It’s hard to believe that we are already entering week 7 of camp- it has been a magical summer filled with sunshine, laughter and some incredible accomplishments. As our last extended trips head out during the week, the activities to finish off the summer are fast approaching! Final concert, final council fire, final banquet -- it’s all here too fast and too soon. Such is the way of a camp summer, as you all remember!
To finalize the ever-growing sailing program, both camps have their annual sailing race - the Chief’s Cup at Lincoln and the Farrington Cup at Whip. Our most experienced sailors face off in a battle of wits and winds to win as many “heats” as possible around the lake. The winners earn the honor of their name carved into a metal plaque and added to the long line of esteemed sailors to have won previously. Both races have a rich history, with the Chief’s cup running since 1939…. The inaugural Farrington Cup, named in honor of Dave Farrington for his dedication to teaching sailing, was run in 1987, replacing the Whip Sailing Cup which had been held since 1941.
The annual Pinewood Derby is held at Lincoln, whereby enthusiastic woodworkers carve small carts and race down the porch of the wood shop, cheered on by their friends. The physics challenge is always an experiment into the great unknown secret of how to design the fastest cart down a ramp. What is the most important factor - is it the aerodynamics of the cart, or the low center of gravity, or the frictionless axle, or the tapered wheels - no one knows! Some Physics teacher somewhere likely has many theories, but here at camp the debate rages on. Good luck to this year's competitors in the race ahead.
Another annual, all camp event is the horse show, to highlight those campers who have spent a lot of time at the stables and have them show off their riding skills in a host of disciplines. Our most experienced riders will often demonstrate their skills over a course of jumps, or navigate different gates and “gaits” through a technical track. Our novice riders often take part in relay races, called gymkhana, where they show off their control of the horse as they try to complete challenging or silly activities- such as pouring pitchers of water from horse-back or bobbing for apples while holding their horse steady. Barrel racing is another popular activity as our campers try to navigate the famous rodeo event on our often recalcitrant camp steeds!
Final concert arrives this next Saturday, where campers have one final opportunity to entertain their peers with skits or comedy or trip songs. The workgroup this year has ended each concert with “NCCNN”, a camper-led news skit of NCC hilarity akin to Saturday Night Live news, where they share the funniest stories of the past week. And as you can all remember, each week at camp is like a year out in the real world, and the Workgroup ‘22 is never without material. “Live Poets”, the similarly styled counselor sketch which highlights counselor blunders every year will have their work cut out for them, as it is tradition to roast counselors at the final concert. And of course, to conclude each final concert the Wheezers will lead the entire camp in song, and perhaps even add in a few special verses, such as Leavin’ on a Jet Plane ending with “oh CAMP, I hate to go!”
And last but not least, the Final Banquet is the biggest end of camp event, where each camp decides upon a theme to decorate the lodge and dress up in costume, a full masquerade ball to finish the summer. Every year, the theme is different, with Lincoln and Whip choosing their own themes. This year Whippoorwill chose “Barbie” - with a twist - that all cabins can choose which themed Barbie they would want to represent as a group. Hiker Barbie, President Barbie, Nirvana Barbie; as long as the theme is fun filled, joyous and thoughtful, the options are limitless! At Lincoln, the theme this year is "Council Fire Stories," with numerous classics to chose from. It will be great to see what each cabin comes up with - be sure to ask your camper what their theme was!
