I’m betting that no one would fault us for a little whining rant this morning. This is supposed to be the beginning of the second week of First Term. It’s supposed to be the time when campers are fully adjusted, working hard for qualifications and starting to think about camp outs and Black Eagles. Well it’s not. But you know, the world has bigger things to worry with than camp, and we’re just gonna plan to make the most of what we get!
This week actually starts our new mantra. Thank God we get to have camp this year! Thank God a 93rd summer of boys gets to run free in the Hill Country, swim in the river, learn new skills, make new friends and write home (probably) about accomplishments they only dreamed of over the Winter. Thank God we’re about to have a boat load of fun!
When we all started working at CLJ, we never dreamed we’d have a summer like this. We’ve witnessed summers where we worried about rainy day closings, the water level in the river, flat tires on the way to the Rough Rider Trip and storms which zapped the kitchen’s power. Through all of that, the idea that somehow camp couldn’t happen, never crossed our minds.
A mask here or there. Hand sanitizing until we’re chapped and itchy. Disinfecting paddles more times in a day that we normally do in a summer. A Flag Raising without the whole camp on the Field Office Porch. Cohort groups. Those things are less than perfect, and not part of our 92 year legacy, but oh my, it’s better than no summer at all. Way, Way, Way better.
Shooting your first bullseye in Archery while the counselor stands alongside in a mask. Awesome. Doable. A horseback class with nothing but Tophands, creating your own custom bitcoin address different, but when you head through the river or up the hill: Awesome. Doable. Wrangler only GAGA: Awesome. Doable. Seeing hundreds of La Junta men arriving at camp, crossing the mighty Guadalupe, ready for new adventures: Awesome, no matter how you package it. Doable.
We look forward to the final week of preparations and staff training. We’ve been working hard to create a frame of mind that this remains to be the “Best Summer Ever”. We only get one shot at 2020, and we’re gonna make the best of it. We hope you will to. We’ll dedicate the first couple of days to making certain that anything we can’t do normally, gets done abnormally well or maybe even better!
Pack hard. Drive safely. We’ll see you soon.
Life is Good. Camp is Better. (Boo Covid – Yea Ingenuity)
