Those of us who have been at camp since Opening Day on June 28th wrapped up our fourth week and plowed ahead into Week 5 today. With so many exciting events still on the horizon, it’s hard to fathom that camp has been rolling for about a month already. With Visiting Day tomorrow and Senior/Hi-Senior trips heading out this coming week, we feel inspired to squeeze as much activity as we can into every day we spend at camp. Leave it all on the field, so to speak.

This morning, fueled by a breakfast of pancakes, campers seized the opportunity to spread out all over camp and fully immerse themselves in activities. Today was one of those days where you just relish the chance to get out there and play. Some chose to play sports: soccer, baseball, tennis, or perhaps fencing. Others played in the water. The lake was filled with canoes and kayaks, and the Wibit was crawling with campers. In the picnic grove and on the Gathering Decks, campers played card games and board games. At Scotty’s Stage, the cast of the upcoming “Young Frankenstein” play-acted, already well into rehearsals for their August performance. No matter where you planted yourself, the spirit of fun and the joy of recreation pervaded the atmosphere.

The Tents have begun training for the 100-miler, which will commence on Wednesday, July 30th. Today, they strapped on their life vests and “canoed” to the Upper Field. This involved teams of 2 carrying the canoes over their heads and down to the lake from the Upper Field. The 100-miler is a grueling 3-day trip that demands both physical and mental endurance, and every Owegan dreams of the day when his time will come.

After a dinner of yummy pizza, everyone headed back to bunks to put on longs and longs for tonight’s divisional campfires. Since our second session campers just arrived on Wednesday, tonight was the perfect occasion to take new Owegans under our wing and acquaint them with our traditions. Returning campers finally got the chance to participate in the songs and chants that they have revisited over and over again all winter long, patiently waiting for the time when they would be reunited with their Brothers in Blue.

As July draws to a close and August looms closer and closer, we hold on to these traditions for dear life. We know that although these songs and chants and inside jokes will never really leave us, we will eventually have to leave camp. But for now, we just throw our arms around one another. We sing, we laugh, we smile.

And we play.