Welcome back, Camp blog readers! I hope this post finds you enjoying your Sunday morning. We sometimes burn the midnight oil here at Camp Cody, so you’ll often see these posts first thing the next morning. Now, let us begin.

After 10 months of planning, Camp has finally arrived. Our staff has spent countless hours preparing for this week and we are so excited to welcome 150 teens to Camp this year. Earlier today, our staff, teens, and families gathered outside the Maroon Building at Weymouth High School (or as some of us called it, the old building). Our staff of 65 were easy to spot in their signature red staff shirts, carrying and loading luggage, helping campers find their buses, and spreading Camp cheer to everyone in sight. Six counselors-in-training arrived ready and excited to learn.

As the excitement for our 66th year of Camp came to a head, teens bid farewell to their families, boarded their buses, and set off on the long journey to Lake Ossipee. After an exceptionally long trip (thanks to traffic), we arrived safe and sound. Campers and staff gathered in the Council Ring for announcements, cabin assignments, and more.

The first day of Camp is always a busy one. Right away, teens went to their cabins, began to unpack, and started to get to know one another. Next on the agenda was to meet with our Morning Groups. Each day at Camp, teens and staff meet with the same group (usually in the morning, if you can believe it) to participate in group discussion, play games, and build bonds. Year after year, this is a favorite for many campers and staff. Groups dig deep into topics like friends, family, school, the future, and more.

What’s next, you ask? Dinner! After a busy day of meeting new people, getting settled, and traveling up to Camp, our campers and staff were quite hungry. Dinner included a delicious marinated chicken, rice pilaf, mixed veggies, and salad bar. And let me tell you about the cookie… your trusty blog author considers herself an expert on Camp desserts and this one was a classic. It was perfectly ooey gooey, and some people MAY have enjoyed their cookie BEFORE their dinner. We are lucky to spend all of our meals outdoors underneath an enormous tent. I bet you weren’t expecting fancy al fresco dining!

We then moved to the Council Ring for our daily Chapel service. Revs. Bill and Brian introduced our campers to Chapel, explaining how throughout the week everyone will have an opportunity to participate in the worship service. John Fiander kicked off the service by grabbing his guitar and leading us in an exciting rendition of “Alleluia, Praise Ye the Lord.” Our newest campers caught onto this Camp favorite in no time.

Rev. Bill delivered tonight’s message, encouraging our campers to look ahead at the coming attractions for the week. The theme for Camp this year is “Camp: the Premiere,” and we’ll be exploring different genres of movie each day, so coming attractions was the perfect starting point. If you ever have a chance, ask Rev. Bill about the time he and his friends accidentally wandered onto the film set of Jaws… it’s a good tale.

Chapel is an interactive worship service, and tonight our campers and staff broke into groups to discuss what they hope to get from their week of Camp. Responses were shared with the entire Camp and it gave everyone a chance to set an intention for the next seven days.

The evening program started with each cabin working on a cabin flag and the designs were fun, creative, and thoughtful! Once cabins completed their flag, they returned to the Council Ring for our traditional Saturday night campfire. Since we love a good theme, campers and staff were treated to movie theater popcorn to enjoy during the campfire. The evening included staff musical performances, skits, and fun competitions. This blog author particularly enjoyed Colin Ames and Kelsey Fritz’s musical performance. 

At the end of the program, John Fiander wowed us again with his musical talents, playing “Difference Maker,” a camp favorite song. Steve Flaherty delivered our first Vespers message of the week around a crackling campfire. Vespers is when a staff members closes the evening with a reflection on the day. Many people take this time to admire the beautiful stars.

Campers and staff alike are exhausted after such a big day, but our hearts are full. Many of us are back at our favorite place, and our newest campers are learning very quickly what it is that makes it so special. 

We can’t wait to see what tomorrow holds!