The first FULL day of camp brought blue skies and bright sunshine — a welcome respite from yesterday’s dreary rain showers! We hit the ground running…or, rather, some of us opened our eyes from a deep sleep and wondered, “Where the heck am I?” Not to worry, boys, you are at camp! And you have the whole summer in front of you. What better way to start a Sunday?
After a breakfast of eggs, bagels, and Barbara Black’s smoked salmon, bunks had their first Inspection. Prior to the start of camp, the Unit Leaders created job wheels for each bunk, and those jobs started today. Out came the brooms, dustpans, and trash bags. Individual areas were tidied and everyone worked together to spiffy up the cabin. Once Inspection was complete, the fun could officially begin!
The day was filled with activity, from archery to biking to Camp Craft. Seniors and Hi-Seniors signed up for their first week of Choice periods, which was especially exciting for our 7th grade bunks who were Intermediates last summer and had less “choice” built into their schedules. Some campers chose to spend time at the lake, while others played basketball in the HBC. That’s the magical thing about Owego’s choice periods — the campers have a voice in deciding how they want to spend their day. One thing’s for sure: 6th period rec swim was very popular on a beautiful day like today!
It is a long-standing Owego tradition that the evening activity on the second night of camp is Fox & Hound for Juniors and Bombardment for Seniors and Hi-Seniors. An action-packed game of “cat and mouse,” Fox & Hound involves campers running around in search of hiding counselors. Each counselor has a card worth a specific number of points. When the “hound” escorts the “fox” back to base, his team earns the points.
Bombardment is a costumed version of Dodgeball with a thousand rules that only an Owegan can understand. Trust me, watching this game is as confusing as watching a Christopher Nolan film. But the campers love it! Bunks choose a theme, like Marvel characters or Hawaiian shirts, and turn it up to 11. We’re talking face/body paint, elaborate props, and team huddles that would put professional athletes to shame. If you’re not convinced how seriously they take it, you should know that some bunks plan their theme during the school year so everyone has time to acquire the necessary costume!
The beginning rounds of Bombardment take place on the tennis courts. Senior bunks play against other Seniors in a bracket-style tournament, and the Hi-Seniors do the same. The big finale takes place in the Silverdome, with the winning Senior bunk playing the winning Hi-Senior bunk. Tonight, bunk Sioux faced off against Tent 1. In the end, Tent 1 was victorious. Sioux came SO CLOSE and should be extra proud for holding their own against the Tents! It was an exciting conclusion, with spectators surrounding the Silverdome and cheering on the players. The Seniors will have a shot at de-throning the Hi-Seniors at the start of second session. Anything can happen at camp!
