Oh boy! Opening day is coming to a close and I sure am tired! From the opening of the gates at 9:00 AM to the last song at Opening Campfire at 9:00 PM, the campers and counselors were bustling around camp without rest. It was so exciting to see all of the campers arrive and greet all of their friends again after a long year at home. Now at their home away from home, the campers all commenced the traditional opening day activities, including the swim evaluation with hot chocolate, activity skits and sign-ups, a tour of the newly opened King Arthur’s Court, and some fun Mountaineering games. Today, it proved to be more difficult to hide away than during orientation, partly because of the amount of people here, but also because I so wish to talk to the happy campers! Millie was certainly the star of the show today, and she was an excellent companion for campers that might be missing their pets at home. At Opening Campfire, the girls receiving their bracelets this summer read the story of how the fire is brought from the lake to ignite the campfire, and although this reading is traditionally repeated when the fire is lit every summer, the words never cease to inspire that tiny spark of fire within me. In the words of Dammie Day,
It is because there is a kindred spirit in you that you have recognized what Merrie-Woode stands for. God gave us a place of rarest beauty and, since I first beheld it, I have tried to match his gift as best I could with permeating love and honesty. It is a composite thing, made up of all those who, through the years, have loved it and given it their best.
Sincerely and with spirit,
Tajar
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