The Sari Diaries- Monday 6/17/24

Dear Chippies, Parents, Family and Friends,

Wowwww! The day has finally arrived, #TheRanch2024 is officially here, and we are elated to be living the summer of sisterhood at CRC! For those of you who don’t know, The Sari Diaries is a blog that has been around for awhile…since June 2014 to be exact. Each night you will hear from us…most nights from me, Thursday nights from Soph-Aloaf, sometimes from another guest blogger, and once or twice per week via podcast. This is our way of letting you know some of the highlights of our day at 8258 County O. This year you will find that some days have lots of fluff and emotion (Friday nights for sure), and some days you will read more of a “get down to business” type of entry. But either way, you will know what is happening here, and hopefully you will feel like these posts are a nice window into your camper’s summer!

Sooooo, onto our day! Today was filled with excitement…I mean, obviously! From the moment the staff woke up, the energy was palpable. I love how each summer, no matter how old I get or how many times I’ve experienced the first day of camp, the feeling remains the same…that pop-out-of-bed, happiness and warmth swirling through your mind and heart feeling…it’s pretty incredible that after thirty years, I still feel this on day one…how lucky am I?! Anyways, I digress- the morning was spent putting the final touches on cabins, and taking care of a few last minute details around camp…staff were working together to make sure things were perfect for camper arrival. And they succeeded- the 2024 Chippewa staff is comprised of over 100 extraordinary individuals who together form a truly elite team. Over the course of the past month, this group has demonstrated an immense amount of dedication, hard work, collaboration and love…they are the best and we are so fortunate!

Campers began arriving as early as 12pm, and by 2:59pm, the buses rolled through the gates. “We Welcome You To Chippewa” was sung loud and proud as the campers got off the buses, and jumped into counselors’ arms. We headed to the Center Fire Circle to announce cabins and each cabin headed off to begin their summer together. Throughout the afternoon, there was unpacking, games and tours. For dinner, we had spaghetti and meatballs- the traditional first night meal. We also sang “Happy Birthday” to our three birthday girls- Noa C, Jayden E & Payton E…three birthdays on the first day of camp! And then (before our brownie dessert), Lakeview began their role as leaders of the camp by going around to each cabin’s table and singing their cabin song with them. I was impressed with the spirit in lodge…in addition to the huge smiles on the faces of campers & staff alike, the tune was decent and the volume was excellent. Overall, the energy was high and the Adler Lodge was LOUD!

Tonight we had our Opening Friendship Fire. We sang “Walking,” “The Circle Game,” and “All My Life’s a Circle.” There was an intense Picolomini competition…congrats to our newly crowned champion, Lila Katz! A shoutout to all of our Picolomini contestants- Harper F & Olivia R, Mia G & Olivia S, Noa C & Sloane B, and Talia S & Maddyn C. New camper, Dylan B, helped us with the Chippy Trivia Quiz raffle, and Dylan K from the cabin of Boots was the big winner. Cliff led the new staff in a hilarious rendition of “I See a Bear,” which campers absolutely loved…even those who have been here to witness it before. To end the campfire, we learned about the history and meaning of the Keylog, and one person from each city represented at Chippewa this summer threw in a Keylog tying the bond of friendship between their home city and the Chippewa community. After Cliff explained the process, returning camper, Rachel L, grabbed the hand of her new cabinmate, Devyn J, to show her the ropes- where to go, and what to do…it was lovely, and exactly what we hope for around here…just some Chippy sisterhood in action :).

After the campfire, cabin bonding ensued. I had the opportunity to check-in with cabins across camp and I loved seeing the connections between cabinmates already forming. As if this day wasn’t good enough, walking around camp tonight confirmed what a special place this is- we are truly lucky to be spending our summer on Dam Lake. Each cabin I walked into was full of excitement. I loved seeing campers acclimating so quickly to camp and cabin life…there was a level of comfort between cabinmates and counselors that surpassed day one expectations!

There you have it- June 17th at CRC is in the books. If today is any indication of how the rest of the summer will play out, we are in for a good one…likely the best one! Thank you all for reading the very first TSD of 2024. Have a great night!

Happy Camping and Love,
Sari

PS Be sure to check out today’s photos on Campanion (or Camp in Touch)!