We have seen this summer as a one of challenges to overcome.  We want to find possibilities, not problems.

We want opportunities, not obstacles.

I have been reading some from a book called the Stoic Challenge.  [Note: this does not make me sound like much fun, but it is actually quite helpful.]  In it, the writer suggests that when we face challenges, we should see them as opportunities to build our resilience, to strengthen our mental fortitude.

But I will say that I am sad that we are denied the chance to talk with our parents during openings and closings, especially closings.  Frankly, we expect to run opening days in the future like we did on Sunday.  The campers acclimate much faster; cabins are able to start their day and homesickness is less.  We are willing to trade time with our wonderful parents for those benefits.

But we miss talking with some of our favorite people at the end of sessions.

We also miss getting a chance to show off our improvements. 

During the Spring, we lost all our outdoor education groups, but we retained all our instructors.  They helped paint different parts of camp.  Here are two examples from Acropolis (the office of the Girls' camp).  I really love the addition of the clouds on the ceiling.

We also built a new pair of cabins on the girls’ side with a fancy “crow’s nest” and fun gathering spots underneath them.  The first photo above shows the back. Here are some others.

Our biggest project was a brand new camp store.  We envisioned seeing parents that had suffered through the old store admiring the layout, spaciousness and fun items. 

Since that is not a possibility, we are letting parents order items online and have them delivered for them (here are a couple of examples).  We delivered these today because our CC masks arrived yesterday.

We also are allowing parents to purchase “champs” (camp store currency) since they will not be able to shop with their kiddos at the end of the summer.

Next year, we will show off these spaces in person.  In the meantime, please know that your campers are spending time with some pretty awesome counselors!

Steve Sir