The thing about camp is that it ends. All good things do, as they say. That’s what makes camp so special. We look forward to it all year long and although our time together is fleeting, it is precious. The memories made and the friendships cultivated over such a brief period of time are all the more impactful because they are seemingly over in the blink of an eye.
Today, we said goodbye (for now) to our First Session campers and to some of our staff. Tomorrow, we will welcome our Second Session crew — some new campers, some returning friends — all soon to become part of the fabric of Summer 2024 at Owego.
While our First Session campers departed today by bus or by car, the Full Session squad traveled to Montage Mountain waterpark for an afternoon of fun in the sun. It was a hot one, so the Lazy River beckoned everyone to float around and cool down. From the Juniors all the way up to the Hi-Seniors, our Full Session campers enjoyed 5 different waterslides, the aforementioned Lazy River, a wave pool, and even some delicious ice cream! The counselors who were fortunate enough to chaperone the outing enjoyed themselves just as much as the campers did.
Back at camp, while Owegans floated on inner tubes and lived their best lives, the Key Staff was hard at work cleaning the grounds and preparing for tomorrow’s Second Session kick-off. Bunks were rearranged to accommodate an influx of new campers. Mattresses were added and taken away. Cubbies were shuffled from porch to porch. It was like a camp version of “Kitchen Nightmares” but instead of Gordon Ramsay, there were countless Head Counselors and Unit Leaders working their magic. When the Full Session campers returned from the waterpark, VOILA! Here’s your new restaurant…er, bunk!
Following dinner, to get everyone in the mood for tonight’s MLB All-Star Game, there was wiffle ball. All divisions headed down to the stage in time for first pitch. The Tents took over the Owego kitchen and cooked hot dogs for everyone. Then they took charge of distributing them to the audience! There was also Rita’s Water Ice as a sweet treat (or “Wooder Ice,” for those of you cheering tonight for Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm).
We wish our First Session friends a wonderful remainder of the summer. We look forward to greeting our incoming campers tomorrow. The summer is half over. We take comfort, however, in knowing that there are so many exciting moments still to come. Senior/Hi-Senior trips, the 100-miler, Owegoland, and, of course, Frontier Week. Tomorrow is Day One of the rest of Summer 2024. Let’s make it count.
