Last night after dinner we played Stealth – capture-the-flag in the woods. 90% of the boys elected to participate in this relatively pointless game. Essentially they sleuth about the forest in search of a bright orange life jacket that serves as the flag. Attempting to prohibit them from “capturing” the flag are a small band of older campers who can send campers packing by merely touching them before they can touch the flag. Either way, it is then back to neutral territory whereupon another attack on the flag can commence. And so on. The team with the most touches (captures) wins the game.
Let’s explore the male psychology of such nonsense. First, it is a high action game, packed with unknowns. Boys have no idea whether they will capture the flag a hundred times or not at all and this carries with it some high intrigue.
Secondly, while it is a “team game” in that one group triumphs over the other, Stealth is mostly an “every man for himself” challenge. The younger boys relish the notion of out-smarting the seasoned defenders of the flag and major bragging rights accrue to those who make successful scampers towards the (hidden) flag. I remember being a camper a long long time ago and getting a huge adrenalin kick out of games like this one.
Thirdly, the game goes on in the deep woods, a sometimes scary place and especially as late day sun gives way to twilight and that to darkness. There is absolutely nothing in those woods that is going to eat boys, attack them, or even spook them, as any animals like deer, raccoon or moose are long gone once the throngs invade their space. But, the mere thought of a bear lurking behind a tree is enthralling to the pre-teenaged mind.
Lastly, not to be overlooked is the right to dress up in camouflage, the fun of rubbing one’s face with ashes from the campfire and permission to get completely filthy!
All of this is wonderful stuff and you should be thrilled to know that your sons are relishing innocuous moments like these when the real world, with all its genuine dangers, is out of reach and out of mind for the time being.
Stealth ended once it got too dark to safely negotiate the various informal trails of the nearby woodlands and boys accepted the final horn with some degree of glee since the inspection ice cream party was next up and the eerie quiet about the grounds quickly gave way to the mayhem of garnering these cool treats on a hot evening.
By far the most observed bulletin board in Buzz City is the inspection scores display run by counselor Jacob Dalton, aka Clean E Genee (misspelling deliberate.) Boys know that the cabins with the highest inspection grades get first choice of the bowls of ice cream laid out on the counter by the CIT disher-outers. Talk about male psychology!
A totally normal day of camp is scheduled for today – three morning clinics, lunch at 12:45, rest hour to follow, A and B Blocks for the afternoon, and after-dinner sponsorships offered by the counselors. There are some day hikes and games with other camps, too, but all of this is well within the realm of common expectation.