Traditions help campers appreciate what has come before them and what others have done to make their experience possible. They also give campers something to look forward to, year after year. Some of ours go back to the very beginning of camp.
Every Day at Camp
The whole camp gathers at the flagpole before meals. In the morning we raise the flags and say the Pledge of Allegiance and the Conservation Pledge; at dinner we lower and fold them. If you walk up while the ceremony is under way, you stop where you are until it ends.
Before each Flag Circle, every cabin and the volunteers are called by name, and they answer with witty replies that show the fellowship in each group.
On Thursday, cabins come to roll call for a silly “taco talk” demonstration, then the camp eats tacos in a bag outside on towels and benches before Skit Night.
Friday Night
The last night of camp is the most special of the week. Staff wear their staff shirts, we thank and say goodbye to our volunteers, and the evening ends with some very old and moving traditions.
Awards go to campers and cabins. Dog tags, unique every year, go to the cabin in each circle with the most points, for teamwork and fellowship as well as points.
The one tradition that dates back to the start of camp. A longtime volunteer recounts the history of camp from a special book, and returning campers sign it while counselors sing songs saved just for this night.
Everyone gathers at the flagpole. Each cabin shares the environmental pledge it has written for the year ahead, and the flame passes from candle to candle until the whole camp is glowing.