet another exhilarating three days of friendly competition, contagious spirit and good fun! The bonfire was lit, teams were announced and the excitement began.

The first day was filled with various games, from traditional sports, such as tennis, soccer and flag football to whacky games such as Steal the chicken, Quidditch and more. Later in the day, kids used technical skills in Woodshop and Top Chef to create team signs and decorate cupcakes.

Regardless of the activity, cheers were in abundance as teams supported one another and encouraged sportsmanship. In many instances, two teams join forces in competition, which is a fantastic way to break down any potential barriers among the four tribes. Downtime for the campers is spent learning cheers and songs, all in preparation for the culminating spirit night.

The CIT’s are demonstrating their leadership by collaborating with their peers and counselor leaders to organize the minute details of Tribals- all in the interest of uniting their respective teams to create CW memories that will last a lifetime.