On the second to last night of camp, we feast.

Well, it’s less of a feast and more of a regular camp dinner with lots of fanfare and awards. There is an atmosphere of silliness and fun, as we celebrate the summer that has passed and look forward to next summer. The Tents savor their final two days as campers, and use Banquet as an opportunity to shine. Simply put, they serve as our waiters, and they do one heck of a job!

There are 4 major examples of how this dinner is unlike any other dinner of the summer:

1. We are served appetizers! Everyone likes an hors d’oeuvre, and this year we had mozzarella sticks, pizza rolls, and mac and cheese bites. Fancy-shmancy!
2. As mentioned above, the Tents act as waiters! Each bunk was assigned its own Tent, to not only bring more appetizers, refill water pitchers, and pass out Chipwiches, but also to sit and eat with the bunk. It’s like inviting your waiter to dine with your family!
3. We take this opportunity to thank the people who help Owego run like a well-oiled machine. Kyle took the mic and thanked our health center staff and office staff (to thunderous applause). Then he introduced the most important people at camp: the food service staff! One by one, these outstanding gentlemen exited the kitchen and were met with deafening cheers and a heartfelt ovation. We all know how challenging it can be to feed a camp full of growing boys!
4. Entertainment is provided! Everyone looks forward to the presentation of the “Shellys,” tongue-in-cheek awards named after our former director (and Kyle’s Dad), Shelly Silver. The nominees in each category are announced, and the awards are given to campers and counselors based on inside jokes or stories from the summer. It’s all in good fun, and a real honor to win!

Speaking of Chipwiches…

While we enjoyed dessert, we journeyed back in time to relive the Tent years of our current staff. This year, we traveled all the way back to 2009 and started with Hi-Senior Head Counselor Jason Guss’ Tent chant. We proceeded through the years, until we reached the current Tents who performed their chant for the final time. Then it was time for the world premiere of next summer’s Tent chant. Our current 10th graders stood at the center of the dining hall and belted out the chant that we will be hearing every Friday night of Summer 2026! The torch has been passed.

After Banquet ended, the divisions headed back to bunks to throw on longs and longs and grab their chairs for campfires. Tonight’s campfires were the last of Summer 2025, and the chants and songs were recited with a little more spirit than usual. It was like everyone was trying to put it all out there and leave nothing behind. Why not give it all you’ve got, when you need it to sustain you for the next 10 months?

No need to be upset. Before you know it, we’ll be teaching new campers “Little Red Wagon” all over again.