Hello, friends of the blog! I apologize for the gap in posts. The last day of Camp is always a busy one, and the days after are filled with unpacking, laundry, catching up on sleep, and missing everyone we spent the last week with. As many of you know, this Camp week was one day shorter than normal, so we left around 3 pm on Friday, rather than Saturday morning.

Our last breakfast at Camp included scrambled eggs, perfectly cooked bacon, fluffy biscuits, and crispy home fries. Friday’s Morning Watch ended with one of my favorite Camp traditions. At the end of the reflection, everyone is encouraged to get up from where they are sitting and hug the first person they make eye contact with. It begins with a just few people and ends with campers and staff exchanging hug after hug. The hugs felt a little different this year, as we also shared in the Morning Watch that this would be our last year at Camp Cody, and that we will be moving the Camp spirit to Camp Robindel on Lake Winnipesaukee. The hugs and the tears were bittersweet and filled with immense gratitude.

After Morning Watch, we held our final Morning Group of the year. During this time, groups exchange kind words of affirmation in the form of strength bombardment and reflect on the week. Many groups also participate in a faith wandering exercise, embracing the stillness and practicing mindfulness. This Morning Group is an amazing opportunity to share a few final moments laughing about shared memories from the week.

We enjoyed our final picnic lunch at Camp Cody, which included cheeseburgers, hot dogs, pasta salad, potato salad, chips, and plenty of delicious fruit. At the end of lunch, we were joined by the Camp Cody staff. Our director, Tom Remsen, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Anna and her team for making Cody our home away from home for more than 20 years. Anna reminded us all that we will never again be in the same place with the same group of people and to cherish our final hours together. This message echoed the sentiments shared at the end of every Camp week by Camp’s first director, Rip. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

For more than 20 years, Anna and the Camp Cody staff have gone above and beyond to make sure our week on Lake Ossipee was perfect. They could not have been better hosts to us and words cannot express how much we will miss them. We will always be grateful for all their efforts to create a camp space that we all loved so deeply.

After lunch was finished, we moved into an afternoon program filled with games like shipwreck, name-that-tune, kickball, and charades. Campers competed in their color teams. The final included a dodgeball game against the staff! The Sapphire team did their best against our staff, but the staff came away victorious!

As our departure time approached, the entire camp made their way down to Sandy Beach. Sandy Beach is typically off limits to our campers, but we felt that it was the perfect spot for our final circle and Lord’s Prayer. Under the warm sun, Tom and Steve addressed our camp community, reminding us to soak in these last moments at Camp Cody together. As we crossed our arms and linked hands with the people next to us, I was struck by how peaceful everyone appeared. The last day of Camp is a stressful one, but I can say that everyone was present and soaking up the moment. I’m not sure how our last day at Camp would play out in other universes, but in this one, there was joy and happiness and gratitude. We began singing the opening notes of the Lord’s Prayer together, swaying along with the breeze. It was perfect.

There were more tears than normal as we loaded the buses, and understandably so. Not only are we heading home from an amazing week, but we’re heading home from Cody for the last time. That said, I learned long ago that Camp really isn’t a place. Camp lives in each of us and goes wherever we go. I know without a doubt that our next home, Camp Robindel, will provide us with wonderful memories and camp experiences, just like Camp Cody did. And Kingsmont and Camp Winni before that. I know that the Camp spirit, no matter which multiverse we live in, is constant.

Thank you for tuning in this week. It has been both a privilege and a joy to share it with you all. It means the world to us knowing that we have your love and support as we continue the Camp tradition.

I’d also like to thank our staff for putting in the time and work necessary to create such an incredible week for our teens. Camp takes one whole year to plan, and these volunteers spend countless hours making sure everything is perfect. There is no way I can adequately thank them for their efforts. They are the lifeblood of this program and I am in awe of their commitment every day. This staff exemplifies the quote from Margaret Mead, “Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever has.” They change the world every single day.

I’d also be remiss if I didn’t thank the amazing campers. Each and every camper showed up with an open mind and an open heart, and embraced the program fully. We are so grateful for everyone who chose to spend this week with us. We are lucky to do this work and are energized by the spirits of our campers.

In the next few weeks, our team will close out Camp 2024 and begin discussions on how to make our return to Lake Winnipesaukee a memorable one. We are beyond excited to move to a new home, create new traditions, and build new relationships.

Until we meet again, do good and be well my friends.

P.S. Save the date for August 10, 2025.