It’s finally here! It’s finally here!
I am so very excited because the summer has finally started and all of the counselors arrived Sunday! New counselors joined us just before lunch on Sunday for icebreakers and name games in Chapel. After a barbeque lunch in the Dining Hall, they were given some lessons on the ins-and-outs of Merrie-Woode. I love hearing about the history of Merrie-Woode and my friend Dammie Day! After a short tour and a chance to move into their orientation cabins, it was finally time for the returning staff to arrive! With the gang all here, we played some really fun games on the Waterfall Field before we had dinner at Lilypad, followed by the first campfire of the summer.
Monday was an incredibly productive day of filled with reviews on van driving, first aid protocols, and the Unplugged and Fully Connected policy. Counselors spent the afternoon with one of my favorite guest speakers (and excellent teller of Jack Tales) John Brantley, who worked with the staff to develop teamwork skills. What a blast! After some time to meet with their activities and a quick dinner, the counselors loaded in the buses to bowling in Franklin! This is always a staff favorite and an excellent bonding experience for the staff. The dance parties that Merrie-Woode is famous for have finally begun!
And today was a blast! Instead of sitting in a lecture all day, staff played games to learn and review everything you need to know about being a counselor at Merrie-Woode! Our first game of the day was Jeopardy, where counselors answered questions on everything from camp rules to “Teeny Bopper Pop”. We had a rainy day here at Lake Fairfield, so the staff was thrilled to have an exciting indoor activity to do together. After a full day of fun and games, the counselors packed out for their overnights! Staff was split among our four Merrie-Woode campsites: Treehouse, Witch’s Kitchen, Lake Place, and Beaver Valley. This gave new staff a chance to see what their cabin campouts will be like and gave everyone a chance to brush up their fire-building and cooking skills! S’mores for all!
From the trees of Beaver Valley,
Tajar