Tag: camp activities

Tribals

July 12th, 2013

“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.

Top Chef!

July 9th, 2013

This summer, Weequahic’s Top Chef Kitchen is where it is at…with the newly renovated kitchen, equipped with four professional cooking stations, campers can’t seem to get enough of the fantastic offerings. Designed to meet the ever-growing interest in cooking, Cole and Kate created a top-of-the-line facility adorned with ten burners, four microwaves, three ovens, two dishwashers and a sub zero with enough space to accommodate as many as 24 campers, both boys and girls alike.

Designed with the older camper in mind, the experienced and inspired staff teaches
a variety of skills, including use of knives, fire, safety and more. The goal of Top Chef is to expand campers’ insatiable palate by introducing them to a wide array of healthy and easy to prepare foods that can be replicated at home.

Campers are not only responsible for preparing the ingredients, but for the cooking and baking, as well. And, a definite highlight for the parents at home, the campers are cleaning too! The staff is providing an engaging environment where the boys and girls are challenged. They are quickly becoming adept at using the kitchen’s equipment, collaborating with one another, as well as experimenting with new ingredients.

Some of the featured menu items have been: veggie spring rolls, fettuccini alfredo, sushi, omelets, mac n cheese muffins, loaded nachos and tacos and more – the list goes on! Campers enjoy the relaxed and cool atmosphere (literally best AC on camp), cooking with friends and devouring amazing food.

So, when campers returns home, break out the chef hat and apron and put them to work!

Eye on the Bullseye

May 15th, 2013

As long as there has been summer camp, archery has been a part of it.  Although the amount of available activities at summer camp has grown immensely since the early days of camp, archery still remains popular.  It’s a classic outdoor sport that doesn’t require the stamina or athletic prowess of, say, soccer, but a good eye, good aim, and precision when firing.   There is a certain amount of satisfaction in being able to see yourself move closer to achieving a goal.  It’s not always apparent that your swim stroke has gotten better since the beginning of the summer, or that your baseball pitch has improved over the past couple of weeks.  Although your counselors and friends may compliment you and tell you that you’re better than you used to be, there isn’t really anything tangible for you to immediately be able to tell for yourself.  With archery, however, there is a target with a bull’s-eye on it.  It’s not at all unusual for campers to begin the summer not even being able to hit the target and then, as the summer moves along, hit and then inch closer and closer to the bull’s-eye.  The closer they get to that bull’s-eye, the more arrows campers want to shoot.

It seems like a small goal, and it is really.  However, it’s still an exercise in goal setting.  Hitting the bull’s-eye requires focus, and being focused requires you to survey your surroundings, determine where you need to aim, and then focus on the details as you attempt to hit your target.  Being successful at archery requires this same effort from everyone.  Campers have no advantage if they run faster, jump higher, or throw harder.  Every camper enters the archery range on a level playing field with the same potential for hitting a bull’s-eye.  Some get lucky, some work hard.  Either way, archery promises a path to success for anyone who is willing to set a goal, take aim, and work hard.  Perhaps that is why after decades of being a summer camp staple, archery remains one of the most popular activities.