June 28 2025

”Winds in the east, there’s a mist coming in, like something is brewin’ and ’bout to begin. Can’t put me finger on what lies in store, but I feel what’s to happen all happened before.” That line from Mary Poppins came to mind as I considered what to say on this absolutely glorious day. Sunny, warm, cool breeze off the lake, chance of showers… same as yesterday, right? NO! The cumulative effect of temperatures dropping by 2 degrees a day are now changing the mood of camp – making us more optimistic, energetic, and enthusiastic. Did just two degrees make this effect? In my opinion, it is a valuable part of the mysterious mixture of summer camp. A recipe that ultimately results in a glorious outcome to be savored and celebrated for years to come. We always acknowledge Him when feeling the sun on our face or the wind on our back. We give thanks, because it is good.

Weather is celebrated at camp. Without air conditioning, we never experience that abrupt transition from vehicles, homes, stores, and everywhere else in the “real world,” where we spend so little time outside, we lose our appreciation of the seasons. When outside, every season is experienced deeply, and each day’s change is noticed. Fall is beautiful (the thousands of tourists who flock to the mountains are testimony to the beauty). Winter has a sharpness that accentuates the bare trees and the potential for glorious snow. Spring is marked by abundant life in every inch of the forest… thousands of dogwood trees in bloom surrounded by lush green grass, Lady Slippers, and Trillium under the white/purple/and pink blooms of the mountain laurel and rhododendron. All the seasons are amazing, particularly if you get out of the house or the car.

Campers “get it” and embrace the nuances of each day’s changing weather. It is not uncommon that we awake expecting one thing and getting another. No matter what, we discover that life is better when much of our time is spent outside, and most of our buildings are not hermetically sealed from the elements. We end up celebrating the weather that we usually complain about. Every day becomes the perfect setting for memorable moments despite (or because) of their imperfections. So take time this weekend to enjoy the weather in your own setting. Even if that setting is super uncomfortable… there is something about allowing the weather to make you uncomfortable then finding the good in that moment. It might be a way of better understanding your daughter’s experience this summer

Thank you for being such faithful readers of the Blog. We appreciate your interest and encouragement. At the same time, it is OK to take the weekend off! Analytics show significantly fewer visits to the Blog on the weekend, and this makes complete sense. Many of you are ready to back off the routine and are ready for a break. We think a break is good for all of us. This year, to encourage the entire camp community (campers and counselors alike), we will not be posting photos or printing emails on Sundays. Honoring the Sabbath with a break from work is a good thing, and we believe we can do this more effectively by adjusting these routines. Any photos that are taken will be posted on Monday, but Sunday will be a break. Consider it an encouragement to give thanks. God is good! Resting from work is good! We hope you will enjoy the break (this policy will be assessed at the end of the summer… it might not be a permanent change).

Parenting has become very intense, and camp has perhaps contributed to the problem. When I went to camp, we considered it to be 7 weeks of separation with only minimal contact (one letter once a week… often just one sentence long: Camp’s fun, I like canoeing.) This mandatory “meal ticket” written on Sundays was supplemented by one or two letters from my counselor (usually four sentences of scant detail). No photos, no emails, no phone calls. Lots happened every day, and my parents didn’t know about any of it until I came home. Rather than causing anxiety, the absence of these details was soothing to my parents. They knew I was safe, growing, and having a good time. They knew that they would learn the details that mattered to me in good time. Such parenting was easy and beneficial for everyone.

Things are different these days. We post thousands of photos and deliver thousands of emails daily. Keeping up with all this content is a lot of work for both you and us, and it may not be beneficial. A Sabbath break makes sense. We are going to try it out and see how it goes. We think it will be an improvement… Camp is a place to grow. The girls thrive, perhaps because they have room to grow on their own.

So take a break… catch up on the photos and write your emails another day… It’s ok to skip some days! Know that soon you will be going over camp photos with your daughter at home, enjoying some amazing conversations as you connect with her camp experiences on her terms. That is how you will understand camp.

Last night’s Vespers program at the Council Fire Ring was special. Council Fire was the perfect venue for a sweet story (a celebration of love beginning and enduring), simple verses of truth that reflect this story in the Bible, and the beautiful symbol of individual lights joined together for a brief moment. We encourage the girls to appreciate the moments of life that are usually filled with beauty if we look for them with quiet hearts. When that moment is seen, know that it will quickly pass and give thanks to God for allowing you to experience it. This is a profound truth that the girls “get” after such a program. It was amazing.

Main Camp is very hard to explain. Thank you for appreciating, supporting, and celebrating “old school” camping. Thank you for celebrating the simple gift of time away from “everything”. Were it not for you, we would have been forced to change the format of this session a long time ago. Old-fashioned, long summer camps are not generally popular; shorter sessions are what “the market” demands. However, with your support, Main Camp remains our flagship. Jam-packed every year and a beacon to the world. It is a session that glorifies God better than anything else we do. Thank you for making it possible.

Breakfast Waffles and Bacon
Breakfast Club Expect the best of people (be gracious, and forgiving rather than holding a grudge).
Joke “Wood Eye/ Big Nose”
Lunch Shaved Pork Sandwiches
Dinner Pan Fried Chicken, Red Rice, Green Beans
EP Team Fires