As a session camp, we are accustomed to saying goodbye to some campers and staff in mid-July. Though we are sad to see our Brothers leave, we understand that people have other plans and commitments. While some of us stay at camp for the full 7 weeks, we see others come and go, and it reminds us just how quickly the summer passes. Every moment is fleeting, and we have to hold on to the memories until we can be reunited next summer.
Today, the first session campers packed their bags, in advance of tomorrow’s departure. We enjoyed temperatures in the upper 70’s and a clear, sunny sky. It was a perfect day for the Hi-Seniors to visit Costas. Our oldest campers had waited patiently all session for their turn, and they were rewarded with waterslides, Go-Karts, and ice cream! Even a high-schooler can’t help but smile when he’s zooming around the track with his bunkmates.
After dinner, everyone threw on longs and longs for end of session divisional campfires. Awards were handed out to first session campers in all areas of camp: athletics, camp craft, arts, etc. There were jokes and cheers, and a rendition of “Little Red Wagon” that was so loud it could be heard through the woods and across the lake! These boys will treasure their Lake Owego plaques for many years to come. Trust us!
Once the campfires wrapped up, everyone marched to the Stage. The entire camp was in attendance for a few extra-special awards, which Kyle introduced and the division leaders presented. First up was the Bill Robinson Award, named after a former Owego pool director and swim instructor. The winner was Junior Colin McCoy. Next was the Tom Jacoby Award, named after a longtime Owego director. Hi-Senior Harrison Berman received this award. Finally, there was the Jon Singer Award. This award was named after a boy who was a bunkmate of Kyle’s in the early 90’s, but who unfortunately passed away after his first summer at Owego. The recipient of this award was Hayden Ackerman. Congratulations to these outstanding Owegans!
The culminating event of the evening was the slide show/video montage of first session highlights, including the first day of camp, the 4th of July, the Tents in Costa Rica, the Grand Owegan, the performance of Aladdin, and, of course, Olympics. Set to the songs that became each Olympic team’s anthem, the video had the audience singing along while reliving all of the amazing moments from the past 3 weeks. This video will be posted to our You Tube channel in the coming days, so the campers can watch it all year long!
Tomorrow, our full session campers will travel to Montage Mountain Water Park for a day of fun in the sun! While they are splashing it up, the Key Staff will be cleaning out bunks and getting everything ready for the arrival of our second session campers on Wednesday.
Thanks for a phenomenal first session! We can’t wait to see what the second half of summer has in store for us!
