Last Sunday, July 3, was one of the best days of the year at Merrowvista: Opening Day for the first session of summer camp 2022. It was all hands on deck in the morning to complete last-minute tasks before the first camper and their family drove up camp road.
This year, the Health Team rapid-tested each camper for COVID-19 upon arrival. After receiving negative results, campers said one last goodbye to their families before entering the building to meet their village leaders, or cabin leaders, for the session.
The White Mountain Eating Lodge, or E-Lo for short, welcomed campers to the first meal of the session, a delicious, comforting pasta dinner prepared by the incredible food program team.
Following the meal, campers learned about Merrowvista’s composting program, one way the camp practices being good stewards of the environment.
The Pioneers and Seekers gathered on the athletic field, aka the A-field, for the opening carnival. The carnival is the kickoff event for each session and includes consists of a series of games campers rotate through with their village. Games like helicopter, where the goal was to jump over a swinging ball on a rope, were a big hit among the villages.
Four Trails campers spent the evening by a fire at the waterfront, enjoying s’mores and learning more about their program.
After the evening activities concluded, all campers returned to their villages to prepare for bed. One of the longstanding traditions at Merrowvista is Village Insight, a moment of intention before bed where villages reflect on the day. Leaders engage youth in thoughtful conversations often centered around discovering one’s best self.
There is much to look forward to as camp moves full speed ahead into the first week of exciting programming.