Our Monday started and ended with rain, but that couldn’t stop us from having a great day together. Campers and staff arrived to breakfast a little groggy and clad in rain gear, and enjoyed French toast, bacon, scrambled eggs, muffins, and fruit. Because of the rain, Morning Watch, as well as morning meeting, were held under the dining tent.

Typically on Mondays at Camp, we hold Morning Group at night and our evening program in the morning. I know that sounds strange and may be a bit confusing, but having Morning Group at night is a treasured experience for many campers and staff. It often allows campers and staff to really open up and become closer as a group. By this point in the week, groups have met a few times and are establishing a solid foundation for the rest of the week.

Luckily, the rain tapered off as groups began to gather for the evening program in the morning. The program was titled “The Midnight Library Butterfly Effect,” and had junior high and senior high morning groups pairing up for icebreakers, discussion, and some good-natured competitions. The discussion questions focused on the book “The Midnight Library” and the butterfly effect theory. Groups delved into topics such as how our decisions impact our lives, the many paths we can take, and dealing with regrets. One of the most popular questions was, “What’s a bucket list wish you have that you don’t want to turn into a what-if?” Just something for our blog readers to consider…

Afterward, groups created a Camp-themed mad lib together, which was later shared with the entire camp. They also competed in games such as trivia, blindfolded human knot, and a contest to see who could build the tallest (and most stable) balloon pyramid.

Lunch featured steak and cheese subs, pesto chicken paninis, TATER TOTS, and green grapes. Today’s Spree Time activities include bracelet making, lawn games, swimming, kayaking and paddle boarding, tie dye, disc golf, and more. Teens were also encouraged to sign up and rehearse for Wednesday’s Variety Show.

The Afternoon Program was our third annual Camp Cody Relay race. Our four color teams, Gold, Sapphire, Orchid, and Heliconia, all competed in four legs of this legendary relay race. There were 9 relays in the race: life-size Hungry, Hungry, Hippos, a kayak regatta, word searches, cup stack, dizzy bat, a puzzle, human ring toss, 3-legged race, and search and destroy (where campers have to extract Swedish fish from a pie plate of whipped cream). All four teams competed valiantly, but there can only be one winner… and it was Orchid! Congratulations to all of our teams on a hard-fought battle!

This blog author was thrilled to learn that dinner was sausage and spinach tortellini with homemade focaccia bread and peas. Between you and me, this is my favorite Camp meal. And to put it over the edge, there were delicious brownies for dessert! Dinner also include a sing-a-long and dance party once all the tables had been cleared.

Chapel was led by our sophomores this evening, and they did a fantastic job! Meg Crosson (with the help of Amelia Dunn) gave the message. Meg read “Colors of Love: the Adventures of Billy Bee” to everyone, sharing that the book was a favorite of hers as a child.

John Fiander got everyone on their feet for an energetic performance of “Lean on Me” and followed it up with two songs written by former Camp staff, “Compass” and “Take me Down to Ossipee.” Both of these songs have a special place in the hearts of many current and former campers.

Unfortunately, thunderstorms rolled in shortly after Chapel, putting a wrench in our plans for Morning Group at night. Safety is always our biggest concern, so after it became clear that the storms were here to stay our team pivoted and decided to do the program with our cabins instead of with our Morning Groups. We are always so impressed by the flexibility of both our campers and staff in moments like these when we have to shift our plans.

Tonight’s discussion centered around cause and effect and the impact it has on our lives. Topics included whether everything happens for a reason, first impressions, the butterfly effect, and how to make meaningful changes. A powerful, and open-ended question, was “Do you think all things are connected?” I’ll give you some time to think about that one.

The rain finally subsided long enough for everyone to gather under the dining hall tent for Vespers. Although there was no campfire, there was plenty of spirit. John Fiander kicked off Vespers with the Nah-Nah-Nah song, followed by “Brother” by NEEDTOBREATHE. Aiden Glennon delivered tonight’s Vespers message. He encouraged everyone to embrace life’s twists and turns and to trust in the process. No matter how many plans we make for ourselves and our lives, we must remain flexible.

The weather tried to get us down tonight but nothing could dampen the Camp spirit. Whether it was singing “Take me Down to Ossipee” together at Chapel, celebrating a successful relay run, marveling at our hidden talents for building balloon pyramids, or sharing nourishing and delicious meals together, there were so many amazing things to be grateful for today.

We’re looking forward to another beautiful day, and hopefully clearer skies, tomorrow!