2002 Week # 1
Jeremy Sanzone's experience during the first week of camp 2002
The first week of camp is more than likely the most exciting. For most of the teens it is the first time they have seen each other in a year. For the counselors that rings just as true.
Sunday afternoon 3:00 PM: Campers start to show up with their parents (30 minutes early). Most teens run into their cabin, if they don't see any of their friends, and stake claim to their bunk, sometimes stating "I claim this bunk for [insert name]!" (well maybe not as poetic as that, but you get the picture).
Sunday afternoon 3:30 PM: Begins registration. Possibly the most difficult part of the camping season. Medical forms being faxed, doctors being called, more medical forms being faxed... While the registration is being deliberated by the parents the campers are out and about. From an onlookers point of view the kids running around might seem like chaos and for the most part, it is.
It is a great responsibility and honor to meet the parents as they come into the cabin to drop off the bags that you are wondering.. "how are we gunna fit that under the bunk"... or ..."did you pack for 2 weeks?". It is great when the parents start to give sound advice to their children like "listen to your counselor... and brush your teeth, Twice a day!" I like to add to that, while am standing there, "don't worry will have him do that everyday as well." A note to the campers, sleep near to the counselors because there is always a fan pointed that way.
About 5:30 PM the campers and staff meet at the green benches (which on a side note: one year they were re-built and painted gray by camp bethel so TRCC asked if we could repaint it green, in keeping with tradition, I mean who would want to call it the "Gray Benches"?). Once there and all accounted for we make our way into the cafeteria where 95% of the campers have a subway sandwich.
Monday 8:00 AM: Breakfast is great but it seems awfully hot for 8 AM. Soon the reports start coming in from camp staff who actually have a radio that the temperature is supposed to be 100 degrees with a humidity of 99.9% (just short of rain). As a counselor at a camp in New England you have to be prepared for any type of weather, from snow to rain to freezing rain to hazy hot and humid days. Some of us were prepared, and some were not.
I tried to change 2 times a day, some actually changed 3 times a day, but when Wednesday came they found out that the suitcase wasn't magical. The clothes that were placed into it were now dirtier and smellier than when they placed them in there originally. On a comical note: for some of those campers and counselors, who were starting to look at those old clothes and think about wearing them, we had an activity so they could wash their clothes. We set up 3 buckets: 1 for first rinse, 2 for cleaning, 3 final rinse.
I would say that this week was a trying week for all that attended. There were a lot of campers getting stressed out about the heat and the lack of energy that they had. But there were more than I expected that were enthusiastic about being with each other and learning about Christ and about being a friend.
There were almost 110 teens at this years enthusiastic 1st week of Tidal River Christian Camp (June 31 - July 5th). There was one camper added to the kingdom this week of camp. She was baptized in the Connecticut River.
By the way we are not allowed to swim in the river, but you can be baptized in it ;).
Not so much during the senior weeks but in the junior weeks some of these campers have never even spent a night away from home. So I always make it a point to ask the parents if there is anything that I might need to know (by the way if you ask this question be prepared with a pad and pen cause you will get more than you think you need to know, but write it down, it is important).
If you weren't involved you missed out. Get involved, and be a friend.
-Jeremy Sanzone