summer camp
michaelb posted this on June 30th, 2009 in meeblog categorySummer brings back lots of fond memories from growing up for many people. For some, it’s shore or lake houses with any number of water-related activities to partake in. For others, it’s the nice weather and the pure joy of always having an excuse to go out and enjoy it. For me, when I think about what I loved most about summers growing up, one thing comes to mind immediately: CAMP!
I went to or worked at various summer camps between the ages of 10 and 20. Some were your traditional 4-week sleepaway camps, set in the wilderness, with weekly camp outs, one visiting day, and letters home and care packages. Others were sleepaway camps but only during the weekdays; come Friday afternoon we got to go home as campers (a nice break) or were free until Monday morning as counselors (FREEDOM!). Some were educational or purposeful, like the Governor’s School for Public Issues in New Jersey, where we learned about state governance and civil leadership, or the Urban Mitzvah Corps, where I volunteered at various great causes within the local community. Looking back, some of my favorite memories were:
Pranks: Put a bunch of 14-year-old boys together, and mischief is bound to ensue. We decided one night to sneak out and cover our counselor’s car with shaving cream. As a testament to our skill at the art of pranking, we were able to sneak out, leave a shaving cream sculpture on our counselor’s car, and be back in bed undetected.
Or so we thought. A few days later, returning from an all-bunk activity, something appeared odd in our living quarters. One camper’s room was an elaborate maze of string, and he had to apply expert acrobatic skill to allow him to move to and fro in his room without tripping over 8 different kinds of shoe laces. Another camper found all the furniture in his room (bed, dresser, table, etc.) upside down, which, judging by the camper, would have actually been an improvement on his room decoration skills. I thought I was in the clear when I walked into my room and saw a bed, desk, and dresser all as I had left them. However, upon further inspection this was my roommate’s furniture, not mine. I would actually have to walk a few doors down to the bathroom to see my bedroom set (which actually is not a far cry from some of the apartment layouts I’ve seen here in New York City). It seemed we were not as sly as we thought, and we got as good as we gave in this case.
Color War: You knew the end of camp was coming when Color War broke out. “Broke out” is an understatement, as color wars were more specifically launched to much fanfare with celebrity guests and elaborate celebrations. Two specific break outs: my first summer at Timber Lake West was the same summer as the first Tim Burton Batman movie, so we knew something was up when the Batmobile from the movie came rolling through camp. A few summers later, Mike Richter of the New York Rangers came to camp along with the Stanley Cup his team had just won.
And the list goes on. Have any favorite summer camp moments yourself? What would summer camp have been like had Meebo been around to keep people in touch when you were at camp, or what’s it like now if you’re currently at camp? Drop us a comment and let us know.
Mike
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