The Birthday Boy

August 4, 2023

 

I was telling old camp stories a few days ago and remarked about how in the olden days we grabbed the Birthday Boy and threw him in the lake. When I asked the campers if they would like to be tossed into the drink to celebrate their big day, a large majority voted in the affirmative.

 

Hamilton B. made the most noise on this occasion and reported that he would love to bring back this old tradition on August 3. It was done and you can see the evidence in my photo batch for that day.  Sara took the day off so you have just my word for it on this and other camp matters.

 

Gus offered a fly fishing clinic and boys were most entertained by the idea that they could see the fish approach the bait and thus had to be alert and pull up the rod just at the moment the creature went for its meal. Said Lito, “That’s the first fish I have ever caught,” a three-inch beast.

 

Oh gosh, I forget the name of the game where two teams of boys each raid the other’s goal and attempt to steal balls, etc, before being apprehended.  We have enough versions of games like this one that we could open a “Camp Tag-me” and have loads of applicants.

 

Ditto with hide-and-seek and a “Camp Can’t Find Me” would rake in the profits, too.

 

I just checked the counselor photo offerings on their Slack channel and some good ones will come your way soon. I’ll ask Sara to post them asap.  You’ll see little Charlie B. kissing the truly big whopper brought back from the trip to Belle Island on Newfound Lake. Hence, he got to carry the big trophy around for a while.

 

Hartel got some magnificent photos of the Great Gulf Wilderness and Mt. Washington taken from the summit of Mt. Jefferson.  This is some of the best hiking in the eastern US.  Kids who have adventures like this one will remember it all their lives.

 

At dinner last evening, we learned that the 12 year old soccer team won all three games they played yesterday, each victory by one goal, to include a shootout for the championship. Banjo was our goalie who made some great saves and you can see pix of the boys holding hands near the end.

 

We are expecting a day of rain, not that bad a thing as tomorrow is the opening round of Bow & Arrow Week, a.k.a, Color War, and “Slacker Day,” like “Throw Him in the Lake” is an ancient camp tradition at this juncture.