Deep Scrub

July 27, 2025

 

On Sunday morning, we let boys get an extra half-hour sleep. Yeah, but for many of them, that merely means an early arrival to breakfast. My gambit is to be on hand with my camera to catch campers in whatever form they present themselves! Those photos are already posted under the title of “RIGHT NOW.” That’s as close as you will ever get to the live action! If you son is not featured, just close your eyes and imagine how he looks, given the others you see as a reference point.  You are correct.

Sundays are a completely different routine throughout the morning. We are being teased by a few rain drops as I write these words and that might affect the orders placed on the various cabin groups. No matter. We will get to all of it, one way or another.

Sunday Morning Schedule:

8am – Reveille and Polar Bear

8:30am – Breakfast

9:30 – 11:00am – Deep Clean (see below)

11-12am – Cabin Meeting (See below) and Activities

12pm – All Camp Meeting

Deep Clean includes the following:

• Changing sheets and pillow cases
• Organizing trunks (folding clothes, etc.)
• Cleaning / Sweeping under beds
• Clipping fingernails and toenails (as needed)
• Health check with nurse
• Water bottle cleaning (we have scrub brushes for bottles of all shapes and sizes)
• Guides and CITs – deep clean of bathroom

 

I call the morning “Deep Scrub” mainly because that is what is needed in many venues. Mike goes with the more placid “Deep Clean.” Besides the above, each cabin is assigned a “Campus Clean-Up Duty.” The spreadsheet does not paste well into this blog so I will put a photocopy of it into the Right Now photos.

Seldom does a campus clean-up chore get completely finished and most assuredly I shall soon discover a large pile of dirt in some place like the Great Room, carefully swept up but not pushed into a dust pan and emptied! Does this happen at home?

 

All joking aside, we take this morning slow down seriously and ask campers and counselors alike to complete the morning with some reflection and appraisal. At noon, we will meet as a full camp and go over some of the best responses to the questions pasted below.

 

 

Cabin Meetings should focus on cabin life –

• How is clean up going? rest hour? bed time? What are some challenges of living in a cabin with 6-22 other people?
• IF APPLICABLE: Review cabin “points of emphasis” – how are things going?
• What makes someone a good friend or a good cabin mate?
• Cabin kudos – specific examples of a good friend or good cabin mate?
• What have veteran campers done to welcome new campers and make them feel welcomed and included?

Highlights from the previous week; something new each person tried / did this week; events or activities people are looking forward to;