The Sari Diaries- Tuesday 6/16/26

Dear Chippies, Parents, Family & Friends,

I am writing you this evening after an eventful and amazing day at Chippewa Ranch Camp. And I am going to get right down to it…

As many of you know, last summer was the summer of Impact. We focused on how we each had a significant impact on one another, on our community and our world. This theme grew from our themes of the previous two summers- Connection & Sisterhood- both focusing on this strong and special community that we are each a member of. As we have done for decades, we aimed to foster an environment of empowerment and support. We embraced one another for our strengths, for our differences and for our challenges. We were intentional about who we were (and still are) as a camp family, and the meaningful impact a summer at Chippewa has. We recognized that there would be highs and lows, achievements and failures, but that through our uniquely bonded CRC community, we would have a positive and important impact on one another and the world around us.

This summer, we are taking all of that to the next level. This is the summer where Everything Matters. Over the course of the next eight weeks, we are going to consider the smaller ways we impact one another. We are going to focus on intentional interactions that helps each individual living at 8258 County O this summer grow in line with our camp values of kindness, confidence, fortitude and integrity. We will aim to ensure that each human at CRC feels seen, heard, supported and appreciated. And in this summer where Everything Matters we are going to guide our campers and staff (directors included) to truly believe that every little thing they do will make a difference to somebody. We want to be deliberate in how we communicate, how we respond and how we engage…when it’s easy and when it’s complicated, we want to know that Everything Matters. So we will lean in, we will be thoughtful, we will build one another up, and because of all of this, we will make this the very best summer ever.

With all of this in mind, I have a personal goal of being more present at #TheRanch2026. Sure, each summer I am physically present- in the office, around camp, visiting cabins and participating in activities. But this summer I want to be even more engaged, appreciate the moments and further embrace this magical opportunity that exists in the summer where Everything Matters. In order to do this, most nights I am going to keep The Sari Diaries simple…it will go something like this:

•Short Intro
•Birthday Announcements
•Schedule of the Day with Meal Descriptions
•Activity Achievements
•Everything Matters Moments
•Short Conclusion

The Everything Matters Moments (EMMs) will be cute and quick stories that I witnessed or learned about that day. That will be the bulk of my “fluff.” And for those of you who have been TSD readers for years, you know that I can really go on and on ;). Aside from that, the outline is pretty simple- it will give you all the deets and allow me to spend more time with your campers!

As for today, here’s how it all went down…

6/16/26 Chippy Birthdays!
-JJ Gould from Park Ave!
Our Day at CRC:
-The Inaugural 2026 Morning Wake-Up!
-Breakfast- Scrambled Eggs, Pancakes & Bacon
-Activity Rotations- Campers visited Tennis, Horseback Riding, Trampball, Wall/Ropes and Swimming to meet the instructors, learn some rules and have some fun!
-Lunch- Grilled Cheese, Tomato Soup & Tater Tots
-Tan & White Reveal- New campers learned what team they are on (for life) by biting into a cupcake with either red or white frosting on the inside!
-Activity Sign-Ups & Chippy Challenges- Campers signed up for activities, and while they weren’t in sign-ups, they participated in fun & funny challenge games…from water bottle flips to book balance, there was lots of laughter in the Theater this afternoon!
-Dinner- Taco Tuesday & S’mores Bars!
-Scarlett Snow- The Opening Tan & White Program! Campers learned & practiced cheers, voted for Sachems (captains) and got to know all about the history of Tan & White through a story acted out by the Second Year JCs!
Exciting News:
While activities haven’t begun, so we do not yet have any activity achievements to announce, the Tan & White Sachems have been elected and we are super-excited for this crew to lead the camp in our most spirited tradition. Congratulations to:
 -Tan Brave Sachem- Paige C (Circle C)
 -White Brave Sachem- Sutton G (Wagon Ridge)
 -Tan Hunter Sachem- Leah N (Horseshoe)
 -White Hunter Sachem- Shiloh C (A-Frame)
 -Tan Warrior Sachem- Laken E (C-C)
 -White Warrior Sachem- Avery J (Bowed Legs)
 -Tan Chief Sachem- Summer K (Circle C)
 -White Chief Sachem- Emma S (Horseshoe)
 -Tan Grand Sachem- Laney K (Blackfoot)
 -White Grand Sachem- Alexa R (Rafter^X)
Everything Matters Moments:
-During activity rotations this morning, I was so happy to see the tennis courts occupied by awesome players from a variety of age groups together. Some of our strongest players in Lakeview were hitting with girls younger than them, undoubtedly helping them build their skills and confidence!
-This afternoon, Skye C (Lucky-X) and Skylar M (Wagon Ridge) stopped by the office for a quick question but that led to a full-on hangout session. We chatted, got visited by Lisa and Bruce the dog, and discussed our excitement for the summer ahead…Skye and Skylar are ready to rock this one out!
-At Chippy Challenges, Hazel G was working hard to get on the leaderboard at one of the activities and Zoe Greenfield (Trailriders Counselor) was going wild cheering for her…like she had a vested interest in Hazel crushing the record. It was incredibly sweet and definitely motivating!
-Tonight I had the good fortune to visit both A-Frame & Bowed Legs as they were having a food party and establishing their cabin commitments to one another. I listened as campers and counselors in both of these cabins thoughtfully shared what they valued in a cabin community. They described what is important to them in those they live with and committed to one another things like staying positive, hyping each other up, going all-in on camp programming, respecting one another’s space and belongings, being good role models and so much more. Counselors guided the conversations but campers were eager to be a part of creating a foundation for how their summers will go within the cabin. I was impressed!

There you have it- I hope you enjoyed reading all about the happenings at Chippewa today. I know this one was long-winded, which is exactly what I have committed to not doing going forward (for the most part…sometimes I just won’t be able to help it). Anyways, thanks for reading!

Happy Camping and Love,
Sari