The Sari Diaries- Friday 7/3/26

Dear Chippies, Parents, Family and Friends,

I’m not sure it’s possible but this Friday actually outdid most other outstanding Fridays. It is true that Fridays are the absolute highlight for me personally and I am fairly certain that I am not alone in this feeling. So here goes my best attempt at describing the moments of our day that made it so very special…

7/3/26 Chippy Birthday!
-Charlie M from Copper Stripes’s 11th Birthday

Our Day at CRC
-Morning Wake-Up!
-Breakfast- Scrambled Eggs, French Toast, Turkey Bacon and Breakfast Potatoes!
-Cabin Clean-Up- I don’t always mention this but I just need to say how impressive Cabin Clean-Up has been lately. Cabins are taking cleanliness seriously and competing hard for First Session Honor Cabin. Horseshoe, C-C and Bowed Legs all got perfect scores today and Rafter^X got a 98- their best score by far this summer!
-1st & 2nd Period Activities- There was so much enthusiasm surrounding activities today. From the lake to the stables, campers were eager to activity it up this morning! -The Friday Blend Lunch- Chicken Fingers & French Fries! Each Friday it gets better- these lunches that we get to enjoy with our Friday tables are so much fun and so very spirited. The Friday Blend playlist happens to be amazing but that is only part of the reason campers and staff alike are loving this new CRC tradition.

-United Nations Day team announcements and sign-ups. We all gathered at the Center Fire Circle to learn which of the four teams everybody was on. The countries for UN Day 2026 are Samoa, Bahamas, Jamaica and Palau. Let’s go Samoa (yes, that’s the team I am on ;).
-3rd, 4th & 5th Period Activities!
-Dinner- Ribs, BBQ Chicken, Steak Fries, Dinner Rolls and Chocolate Chip Cookies!
-Friday Night Campfire- Theme was Wonder
Campfire Leader: Sadie M (Lakeview)
Quote, Poem & Story Readers: Mia R (C-C), Remy P (Cactus), Emerson M (Rafter^X), Ruby F (C-C), Naomi M (Horseshoe), Yael S (Trailriders), Miley L (Silverspurs), Leona K (Bowed Legs), Charlotte H (Trailriders), Cora P (Timber Walk), Winnie K (Copper Stripes) and Morgan K (Wagon Ridge).
Sermonettes: Evelyn Keene (Lucky-X) and Emmy L (Timber Walk)
Flag Pole Participants: Jenna W (Lakeview), Mila S (Lakeview), Evah R (Lakeview), Dylan C (Trailriders)

Activity Achievements
-Skylar S (Lucky-X) crossed the wakes on two skis!
-Sienna Z (Timber Walk) got up and around the lake on two skis!
-Margaux K (Bowed Legs) got up and around the lake on two skis!
-Ryan S (A-Frame) got up and around on one ski and crossed the wakes on one ski!
-Tatum R (Lucky-X) crossed the wakes on two skis!
-Nora C (Circle C) lifted a ski for ten seconds!
-Olivia G (Bowed Legs), Zoe C (Lakeview), Mia R (C-C), Amelia F (Bowed Legs), Jillian C (Lakeview), Mikki L (Lakeview) and Chloe Z (C-C) joined the Gold Club today after hitting their 100th golds!
-Glorie G (Rafter^X) hit three golds in archery this morning!
-Trailriders campers Lila M, Sami S, Billie S, Julia M, Lila S, Chloe M, Coral S, Sasha C, Kedzie Z, Lily R and Scarlett C all tested for and became White Caps in swimming today. Huge accomplishment and so cool that they all wanted to take on this challenge!

Everything Matters Moments
-At archery this morning, there was a pretty cool full circle moment. We had Zoe C (Lakeview) looking to hit her 100th gold to make it to the Gold Club. Two targets away, we had Glorie L (Rafter^X) working to hit her very first gold of her Chippewa career. And sure enough both of them succeeded this morning. It was an EMM for sure- the type of thing that happens because our program allows 15 year-olds and 8 year-olds to share experiences like this…I just love it!
-I stopped by swimming this morning to find the entirety of Bowed Legs & C-C enjoying Dam Lake. They were blobbing, trying to log roll on the Keylog in the shallow end, hanging out on the splash mat and practicing their dives & safety jumps. They were happy and they seemed so free- like just their authentic, uninhibited selves…loving their time together, giggling endlessly and doing camp in just the way it was intended! Shout-out to Haddie I & Teddy L for their very impressive safety jumps, and to Leni B for her outstanding dive!
-I had quite a big teatherball day…it kind of just happened. The other day both Remi P & Tatum G from Boots crushed me in teatherball. Quite honestly, I thought I had lost my gift for this playground sport. But fear not, I am back! I had the great fortune to play Cam R (Boots), Violet G (Copper Stripes), Alexia C (Cactus), Dylan B (Boots) and Remy P (Cactus). Still to come is a match-up with Harper W & Jordie K (Cactus). We were all crowded around the wall & ropes teatherball court and it was once again just so campy. The ball was hitting branches on the surrounding trees, there were random rules being made up, campers were cheering one another on and were having good old fashioned fun. A big thank you to all of those campers for including me…it made my day!
-As you likely know, tomorrow is the Fourth of July. Fourth of July is a major deal at Chippewa- the kind of thing that campers look forward to all year long. The cabin of Lakeview (the oldest campers) has the responsibility of planning the entire day- from meals to programming and every little detail in between. The cabin of Lakeview has been working hard and working together to create a day that will leave a lasting impression on all those living at 8258 County O this summer. I remember these Lakeview campers in their first summers at camp- they were the Blackfoot Plumbers who were obsessed with Flannigan…the youngest campers in camp who were floating through their summers. To see them now in the role of leaders of the camp, and pouring their hearts into planning a day-long program that will inevitably be a highlight of the summer for so many, is so stinking cool. It’s one of those things…we blink and our eight year olds become fifteen year-olds whose camp experience begins shifting…it becomes a little bit more selfless and a little bit more intentional…what a cycle the camper career at Chippewa is!

I hope this adequately portrayed just the type of spectacular-ness we experienced today at #TheRanch2026. This session is flying by- I would love to slow it down- but I think all of us at CRC can agree that this summer has some serious meaning…it is exceptional and we are taking in each and every moment because we know that each and every one of them matter!

Happy Camping and Love,
Sari