Slip and slide, chicken tenders, and outer space. Those three words perfectly describe our first full day of Camp. 

The day started bright and early at 7:30 with one of Bob’s world famous wakeup calls. After shuffling to the dining tent, tired faces began to perk up at the sight and smell of scrambled eggs, bacon, home fries, chocolate chip muffins, and fruit. 

At the end of breakfast, Steve introduced our campers to Morning Watch, a time when campers and staff take 10 minutes to sit quietly and reflect on the day ahead. As campers and staff members settled in for Morning Watch, a breeze from Lake Ossipee made its way to the shores of Camp Cody.

Following Morning Watch, the entire Camp gathered for the morning meeting. During this time, our staff goes over the schedule for the day. Steve also held our first Heads Or Tails raffle of the week. Our Heads or Tails raffle supports our annual Mission Fund, which is distributed after Camp to a charity to our teens choosing. It’s a special way for our community to pay it forward.

At 10:00 a.m., campers and staff went off in every direction to meet with their morning groups. The theme for the day was Sci Fi and Fantasy, so much of the discussion centered around where beliefs come from, why we believe in things, and how to explain our beliefs. Groups drafted and shared statements about what they believe in, giving examples of how they live that out in their daily lives. 

Lunch included chicken caesar salad wraps, roast beef paninis, tater tots, and grapes. The roast beef panini was a new offering and was enjoyed by many (myself included). Veteran staff members Brian Hickox and Jenny Sheflin then explained Spree Time to our campers. Each day, campers and staff get to choose from a variety of activities to participate in. Today’s offerings included nail painting, basketball, swimming, paddle boarding, juggling, flag football, and temporary tattoos. 

The Afternoon Program was called “Waterworld 2.0: The Search for the Black Pearl” and had morning groups traveling around camp competing against each other in water and pirate based games. The two teams who finished with the most points after the first round competed in a final relay, culminating in a 100-foot Slip and Slide. 

This blog author is thrilled to announce that her favorite meal was served for dinner: chicken tenders and mac and cheese. The meal also included asparagus and a delectable ice cream sandwich, which prompted a lively debate about whether an ice cream sandwich is really a sandwich at many tables. Okay, maybe it was just my table. 

Chapel was led by our senior class this evening, and the message was delivered by Head Counselor Olivia White. Music included “Lean on Me,” “Take Me Down to Ossipee,” and “Compass.” It’s always so fun seeing our more experienced campers leading by example and showing our newer campers the words and dance moves to our favorite songs.

Tonight’s evening program was an “Out of this World” dance! The costumes and outfits were a sight to be seen! DJ Tommy Tunes got the night started with some fan favorites, Camp classics, and new songs that our campers and staff enjoyed all night long. This Swiftie was very pleased with the number of Taylor Swift songs and many of our campers agreed.

Colin Liebert provided our Vespers message this evening, encouraging campers to explore the “what ifs” and to believe in themselves, especially as they grow and learn more about who they are. As our camp community held hands and sang the Lord’s Prayer together, a few of us looked up just in time to see the most wonderful shooting star.

I believe that today was a very good day.