I set my alarm for 7 am. They had told us to be up between 7 and 8. I then tried to wake everyone else up. I thought I was doing them a favor. They, the rest of the week, decided to mock me for being 'too ready' or 'too anxious'.
Anyway, showers were interesting, breakfast was brief, and then off into town to go to mass. I have not gone to mass regularly in a very long time. Every year my parents still convince me to come with them on Christmas and Easter. We were told that after mass we would be meeting some people from the town including some of those who would be coming to the camp on Wednesday. At one point in my life this would make me anxious. Some how that faded and I was pretty excited to meet everyone.
Mass was pretty standard. Afterwards I met the priest who not only knew the pastor to my grade school but is a Phillies fan and wanted to talk Philly sports. The meet and greet in the rectory was also pretty great. We filed back in the car and headed back to camp. Next we had to grab lunch, knock out the job jar, and get a run down of our 'stations' before the kids showed up. Well my job ended up being - try to fix the camps internet problem. Everyone else had to check the toilet paper in the dorms and other such things. I think I won that one. No points were awarded, however.
Before we knew it kids were arriving. I was stationed as a runner. We had a few counselors directing traffic. Two meeting the families as they came in. A few in each dorm to help the kids get settled and then runners. Runners got the kids after they registered in the dinning hall and brought them to the dorms. Got them situated with the dorm counselors and ran back. It was the most active role. It also helped later with remembering names because I introduced myself/had a conversation with everyone I 'ran'.
After everyone had arrived, picked a bed, settled in, and played some four square we all changed into bathing suits and headed to Field A. Here the camp had created their own 40 Foot slip and slide. We had the kids on this for at least an hour or more. It was awesome. A rare few made it to the end.
Next we dried off, got changed and then headed to the pavilion with Ms. Holly. This lady has the most positive energy I have seen in a person. She was so lively and so great all week. She got everyone active by playing a game called corners. Simple enough - when the 'it' camper said go - everyone else would run to another corner and sit. The 'it' camper had his or her eyes closed and once they finished counting to 10 they would listen to hear movement or sound. The corner that made noise was out.
Next we played a game directed by the one non-Fordham counselor, Zach. The game is called Poop Deck. The pavilion floor is evenly divided into thirds by cracks in the cement. Zach would stand in the front with the kids lined up in the middle section, otherwise known as the middle deck. The section to the left was the upper deck, to the right - the poop deck. He would call out a section and the last person to get there is out. If he called out the section you were in already and you moved - you were out. He could call out 'boom' which meant - hit the deck. This became a camper favorite quickly and really helped get all of them excited to be there.
Afterwards we went back to our respective dorms, washed up, and headed to the Bell tower, which is the center of camp. This is where we'd meet the rest of the week between stations, before meals, etc. Here Ms. Patti announced which kids would be in which groups and which counselors were the respective leaders. It felt a bit like the Sorting Hat from Harry Potter. We then filed into the dining hall and sat with our groups are our own tables. After we finished eating, we began discussing a group or team name.
When dinner ended, we would break to the dorms briefly and return to name ourselves and then create a banner to hang over our table for the remainder of the week. Many names had been tossed around. Fire Ants, The Vipers, among others. Ultimately we settled on a classic. We would be known as The Little Rascals. I loved this particularly because all week when I needed to get everyone's attention I would just shout "Rascals!" It was fun. Other group names were: Toad Camp J (initials of everyone in the group), GR8, Hamburger Helpers Of The Future, The Underdogs, and Monkey See Monkey Do.
This concluded activities for the night. We headed back to our dorms, got the kids in bed, and hung out outside for a bit before turning in ourselves. I never had a way of telling time all week and it was amazing. I never thought about what time it was in relation to being tired. I think I was in bed most nights by 10 PM or earlier. At home, I'd never have laid down that early, even if I was tired. Here, once I felt tired, I just got in bed.
I would occupy Swamp right myself, as far as counselors go, for the week. It turned out that they had more kids than they had space for with all of us counselors. As such, they moved the other counselor, Andrew Gorman, from right into a counselors bunk named Spear. I was a bit nervous having to handle the room myself. I have experience working with kids, but 4-5 year olds. Swamp right turned out to be the older kids. Most were 11, with a few still at 10. I expected most of them to just ignore me when I told them to be quiet or go to sleep, but I had almost no troubles. Things really went smoothly that first day. Tomorrow (Monday) would being the regular schedule, rotations, and the lake. I was more than ready.
I may have gone to bed sweating that night, and the rest of them. But I was ecstatic, too. I remember laying there, just elated to be where I was. I was in the south for the next several days. It was 97 for a high and at best 78 for a low. No air, bugs all over, and I was absolutely thrilled. That never faded.
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