As a camp director, I know that one of my most critical tasks in the first few days of camp is to establish a predictable routine for the campers. One of the main ways to help kids become adjusted to being away from home is to provide them with a stable situation. They need to know what to expect and how things work in their new home. Most of our first week was spent establishing this predictable world…
Then again… after a while, as much fun as the routine is, it becomes time to shake things up a bit. And that is why the geniuses who invented this place invented Cruiser Day! Yesterday was a classic Cruiser Day here at camp. For newcomers to the Nebagamon world, each Wednesday we cancel all of our normal activities and have an entire day devoted to special events and activities. Sometimes Cruiser Days are all-day cabin affairs, and sometimes they are village wide mega event days. Yesterday was one of these village style Cruiser Days.
Our Swamper Village campers were recruited into Whopper Day. You have no doubt heard that the Burger King has officially decided to retire. This has set off a mad dash by the various fast food chains to acquire the secret recipe for the Whopper. Our intrepid Swampers were split into four teams led by Ronald McDonald (he looked nothing like Ronald McDonald), Wendy (a counselor in a dress with a red wig), Chipotle Sam (nope, I’ve never heard of him either), and the Dairy Queen (a dude with a cheeesehead hat… yeah I didn’t make the connection either). They campers gave their all – in relay races, a tug of war, and a scavenger hunt to secure the coveted recipe. Perhaps the most alarming moment of their day was in the morning when the big day was announced and the entire Rec Hall burst into singing the Burger King jingle!
Our Loggers got a lesson in trendy fashion by participating in Drip Day. For those of you that aren’t as cool as I am and as hip to the modern lingo, if something is “drippy” it is fashionable and approved by the younger set. (In my case, since I have not changed my wardrobe in 35 years, it is just about everything I wear. All of the things my kids told me were super uncool 10 years ago, are totally DRIPPY now! Long live the flannel!). The boys spent the day trying to assemble different “drip” for themselves (in the form of outrageous things taken from our costume room), by competing in different events such as an art shop session of creating their best drippy accessories, a Rec Hall scavenger hunt, and relay races (yeah, we dig relay races). All the while, they were being pursued by “drip enforcers” (dastardly counselors) who ultimately were judged via a trial by water balloon! The day was super “slay.”
The Axemen were transported back to old Reno to oversee its transformation from a cow town into the bustling casino nexus that it has become. Of course, this involved games of Euchre, blackjack, and Texas Hold ‘Em (sorry parents!), a scavenger hunt, relay races (yeah, we dig relay races), and (naturally) herding cattle around camp (blindfolded counselors guided by voice commands)!
Finally, our Lumberjacks enjoyed Multiverse Day. Unfortunately, their behavior had caused a rip in the time/space continuum, and they were required to find their way back to our current universe by traversing through different multiverses consisting of the Wild West, a Miniverse, and a Marioverse. Their tasks included archery, an obstacle course, relay races (yeah, we dig relay races), and a huge game of capture the flag in boats down at the waterfront.
Cruiser Days highlight two of my favorite aspects of camp. The first is our amazing staff. Each week, these guys take a completely blank day with absolutely no programming whatsoever and create a full day of fun. They create the narrative around the day, they invent the activities, they write the scripts for the silliness, they just plain make up the day. These guys are incredible in their creativity, energy and enthusiasm. We are so lucky to have them.
The other aspect of camp that is highlighted in our Cruiser Days is those kids. Those awesome kids who are game for anything. I mean let’s be clear here… I am pretty sure no Swamper believed that the counselor in the dress with the wig was Wendy. I am convinced that no Logger believed that putting a pair of shorts over your sweat pants counted as really “drippy.” Our Axement didn’t really buy that their blindfolded counselor was a longhorn steer that needed transport back to the ranch. And, no, most Lumberjacks didn’t really think that they had caused a breach in the space/time continuum by their naughty behavior. But they don’t care… They play along and allow themselves to immerse themselves in the narrative. You see, the fun of the day is in letting oneself become a part of the game – simply buying in. And when they do so, they discover how much fun the game really is.
The day was topped off with trips into Lake Nebagamon’s “old school” walk-up window, at Dairy Queen, an experience in and of itself. But we will talk about that in another update. For now, just imagine walking into town for an ice cream with your best friends after having just spent the day playing with them. In short… SUMMER.
Cruiser Days are great. Normal days of camp are the foundation of a summer spent at Nebagamon, but special days like Cruiser Days serve as the punctuation marks to those summers. And our Cruiser Day yesterday was all EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!!!!
And oh yeah…it rained most of the day…
All is well in the North Woods…
