The Sari Diaries- Tuesday 7/24/18

Dear Chippies, Parents, Family and Friends,

I am reporting live from Realm 3.0 Knight Owl, and let me tell you that thus far, it has been an event to remember. The enthusiasm that was felt last night at selections not only carried over but quite possibly doubled by the morning. Campers arrived to breakfast in their Realm garb and were eager to get things started. It began with the cornucopia where sachems collected bows, arrows, dodgeballs and energy balls as their teams cheered them on at the sand volleyball court. Next came the castle meetings- members of the round table explained strategy to their teams and helped get them hyped (though that wasn’t hard) for the game. Campers next headed to their houses and starting places…they waited for the Wolf Horn to sound which indicates the game is beginning.

Throughout the day, the town of Chipendel was hopping…Lisa was selling goodies in The Gross-ery Store, Jen was selling baked goods at Jen’s Beckery and fish supplies, chickens & cannons were being sold by various staff members. The hospital and jail are also in the town of Chipendel, so there were campers trying to escape jail (an awesome obstacle course) and others waiting to get over their “illness.” As I write this, I realize that this all might sound a little crazy…and it is…but in an amazing, Chipical way. The bottom line is that Chipendel was a place see and be seen.

Elsewhere, campers were raising chickens and fish, collecting lumber and making medications. Others were trying to procure energy stones, guard energy stones, find clues in the woods, and capture & protect the Golden Owls. The armies were sent by the castle to attack different houses and long bowers tried to hit the targets. Houses were taken down, taken back and taken down again. It was a day full of action and activity.

In the office, we got to witness a couple of disputes that each team’s Chancellor brought to our attention. I was very impressed with Marni S and Molly L (said Chancellors) for their honesty, diplomacy and dedication to keeping things fair. After visiting the castles, I think it is safe to say that we have a number of future CEOs running around this camp. In the North Field, Emily Connell was working with Sydney F, Ellie W, Maddie F, Molly L and Carly M to strategize, manage their team and keep the good vibes in the air. Over on the south end of camp, it was a similar story. Sarah Stahlberger was working with Rebecca R, Sarah D, Marni S, Talia T and Sydney G to ensure that the White Team was having a successful day. Both castles have proved that they have what it takes to make plans, implement them and manage people in a positive way…all at their young age…our future looks bright!

At dinner tonight, we went a bit medieval and ate without utensils. Not surprisingly, that led to a massive, all camp, food fight! It was nuts- food was flying everywhere and campers & staff alike were enjoying the madness. Some managed to stay clean and others reveled in the spaghetti that they were being doused in. At the very least, it was a good photo-op…at best, it was an experience that campers will remember forever.

Before the night game began, teams met at their castles with their leaders to recap the day. And then everyone headed to the South Field for the night game and to find out who the point leaders are up to this point. A big congratulations to Nicole L, Bella A and Izzy R who are racking up the points with all of the targets they have hit. The night game, called Owl Prowl, is a unique Realm inspired version of dodgeball. Every single camper and staff member got to play and the reviews were excellent- it was fun, required strategy and had the perfect amount of intensity.

And now it is bedtime…we all deserve a good night’s rest after our very active day. Tonight campers have the option to sleep in their fields, under the stars. It’s a happy coincidence that tonight we will be able to see Mars, the Northern Lights and a meteor shower all from the fields of CRC…it should be incredible!

That’s the recap of today’s actual events but I do want to mention a couple of underlying benefits that we got out of this amazing day. The first is the teamwork that I had the good fortune of witnessing. There was some real camaraderie that was demonstrated among teammates who who may or may not have been friends before this game. That leads me to benefit number two of Realm…it fosters friendships among some unlikely pairs. There are campers of all ages working together- some running through the woods searching for clues together and others hanging out in jail together…it’s pretty cool. And maybe the best piece of this day is the fact that some campers have been catapulted into leadership roles through the random selections. Lucy F, Bella B, Mia B, Julia E, Summer K, Sydney J, Aaliyah I, Emmie D, Georgia S and Gracie G are all house leaders who have done a remarkable job leading their team to create thriving industries while also protecting their houses. So in addition to the fun that has been had all day (and night), there are some soft skills being gained in this game too. Campers might not realize it, but there is some significant value that our community is gaining.

Okay, I think that’s all for now…I hope this post wasn’t too confusing…the aim wasn’t to make your head spin, but instead to help give you the inside scoop of the amazingness that we experienced today. The game continues in the morning so stay tuned for the concluding recap…it should be good! Goodnight Chippies!

Happy Camping and Love,
Sari