“Far Above Lake Tarleton’s Waters”

July 23, 2024

Well, Kingswood resides not that far above Lake Tarleton’s waters just as Cornell is not on a mountain top overlooking Cayuga!

We had a late breakfast this morning in honor of the first rainy day of the summer.  Hence, you get to witness the mood exhibited above by this blog-writer as we face the day.  Actually, most of the rains have already passed and, while the camp beach got obliterated by the heavy overnight downpours, we are planning for a normal day albeit thirty minutes off-schedule.

Council Fire is one of Kingswood’s most cherished traditions and we ask the boys to take the occasion seriously, even though we tell hilarious camp stories and play upbeat music. You have to be there, I guess, as the campers tend to cooperate completely and stare into the embers of the fire or ponder the lake or hills and even the skies beyond.

We wasted no time in getting to some interesting Kingswood history to include the selection of that very site for our fire pit way back in 1985.  Two or three entertaining tales about events that transpired in that precise fire circle served to help all the boys, and especially the newcomers, to feel a direct connection to camp.

I did minimum editing of my photos of Council Fire, partly so that you might be able to find your child in there somewhere and partly because it was such a pleasant setting. The mood was perfect.

We are very good at pulling boys into the orbit of an ongoing camp community as we rapidly transition from one session to the next. About 40 campers carried over to second session and they could not wait to get orientation out of the way so that camp could continue apace.

Newsbreak I:  Several counselors have already come forward to announce how much they like their cabin groups.  Oh, boy, I hope this continues!

Newsbreak II: I just realized that you have five photo albums to consult this morning. Mike and the program guys evidently anticipated today’s rainy conditions and sent out two mountain hikes on the first day of the session. Consult the pix to see if your son was involved. Hiking has been incredibly popular all summer long and we will be sending out many treks.

We always have a comprehensive photo album for the ongoing week.  It’s titled as “Assorted counselor photos.”  Check it often as Sara keeps adding to it as counselors post pictures on our staff communications site.

Newsbreak III: Lastly, I see that Sara posted 152 photos, mostly of arms and legs cranking in all directions, as boys will be boys from the get-go.  And, those daring souls who are jumping off the high tower most assuredly see the action as commencing “far above Lake Tarleton’s waters.”