July 22, 2014

The common wisdom among campers at Moose is that the first week feels the slowest but from then on the summer flies by at warp speed. Definitely true this summer where to a person the boys can’t believe we are closing in on our last week of the first session.

For posterity, here are the highlights from week three 2014:

Sunday morning’s lazy day schedule was appreciated by all. Although we had a slight drizzle in the afternoon, it did not keep us from a schedule of fun activities that included touch rugby, a trivia contest helmed by Bill, tubing, fishing, Frisbee golf—and we even fired off a few model rockets. The most popular activity in the afternoon, however, was watching the World Cup finals. The majority of campers watched in the dining hall but the lucky Senior A1s viewed the game (with snacks) at Kenny’s house. The Counselors in Training kept busy Sunday with the first day of their formal lifeguard training. The rain came a little heavier at dinnertime so our regular cabin cookout became a hamburger and hot dog fest in the dining hall.

Monday we were back to a full schedule of regular morning and afternoon classes, competition, and trips. The Senior A1s (fifteen-year-olds) departed in the am for their three-day adventure to Montreal. The highlight was most definitely the rafting trip down the Rouge River. The class IV run at the end which includes “The Washing Machine” and “Dryer” sections lived up to their names: many a boy ended up going for a swim! (See the photo gallery for some great action shots.) The boys also loved their time shopping in Montreal. All in all, a memorable capstone experience for our oldest campers.

Wilderness adventures Monday included two cabins of Inter Bs (eleven-year-olds) heading off to Cliff Island on Newfound Lake for a canoe and camping overnight. The trip began with a mile long canoe out to an island we rent. The boys then spent the day setting up camp, jumping off the rocks, and playing with the canoes. After dinner the boys played a full island game of manhunt (a version of hide-and-seek) followed by s’mores to finish off the evening. Another group of Senior A2s (fourteen-year-olds) left Monday for what was supposed to be a three-day/two night backpacking adventure. A forecast that included heavy thunderstorms Tuesday afternoon, however, caused us to pick the boys up Tuesday morning. They were disappointed but all Moose campers understand the mottos “safety first” and “hope for the best but plan for the worst.” Other trips on Monday included a group of Senior Bs (thirteen-year-olds) backpacking for two days around Mt. Lafayette and Junior Bs (eight-and nine-year-olds) mountain biking to the “lost” cabin on the other side of the lake. Competition on Monday included 12s street hockey and a 13s tennis tournament.

On Tuesday another group of Inter Bs (eleven-year-olds) were supposed to overnight at Cliff island but we decided to reschedule the trip because of the weather forecast. Competition on Tuesday included a 12s baseball game and a 10s tennis tournament. Although trips, classes, competition, and special events are a big part of camp, many times it is the little things and smaller moments that make for a special summer. Here are a few from Tuesday: a group of volunteer boys began building a new picnic table for camp (which they will engrave with their names when it is complete); our cooks surprised everyone with a special bbq dinner that had one boy exclaiming that it was the best meal he has had in seven years; and the evening activities were read by a camper in French and then translated by all our Francophiles.

Wednesday was sunny and warm, perfect for a full day of Moose activities. A highlight of the morning class period Thursday was a rowing seminar put on by Port. The younger boys took part in learning rowboating while older campers took their first pull and glides in one of our three rowing shells. The Inter As (twelve-year-olds) had a choice of either backpacking on Mt. Kinsman or canoeing and overnighting on Newfound Lake. The former trip was moved to Thursday for better weather but the latter trip went as planned in the afternoon. The Junior As (ten-year-olds) had a chance Wednesday to go on a mountain biking adventure around the lake. The boys loved the trip; especially how muddy they got on the road back to camp. Competition on Wednesday included 11s lacrosse and a 14s basketball tournaments.

As you probably know by now, after each meal is announcement time where administrators, campers, and counselors alike can get up and talk about what is important or topical at camp. After lunch Wednesday Bill asked for campers to tell jokes and riddles and before he could finish his request about ten hands shot in the air. This was followed by campers getting up and recounting all the games and trips from the last two days. After dinner Wednesday Bill did another installment of “Name that Camper” where he gives facts about one of the boys and the camp has to deduce whom he is talking about. Here are the facts he gave: this camper speaks four languages (!), his favorite food is gazpacho, and his favorite sports team is Barcelona. Most boys quickly figured out the boy from Madrid in question.

The Senior Bs (thirteen-year-olds) headed off Thursday to Burlington, Vermont, for a two-day experience, which included a bit of shopping in town, a campout on Lake Champlain, a tour of the Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory, and a night at the ballpark watching the Vermont Lake Monsters. In case you are not in the know, the Lake Monsters are a Single A minor league baseball team affiliated with the Oakland Athletics. A number of Senior A1s (fifteen-year-olds) spent the day doing trail maintenance with Port on the backside of Mt. Cube. Competition on Thursday centered on an all ages track meet.

Friday was another busy day. A volunteer rock climbing trip left in the morning as did two groups of campers to Lake Winnipesaukee for a day’s worth of wakeboarding and waterskiiing. A group of Senior A1s (fifteen-year-olds) spent the day hiking Mt. Moosilauke and then were rewarded with an evening in the Ravine Lodge. And the Senior A2s (fourteen-year-olds) spent the day in Manchester, NH, at a water park and the night at a minor league baseball game. The only inter-camp competition Friday was an all ages swim meet.

Beyond open biking and hiking trips, Saturday’s focus was intercamp competition. Every age group had a chance to compete as we played 16 different contests in everything from basketball to soccer to tennis.

Before we close, a few notes on enrollment. Although we are at capacity this session (over 140 campers), a few last minute cancellations have opened up spots in the 2.5-week session. Given this, please contact us if you know of a family who wants to make a last minute camp decision. Also, although we have a robust enrollment we can never take our marketing for granted (especially since we are very busy with our other lives). Given this, it is already time to plan Moose receptions for the fall and winter. If you would be willing to host a small reception at your home (and hopefully help us invite a prospective family or two) please be in touch by phone or e-mail. At the receptions, Bill or Sabina will do a presentation on the Moosilauke Experience. We hope to hold multiple gatherings in MA, NYC, CT, CA, NJ, PA, CO, VA, and IL, to name just a few locations, from October through January.

One more request, only if you are so inclined: take a moment to go to a website called Camp Ratingz and write a review of Moosilauke. This past year we had a number of families mention that they used this site as a resource when selecting a camp. You can access the site via the following link:

http://www.campratingz.com/reviews/1423/Summer-Camp-Moosilauke.html

Additionally, please “like” our page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CampMoosilauke.

Finally, a few reminders: Saturday, July 26 is the departure day for 4 ½-week campers, and Parents’ Day for 4 ½-and 7-week campers. Parents are invited to come to camp from 9:30am to 2:00pm for a fun day of activities.

Second Session will begin Monday, July 28th with arrival times for new families between 1 – 2 pm and 2 – 4 pm for returning campers. Buses will leave from New York City at 10am and Greenwich, CT at 11:15am. There are only a few spots remaining on our buses to camp and a waitlist for the bus from camp for second session so if you are planning on using this service, please contact us ASAP.

As always, please call Bill or Sabina with questions or issues at (800)353-4546.

Happy Summer!

Bill, Sabina, Port, Heide, Ken, and Ingrid