Summer Starter is my favorite week of the camping season. It is a week for our high school kids (Hi-Leaguers) to just be campers. They talk about camp all year long and to see their smiling faces as they get off the buses is the best! You can almost see the tension rolling off their backs as they enter the chapel, the Hi-Leaguers are all chatting up a storm because they are not on their cell phones. I love it, and all is right with the world when kids are at camp!
During summer starter, we continue to prepare the high school kids for their role as Counselors and Workstaffersthroughout the summer. Each evening in their cabin the Counselors will be leading their group of campers in devotions. The Senior Staff leads a session on how to prepare for a successful devotion. They give them tips on specific topics they can use and strategies on how to engage the campers in discussion.
We also have them spend time with the Fun Squad playing games that we will be using during the summer so they will know all the rules in advance. Then we spend time learning how to clean a toilet, clean a shower, even the outdoor biffies we also watered the flowers and cleaned the common areas, things that had to be done. Assignments were made so that everyone has the opportunity to help in the kitchen for a meal, setting tables, doing the dishes, and overall everyone seemed to enjoy helping out in the lodge. It was another great week at COP!