Towering Pines Blog
Summer 2022 is Underway
Towering Pines Welcomes 2022 Campers!
You can’t open a summer camp without the people. The moment we have all been waiting for is FINALLY here . . . our favorite people have arrived! Dressed in their spiffy TP polos and summer-theme staff shirts, the counselors were excited to welcome campers as cars came rolling into camp on Opening Day. Everything we’d been talking about during pre-camp training was coming to reality!
The mostly perfect weather added to the delight of the day— old camp friends reuniting, new campers being welcomed and suddenly finding themselves swept along as cabin groups began setting up their bunks. Soon groups of boys led by their counselors were exploring camp, playing land sports, and getting to know each other. Lunch was a perennial favorite: mac & cheese, salad
bar, and Rice Krispie treats. All hot and gooey, Drinka’s homemade mac & cheese is a pasta dish (and comfort food) that is a HUGE crowd pleaser. Next up — pizza, another salad bar (the edamame was a big hit!) and salted caramel cookies loaded with white and milk chocolate chips for dinner, our boys got to enjoy several camp favorites on their 1st day! The counselors put on a spectacular campfire Saturday modeling what future campfires will include: challenges, jokes, skits and songs. The natural beauty of Towering Pines was emanating all day long and well into the evening hours as the bus with our campers from Mexico and other U.S. states pulled into the drive. It was truly an extraordinary day!!
The first weekend is always packed full of action and fun! On Sunday morning we had activity area rotations to give campers a glimpse into what activities they might want to try as as to inspire them to set goals and to look forward to the awesome summer ahead. In the afternoon the boys got creative and worked on their cabin flags and cheers. They also took on the fun task of preparing skits for the cabin campfire after a yummy picnic dinner.
Monday and Tuesday were the start of two days in a special rotation of activities designed to help campers feel like they are settling into the flow of camp. Getting to sample many of the instructional
offerings with their cabinmates is instrumental to having shared experiences and building community as a cabin family. By mid-week your sons are now pros with camp routines! They now know to anticipate the ring of the TP gong to signal moving from one exciting activity to another. They know all about dining room procedures, morning and evening assembly, the “job wheel” for cabin clean-up and how bedtime routines bring busy days to a close. The whole camp even experienced singing Happy Birthday TP style a couple of times as we have already celebrated a few camp family birthdays!
Monday evenings after dinner are usually designated as Cabin Nights and continue the process of cabin unity and bonding. Fun choices that vary each week might include: evening waterfront activities like water volleyball or basketball, laser tag at the Block House, dodge ball, gaga ball, and playaks. Evening workshops happen a couple of nights a week as well, and these entail campers signing up for an activity that they might not otherwise do during the day. Some examples are: land sports, fitness, fishing, rocketry, Magic the Gathering (strategy game), etc. Camp feels more like home with each passing day and the week is already FLYING BY because tomorrow is already Friday!
It’s “Cool to be YOU” at Towering Pines!
Towering Pines’ 76th season is officially underway, and we couldn’t be more elated! We also know that there are a lot of mixed emotions from campers and parents alike during Opening Weekend and these first few days. Shedding tears and feeling your heartstrings pull tight after giving one last hug is NORMAL. You packed, prepared and did everything you could to get your camper(s) ready for an AMAZING summer. We know that you love your sons very much and that you will miss them while they are with us.
WE THANK YOU for giving them the gift of camp! Now it is our turn to do what we do best – TP has been in the business of youth development for what is now our 76th summer. Our theme this year is “It’s Cool to be You,” and we are very much looking forward to seeing all the ways your sons will grow into the best versions of themselves! Stay tuned…