Day 4 of Frontier Week was noticeably warmer than the first 3 days, but still considerably more pleasant than years past. All good news, in light of the fact that Owego Raid was scheduled immediately following breakfast and inspection. Owego Raid is one of those longtime Owego traditions that unfolds pretty much the same way every summer. Everybody knows they are going to have to run. And then run again. And again.
All Tribes reported to the Upper Field, wearing sneakers and carrying water bottles. Some campers had already shed their shirts, in anticipation of the sweating that would surely ensue. Owego Raid involves three rounds of acquisition and demolition. The goal is to collect as many tennis balls and tokens as possible. Tokens “buy” more tennis balls. In the demolition round, Tribes throw tennis balls to try and knock over the other Tribes’ cups of water. Cups of water that remain standing will earn points for the Tribe.
First round had the Juniors gathering tennis balls, while Seniors, Hi-Seniors, and Counselors ran to either the pool area, the lake beach, or the Ropes course to collect one token at a time (per person) and return it to the Upper Field. Tokens obtained from Ropes are worth more points than the ones at the pool because of the additional distance you need to travel. Hence, all the running. Each age group takes a turn at gathering tennis balls and knocking over cups of water, until the three rounds are complete.
Lunch today started earlier than usual, to give each Tribe’s meal teams as much time as possible for prep. While the meal teams prepped their menus in the dining hall and picnic grove, the remaining members of the Tribe worked on the campsites. Juniors had the opportunity to work on their respective project sites.
Meal prep involves all of the cleaning, chopping, peeling, mixing, and marinating that needs to occur before the actual cooking of the Tribe meal. A team of Seniors and Hi-Seniors from each Tribe is put in charge of this important task, while the counselors in charge of meal work at the Tribe’s campsite to ensure that the stoves are ready and able to cook the food for the judges. Each Tribe is supplied with the same cooking utensils and vessels, to make it fair and balanced. What the meal teams do beyond that is all about skill and creativity!
Juniors embarked on Junior Jamboree event #6 this afternoon, with everyone’s favorite — cake decorating! Similar to the rock painting and torch decorating they did earlier in the week, they were tasked with using the toppings provided to decorate the sheet cake baked by our very own kitchen staff. Decorations included icing, M & M’s, sprinkles (or Jimmies for our Philly crew), chocolate syrup, graham crackers, and marshmallows. Cakes were judged based on the following criteria: Originality/Creativity, Neatness/Execution, Relevance to Owego/Frontier Week, and of course a thorough clean up! Once the Tribes decided on their concepts, it was off to the races! The Tribe’s name featured prominently on each cake, along with some very creative uses of edible treats.
Meal judging began around 5:30, with the 4 judges rotating to each campsite every 20 minutes. Here’s how it works: The Tribe is waiting for the judges to arrive, seated at their newly-built table on their newly-built benches. The meal team presents their menu, walking the judges through each course and explaining their choices. The judges try everything! They score the Tribe’s meal not only based on the taste of each element, but also on the service/presentation and other elements that the Tribe might creatively incorporate. Once the Tribe’s meal has been judged, the rest of the Tribe members can enjoy their dinner. Everyone enjoys steak that has been grilled in the picnic grove (using traditional methods!) and french fries cooked by the kitchen. The novelty of eating at your Tribe’s campsite never really wears off!
The remainder of the evening was spent working on the campsite and practicing the Tribe’s song for tomorrow night’s concluding competition. The final day of Frontier Week will be jam-packed with more excitement, the shedding of more than a few tears, and the crowning of a champion! We can’t hardly wait!
