The Sari Diaries- Wednesday 6/21/23

Dear Chippies, Parents, Family and Friends,

I am currently writing to you after a day for the books at #TheRanch2023. It was action-packed and it was simply stupendous…from morning till night Chippies were “slaying the day!” And because there is just so much to tell you, I’m going to get right to it.

Today’s wake-up was extra special because we had our very first birthday wake-up (shout-out to Emery S) and our very first Seven Wonders Quiz. Campers rushed down to Tom’s Office to wish Emery a happy birthday, and to test their knowledge of random facts in the Seven Wonders Quiz.

The real excitement today occurred between the hours of 10am and 5:30pm…the first day of Regular Activities! I had the privilege of walking around camp both first and second periods, and I even ended up on the new boat at the end of the morning. And here’s what was happening all around CRC…

Sadie G was the official first camper to make it to the top of the brand new climbing wall. And special mention to Ava M for being the first to climb the other side of the new wall. All day campers were loving the new challenge of our very rock-like rock climbing wall and they are excited for some new fun at climbing this summer! Over at archery, campers were off to an amazing start. Braelyn S hit the very first gold of the summer and she really got the party started. Following her lead Maddie S and Cate M began their gold tallies and Rachel L even joined the fun by hitting her first gold at CRC. Rounding out my tour of the South end of camp, I was thrilled to see the soccer class competing in an intense game of World Cup. Sage L’s goalie skills were out of this world- I could not believe some of her saves.

I then made my way to the waterfront and was lucky enough to witness Riley S catch a fish! While I didn’t get to see it with my own eyes, I am told that Chloe Z actually caught the very first fish of the summer…it was quite an exciting moment. Making my way across the waterfront, I got to see campers demonstrating how to rig a sailboat, others jumping off the water trampoline with glee and some screaming with joy as they slid down the water slide. I then journey’d over to skiing just in time to hop on the new Ski Nautique. Juju D, JJ S, Haylie W and Samantha D were getting on the boat to head out for their first ski run of the summer, so I decided to join them. It was amazing to watch these four campers of varying skill levels remember their ski techniques and enjoy cooling off in Dam Lake.

At lunch, we had two very special guests at the Staff Table. Ari B won a raffle yesterday and got to bring a friend, Grace G, to sit with us for a meal. It was adorable to have them at our table- we discussed their summer so far, learned about their cabins, and heard about camp through the eyes of these amazing nine year-olds. After lunch, big and little sisters met up, got to know each other and started planning for Big & Little Sister Night (tomorrow night!).

The afternoon was filled with other wonderful activities and achievements. To name a few, at skiing, Elsie G got up and around the lake AND crossed the wakes, Parker F & Ryan S got up and around the lake, Paige E got up on the boom for ten seconds, Annie B got up behind the boat for ten seconds and Layla L, Logan R & Charlotte H crossed the wakes on two skis. Ellie A, Sloane M & Scarlett C got all the way up the wall, Laney K got very close and many others are on their way to making it into the Cloud Club…a club for all those who make it to the top of the wall. According to Sophie F who was teaching kayaking today, Lincoln Z was a natural…she picked it up right away and loved being out there on the lake. Basically, activities are off to an absolutely fantastic start!

Dinner tonight was also very special- it was our first Big & Little Sister BBQ. Big and little sisters flooded the mess hall patio and it was awesome. Our older campers are incredible with the littles- they set such a great example, show so much care, and truly have a positive impact on younger campers’ Chippewa experiences. And almost as important as the big and little sis bonding and connecting, was the BBQ dessert- Chip-wiches! Campers and staff alike were going crazy for this delicious treat!

And finally, to complete this outstanding day, we had the Opening Staff Show. There were about fifteen different staff performances- by groups and individuals- showing off their skills or just being silly. A couple of my favorites included the maintenance team performing a synchronized swimming act on Sophie’s Center Stage…very creative and impressive, the JCs (both first and second year) combined forces to do one big JC dance, Cliff sang “Right Field”…always a camp favorite, and the international and new staff had a very funny dance. Campers were going wild as they cheered on their counselors and favorite staff members on stage. We of course performed the long-time staples…”She’s In Love With a Boy,” “Move This,” “Your Man,” and “Unwritten.” I love being up on stage watching campers singing and dancing along in the audience. Not only was the energy amazing but I love how dances like these connect generations of Chippies…some of these have been performed since the early 2000s and each year more and more staff members learn them and show off their best Chippy moves on stage! The last act was guitar instructor and Trip Director, Lauren Hill, performing an original song…she was singing and playing the guitar on the stage as the CRC community was in awe of her talent…the perfect ending to a lovely staff show.

In case any of you were worried, we also had an epic Chippy Dance Party before heading back to our cabins for the night. It was loud and it was fun…campers of all ages were jumping, dancing and singing/screaming to the music. Basically, the energy at this place is through the roof and I am loving it!
So yeah, our day was decent to say the least. Campers have really settled into camp & cabin life and camp is legit starting to feel like camp…not just like the beginning, but like we are in it! Tomorrow night Soph-Aloaf will begin her weekly TSD takeover, which happens every Thursday night. She is not only an excellent writer but she also has some unique and good perspectives on our days at camp…so while I will miss writing the blog each Thursday night, I am certain you will all love her posts! That’s all I got for now…I’ll be back on Friday .

Happy Camping and Love,
Sari