The Sari Diaries- Friday 6/23/23

Dear Chippies, Parents, Family and Friends,

Happy Friday to all of you! At CRC, Fridays are far and away my favorite day of the week. It’s not because the weekend is coming…I mean at camp, there isn’t much difference between a weekend and a weekday…but it is my favorite day of the week because each Friday I can count on a reset at the Friday Night Campfire. And this evening provided just that. Before I get to the specialness of the campfire though, I want to tell you about the day…

We were back at it with regular activities…A Day activities to be exact. Campers were having a blast all over camp…learning new skills, building on other skills and enjoying time with friends. The number of first golds that Luke read off at lunch was through the roof…like soooo many! And at climbing, Elsie G was the first to get to the top using the autobelay- not an easy task. Meanwhile at skiing, Harlow R & Sadie G got up on the boom bar, Paige E got up for ten seconds on two skis, Amelia F, JJ S & Riley S got up and around the lake on two skis, Elsie G, Annie S & Avery J lifted a ski for ten seconds, Teddy S got up on one ski for ten seconds and Lucy B crossed the wakes on one ski. Over at outdoor cooking, they made delicious banana boats and at indoor cooking they were loving the blueberry muffins. My personal favorite was my stop by the basketball courts. Lauren G, Chloe C and Sarah K- three star high school basketball players- were running drills with twelve very engaged campers. They were running lay-up lines, full court dribbling drills and their coaching was outstanding. I was super impressed with the the bball skills of these campers- Chippy Ballers are back! A quick shout-out to that whole class- Naomi M, Sloane M, Chloe M, Layla L, Sunny W, Gemma F, Harper M, Lily R, Scarlett C, Dylan C, Lucy B and Ivy S. Before heading back to the office, I got to stop by arts & crafts for a bit- it was a very cute scene and I got to see some very professional slime making :).

The meat of today though was tonight- our very first Friday Night Campfire. To begin the evening we met as a camp around the flagpole. Sadie G and Julia N sang the “Star Spangled Banner” while Savannah M, Sadie S and Amari S lowered the flag. Additionally, Gretta M had the honor of holding the flag box. When we got to the campfire, Samantha D opened it up as the first leader of a 2023 campfire. The theme this evening was “Culture of Kindness,” and many campers got up to read passages and quotes about kindness. A big thank-you to this evening’s readers: Kayla Z, Reagan K, Sadie S, Logan W, Lila G, Annie B, Hailey C, Emma A and Skye N. Each and every one of these girls was selected to read at this campfire because throughout this first week, we have recognized them for their acts of kindness. Sadie G and Lucy W also wrote sermonettes talking about camp as relates to kindness…their words were incredibly impressive and articulate- they talked about connection, the value of being kind to others, and described their experiences at camp that were shaped through someone’s kindness. As the campfire was nearing the end, we had our first Keylog Ceremony. Campers and staff alike threw a keylog into the fire for all sorts of things- to name a new friend they have made, to show gratitude towards friends and counselors for their support, to welcome new family members and co-counselors to Chippewa, and more. And finally, we circled up around the Center Fire Circle to sing the Chippewa Creed- the song that preaches kindness, and one that we sing each week as a reminder of what it means to be a Chippewa girl.

I probably write this each year after the first Friday Night Campfire, but I can’t resist…campfires at Chippewa are so meaningful…they are what puts a bow on the week, and what reminds us all of the significance of being at CRC. While each day is special at camp, most days fly by- we rarely have a minute to take a step back, and to appreciate the value of our camp experience…of our interactions with others, and of our connection to such a strong community. But each week, on Friday nights, we get that chance. We have a chance to listen to words others have written about a theme that is at the core of who we are. We have a chance to reflect on our past week at camp. We have a chance to appreciate the beauty of Dam Lake as we sit around the Center Fire Circle. And we have the chance to consider all that we are grateful for. There are so few opportunities in our world today to do this but it is pretty incredible that for eight weeks, our little microcosm of 350 people takes an hour and a half every Friday night to take it all in. And so tonight, following our first Friday Night Campfire at #TheRanch2023, I would like to throw in a TSD keylog…I throw this keylog in for Chippewa- for the generations of connections that have been formed on Dam Lake, and for the impact that all of the 2023 campers and staff will have on the world because of their Chippewa experience. I truly hope that the culture of kindness that we are working to build right here is meaningful, and that our Friday Night Campfires, our program and our values make a difference in the lives of our campers, and then in their communities outside of our gates.

Okay, that’s all I’ve got for you tonight- thanks for reading!

Happy Camping and Love,
Sari