The Sari Diaries- Thursday 7/20/23

Dearest Chippies,

What a splendid day it has been at #TheRanch2023. Second session is off to a fantastic start and the air at CRC is filled with an intangible yet magnetic excitement. The smiles are big, the laughs are loud, and there is a renewed sense of appreciation for the Chippewa experience. What more could you ask for?!

Let’s get into the details of the day… it was a cold-ish day over here, but the lacking degrees were made up for in activity achievements. According to former Fishing Director Leah Berns, today was “the best fishing period ever.” Together, Sydney B, Annie F and Viv L caught 8 FISH! In one hour! That’s bonkers! It was also (another) achievement-heavy day down at the ski docks… Viv L and Olivia W got up on 2 skis for 10 seconds, Mia R lifted, Ava Z got around the lake on 1 ski, and Lily R lifted. Congrats to you all… those are some serious skills!

During rest hour, we had the first Songfest practice of 2023. Tans gathered in the South Field and Whites gathered in the North Field to learn their team’s theme. I wish I could give you more details on what those themes are, but as a Neutral myself, I do not find out the theme until right before the Songfest performance. That said, I am sure many details will be arriving home shortly in letters… and from what I have heard, campers are pleased and both themes are really good! By time I write to you next Thursday, the performances will have happened, and I will definitely have LOTS more to report!

Tonight, we had one of—if not THE—most popular evening program of the summer… Pirate Night! Cabins dressed in rainbow colors and ran around camp searching for clues and flags, while also trying to evade the pirates and not get caught. It was a fierce competition as cabins uncovered one “finish the lyrics” clue after another. In the end, Bowed Legs recovered the treasure in the mailbox, and Trailriders won the whole game! Overall, it was a great, enthusiastic night!

And now, as I write this, campers are back in their cabins doing bonding games. Sophie F just got back to the Office after a loop around camp and is recounting the amazing activities happening in each cabin. As I listen to her, I am reminded that while the tangible achievements are the obvious good parts of a camp day, it is those meaningful in-between conversations and cabin activities that ultimately build the foundation of the Chippewa experience. That is where trust and connections are built. Knowing that those types of things were happening around camp tonight is the cherry on top to an already amazing day!

That’s all I’ve got for you this evening. Long story short: it was a good one. Dare I say, a really good one. And while the last thing I want to do is wish away time, I look forward to joining you all back on this screen next week. Talk to you then!

Sincerely,
Soph Aloaf