Day Two Monday of Splish Splash Week
Early risers…
Imagine this: you’re eight ten or fifteen years old and school’s out. While some of your friends are waking up at noon and hanging out around the house you’ve chosen to get up at 7:30. Why? To jump in the lake of course! Let me explain:
In this scenario you’re at Catholic Youth Camp for the week and you’re counselor has given you the option of waking up before breakfast to participate in the Polar Bear Plunge. Three days each week cabins can choose to participate in this activity: literally a trip to the lake where you take a quick dip and then return to Sweeney before breakfast at 8:15. Surprisingly this is one of the most popular events here at camp. It’s just another one of those unique opportunities and Catholic Youth Camp provides many of those.
Plus and here’s the kicker cabins with one hundred percent participation are awarded spirit points throughout the week. The cabin with the most points by the closing ceremony wins the week’s spirit award (the most prestigious all-cabin award we offer). Currently the trailblazer girls led by Dana and Brittany are in first place but from what I’ve heard several cabins had perfect attendence at the plunge this morning so at this point it’s still anyone’s game!
T-shirts and cabin spirit!
For the 11:20 activity today (the first all-camp activity and the activity that immediately follows the first camper break) cabins once again had a chance to win spirit points. Each camper was given a CYC t-shirt to tie-dye (many chose to dye them their cabin colors) and each cabin was given a flag to decorate. Some of the most creative names selected where the "Purple Platypi" the "Ninja Duckies" and the "Tipsters" (named after a favorite camp game).
Each cabin can carry around these flags (and of course recite their cheers) throughout the course of the week. The more often they are found with their flag (or wearing cabin colors or singing as a group) the more points will be awarded.
The tie-dyed shirts also have a special place at CYC. On Friday the last day of camp campers and staff alike will wear these to activities and the final ceremony. While we like to encourage cabin spirit campers and staff realize and recognize the camp-wide spirit here at CYC too. It’s a powerful thing to look around the campfire on Friday and see your fellow campers wearing shirts that match and yet have been made unique and personal. In many ways its a great reflection of the spirit of CYC!
A camp favorite…
Tonight campers will be treated to a long-time favorite: Angels and Demons. A&D is a variation on capture the flag where campers (pursued by counselor "Demons" who attempt to tag them) carry around sheets of paper for three "Angels" to mark. Once they have received all three marks (without getting tagged) campers return the paper to their teams bucket. The team with the most marked paper at the end of the game wins!
Overall the second day of Splish Splash week is going phenomenally well. The spirit and enthusiasm is contagious and the campers have shown remarkable bonding even in the first few hours!