WORLD

July 8, 2025

Actually, it is USA versus the WORLD, a soccer contest after dinner every so often. I unabashedly pull for the World squad as they are always undermanned. Noone referees these matches and the USA team has something like 18 players on the field. Eventually the deeply talented but outgunned WORLD folks give up the ghost.

This is Kingswood at its best and the feelings of comradery are palatable, and especially once word travels that the soccer field is the place to be. Just about the entire camp was there at the end, as my photo album reveals. Yeah, their chants of USA, USA drowned out my feeble WORLD, WORLD; I insist on making it clear how lucky we are to have such talented and loyal staff folks from abroad.

To conclude that thought, by 8:15 Scott S. was on stage with microphone exhorting everyone to come up to Pines Field, where Zac McK of WORLD renown performed two gorgeous vocal songs of his own creation to an appreciative audience. Then it was a gentle “off to bed” for all hands. The humidity was down, and I suspect that everyone had a comfortable sleep. Great camp last evening was.

Sara, as promised, spent most of her afternoon capturing the pure glee exhibited by the kids as they flew down the hill during the slip and slide blocks. There were three such time frames, by age, so that boys could get several runs instead of having to wait in long lines. When not at this venue, the campers found solace at the beach (sand castles, duh!) on boats under a gentle breeze and splashing about in the cool lake waters.

Back to the happy grind we are today. Two overnight hikes are still on the trail today and there are several sports games and an intercamp chess tournament on tap for this afternoon. “No mercy,!” I found myself hollering when the chess was announced. Look, that the kind of thing I do to stay young, or at least that is my argument.

One last thing about the photos I post. Sara’s are superior in every regard. Those slip and slide pix should be entered in a competition. But mine are supposed to capture the wider view of camp happenings and I often crop to show as much background as I deem necessary for that effect.