Camp Lawrence is all go!!

So it has been a while since I have had a chance to sit down at my computer and write an update. This is a good thing as it means camp is going well and I am busy having a great time in the outdoors with all the campers.  My days consist of my usual cabin inspections and a second period waterskiing class before I have to delve into my paperwork, etc. In my first session ski class I had 4 campers so I even got to ski a few times myself which was nice. And again today I skied at the end of the class as the campers in my class all wanted to see me behind the boat. Fortunately it was a nice hot day and the lake was the perfect temperature (I could have done without the wind cutting up the lake though).

 

At our second Vespers session a new camper from France got up and performed a song which was great. His English is really good, and the fact that he was confident enough to get up in front of 200 people and play the keyboard and sing in his second language was very impressive. In fact, today he also stood up in the dining hall and made an announcement about two staff in his swimming class who cleared up a dead fish from the swimming beach in the morning. Here is a pic of Jules from that Vespers session:

Jules playing at Vespers

 

First session is over now and we are into our second session. This means Orange and Grey will be starting tomorrow and camp will go into overdrive. This is our version of Color-wars, and camp is split into two teams that compete fiercely until Sunday when everything culminates with a big omnibus relay race all over camp.  Watch out as I try to clear out all my paperwork and get ready to post more often about this program as it is the biggest event at camp and one that is always a huge hit with the campers and staff alike.

 

Yesterday we had a group of CIT’s and JC’s come up for a day of teambuilding from the Merrimack Valley YMCA’s day camp – Camp Otter. They stayed the night and got to experience resident/overnight camp and the chaos that is our dining hall. It is always great to share our camp with other parts of the Y, and other community groups, and I’m looking forward to taking our CIT group on a tour of the branches and Camp Otter in a couple of weeks.

Right, now to review the 130 letters to parents from our first session before dinner…

Staff Week

We are half way through staff week, which involves a range of training sessions and various work projects around camp to get ready for the summer.  Activity areas are all set up, and camp is starting to look like camp. Staff have been in the cold water putting the docks in, the Astor is getting painted and refurbished, the hoop court is getting the final touches, and camp in general is getting a tidy-up in time for when campers arrive next week.

Boating beach and East beach is all set and ready to go…

 

And yesterday the staff spent time putting the sand and water out at West Beach…

 

After dinner last night we had a softball game – Senior Unit staff and Leadership vs Junior/Middler Unit staff. After a long and close game with some surprise hits and unexpected catches and a lot of drama and the odd controversial call, it was the Senior Unit/Leadership team that took the title.

Today staff are back into training sessions with lifeguard refreshers, CPR training, and various other sessions. Tomorrow will be more work projects around camp and continued training sessions and the inter-camp dinner with Camp Nokomis.  Only a few days until the campers arrive…

 

Almost There

Our staff is starting to grow… Yesterday I picked up a dozen international staff from all over the world to join the teams at Camp Nokomis and Lawrence. No sooner did we get these guys and the weather took a turn south and we have been hit with rain and cold. It’s never fun to be at cam and be cold… Hopefully things clear up tonight as the bulk of our staff arrives tomorrow afternoon to begin our staff training week.

Camp is starting to come together and despite the weather today things are still getting done.  The Astor, our Junior Unit bathroom is being renovated and painted. I swung a brush around for a while in there, and am sure it will be an impressive change from before. The new color scheme is certainly something that will be noticed…  A myriad of other maintenance projects are happening around camp as well as the regular get-camp-ready stuff.

I’m excited for tomorrow and the staff arrival. It marks the formal beginning of the summer, and it when things really start to get busy.  I’m also looking forward to it being warm and dry tomorrow! Here’s hoping anyway…

Camp is Awesome

Man I’ve missed this place…

View from the Dining Hall Porch

So I arrived at camp on Friday after 48 hours of travelling and was straight into it. The weather was amazing and hot, and I even considered going water-skiing on Saturday but ran out of time.  We had open house tours all weekend and I always arrive in time for these. It’s a nice way to start the season and I get to show parents and new/prospective campers around the island.  Then on Monday we had to go over to the mainland to pick up some staff and building materials and although I have had my commercial boat license for a number of years I have never driven the MV Bear II – Yesterday I drove this 50’ vessel from dock to dock for the first time.  It was a bit of a challenge to get the big boat onto the dock compared to the regular boats, but I managed to pull this off with relative success so was happy. Hopefully I’ll get the chance to practice a few more times this summer, and although I don’t think I’ll get to the point where I would take it out by myself it is good to learn something new.

MV Bear

Tomorrow we head south for the meeting with the CIT’s (Counselor’s In Training) and their parents followed by a day at Boston’s Logan International Airport where I will be picking up a bunch of international staff for both Camp Lawrence and Camp Nokomis, then it’s back to Camp Lawrence to get stuck into Staff Training Week before the campers arrive.

Final Countdown to departure

So, my last weekend at home, or at least at my NZ home. In three days I depart for my US home and I am now ready and waiting. The only stuff not packed is the few things I need over the next couple of days…

 

I fly out at 6.30am on Thursday morning, heading to Melbourne, Los Angeles, New York, then Boston before the drive up to camp in New Hampshire.  My commute this week will be: Drive to the airport, leaving home at 4am, 2.5 hours before the flight. Fly Auckland – Melbourne: 4hours, 15 minutes; spend 2 hours 15 minutes in Melbourne Airport, then fly Melbourne – Los Angeles: 14.5 hours, followed by 4 hours in LAX, during which time I’ll clear immigration, etc then fly Los Angeles – New York: 5.5 hours. I’ll leave home at 4am Thursday, and arrive in NYC for the night at approx midday Friday NZ time. After this lengthy journey, I get to sleep with an overnight stop in New York followed by a commuter flight to Boston in the morning (1hr), a stop of the camping cervices office and then the 2 hour drive to camp and a 10-15 minute boat ride. And… RELAX! I’ve made it back to my ‘happy place’ for another summer.

 

I can’t sleep on a plane, so this makes it a long trip, but I do plan to get some final planning done for the summer, and maybe see a movie or two.  Preparations are well underway already. The admin and staff training week’s schedules are done, as are the initial cabin assignments for the summer – yip, all four sessions! All that’s needed now is to tweak the cabins as we get new registrations, etc. that and unpack and get myself all set up in my lakefront summerhouse… and enjoy the view.

 

Ready I am… Bring on the summer! (Again…)

One Week to go!

I leave for camp in one week… For my 8^th summer in the USA, and my 11^th summer in a row.  It’s cold in NZ right now. Well, cold for someone who doesn’t have a winter. I’m ready for the change in scene, and camp life again. Bring on the summer and all its fun and its challenges, I’m ready.  I’ve packed my bags, I’ve rented my room, I’m tying up the loose ends in NZ and in 7 days I’ll be on a plane and on my way.

 

Things are starting to gear up in my American life as we prepare for the summer. While on the plane I will put the finishing touches on the staff training schedule, some big changes this year, and start cabin assignments for the first two sessions of camp. That’s assuming I don’t get distracted by the in-flight entertainment…

 

Once I arrive at camp, we are straight into it with open house tours all weekend and then our Admin planning/training week, staff training week, and then all hell breaks loose when the campers arrive.  Before we know it, it will be August, it will all be over and everyone will be heading back off to their other lives – travel, college, school, office jobs… But for the next 3 months it will be full-on craziness and fun on our island paradise.

 

This summer I hope to post regular updates here every few days (unlike other years, where I was too distracted having fun) so sign up for the notifications and hear about our summer at Camp Lawrence on an island on New Hampshire’s Lake Winnipesaukee…