Author: Camp Laurel South

When we say we keep the action going until the very end of the session, we truly mean it.  What an incredible final week we had!  From Moose Bowl to Katahdin Cup, Little Mermaid to Mama Mia, Moose Stock to Final Social, Banquet to Closing Ceremonies…we squeezed as much joy as we could into our last week in Maine!

It was so nice to see many of our families join us on Departure Day. It fills our hearts with joy to see families reunited as campers share all the fun they had while introducing them to their friends and counselors.

And while we’re sad to season come to an end, we’re thrilled the countdown has now begun for the 2024 season!

To our camp families:  Thank you for the trust you placed in us.  It’s an honor and responsibility we don’t take lightly.  There are so many camps out there, and we’re thankful you chose Laurel South as your child’s summer home.

To our staff:  Thank you for your tireless dedication to your campers, both in the cabin as well as at program areas.  We hope the summer was a worthwhile experience, and know that you are appreciated.

To our CITs:  Whether you were with us for one summer or nine, you represent the best Laurel South has to offer.  We appreciate the example you set for our younger campers.

And to our campers: You are the reason we do what we do. There is no camp out there than can boast of a finer group of campers.  We hope you enjoyed your experience as much as we enjoyed watching you go through the session.

As we say, don’t be sad that it’s over, be joyful that it happened and that we all got to experience it together!  Until 2024, it will, as always, be a beautiful day in the state of Maine!!!

It seemed like any other dinner. Sure, we had an awesome Dining Hall Dance Party after dinner, but suddenly things got rowdy, as our CITs used the Dance Party as the perfect opportunity to break Spirit Days 2023!! For the next two days, the Blue Earthquakes and the Green Volcanoes competed hard on the field, cheering each other on in a wonderful display of competitive sportsmanship. The cheers were top-notch and the plaques were incredible! And after two hard-fought days, we were all winners, as the final score seemed less important than the fun we had! We had a blast, but we’re so excited to be reunited as one big family, ready for all the fun the awaits us.  And there’s so much more to fit in!

We may only have a week left, but what a week it’ll be! Tonight’s Social will be sure to please the crowd. Tomorrow is Moose Bowl…the teams have been practicing hard, as have the dance squads that comprise the amazing halftime show. Monday evening we are off to Funtown/Splashtown USA for an evening of fun and games and rides and carnival foods. And wait…that’s not all…we still have two theater shows, Katahdin Cup, Moose Stock, Final Banquet…the list goes on!

As you can see, we jam every possible minute of fun into a LoSo summer, and we’ll keep you updated. Until then, we’re having a ball, the weather is beautiful and it’s always a beautiful day in the state of Maine!!

 It’s always amazing to see our incredible campers – both new and returning – dive right into camp.  

Programming has been in full swing. The sounds of children cheering and singing and supporting each other rings out from the ball fields to the waterfront, culinary to theater, adventure to arts and everywhere in between!

Our first “S” Day was a massive success. Our CITs braved the rapids of the Kennebec River in what’s become a highlight of the campers’ final summer. Our 8^th graders departed on a trip that led to some of Maine’s most iconic destinations – Acadia National Park to Bar Harbor…the Old Port to Peak’s Island…our 8^th grade campers saw the real beauty of Maine. Our 7^th grade campers spent the day in North Conway, NH, another beautiful and historic town in the area. Our 5^th and 6^th grade campers splashed around and had a blast at Aquaboggan, leaving the entire camp to our Saco and Kineo campers who participated in the Saco/Kineo Cup!

Tomorrow is one of everyone’s favorite “S” Days: Carnival Day! We can’t wait to watch our campers enjoy the food and games as the Downeast Field converts into the Laurel South Carnival. But that’s not all we have to look forward to…there’s so much ahead: Theater Shows, Moose Bowl and Katahdin Cup, Funtown/Splashtown, Moosestock…the list goes on and on.

Have a great weekend! And remember: It’s a beautiful day in the state of Maine!!

We had an amazing final week of First Session. From the incredibly close Moose Bowl to another win for the Lakeside Loons in Katahdin Cup…from the adorable Little Mermaid performance to the ultra-cool Mama Mia show…From Final Banquet to Final Ceremony and everything in between, First Session knew how to close out strong! Despite the weather not fully cooperating, our Departure Day was still magical. Watching the campers reunite with their families – tears in their eyes and joy in their hearts – as they shared story after story gives us such a sense of pride.

We were truly sad to see our First Session campers depart, but we can now begin the countdown to 2024! At Laurel South we choose our attitudes, and we choose to not be sad that it’s over, but rather to be joyful that it happened and grateful for the experience. We love our First Session campers, and we can’t wait to see you back on the shores of Crescent Lake next summer!

However, we’re now into the start of our amazing Second Session! It’s so incredible to watch campers – new and returning – from all over the country and the world reunite with old friends and make new friends. It’s also great to watch our new campers – slightly nervous at first – realize they’ve just arrived at such a positive and nurturing place.

For the next 3 ½ weeks, we’ll look forward to watching our campers laugh and play and run and sing and cheer as they form friendships and make memories that will last a lifetime! We can’t wait to fill you in on everything going on at camp.  Stay tuned…we’re just getting started, and every day is a beautiful day in the state of Maine!

It’s hard to believe that we’re now past the half-way point of another incredible LoSo summer! While it seems like we’ve just arrived, there has been so much action packed into every day.

Sunday night’s Cove started like any other…until our amazing CITs chose that moment to announce the beginning of Spirit Days 2023! For the next two days, the Green Team and the Blue Team left it all on the fields. The effort shown by both team, the spirit on display and the sportsmanship offered made us so proud. It was one of the closest Spirit Days in recent memory, and, in the end, we all won. While we all had a fantastic time, it’s nice that at the end of Spirit Days, Blue and Green really are 1 big team!

Today is another awesome “S” Day. After sleeping in a bit, we had our World Famous “S” Day Breakfast and IC/Bumper Tubing Morning. Our CITs will head out on the Super-Secret “S” Day excursion, and the questions is not, “Where are they going?”, but rather “Where aren’t they going?”! Meanwhile the rest of camp will venture to Funtown/Splashtown USA for a day of water slides, rides, food, games, and (most importantly) spending time with our friends creating memories that will last a lifetime!

You’d think we’d be running out of events to keep us busy, but don’t worry…between now and Departure Day we still have Moose Bowl…Katahdin Cup…Moosestock…Little Mermaid…Mama Mia…Banquest…the action doesn’t stop!

We hope you’re having a wonderful summer, and rest assured we are, because it’s always a beautiful day in the state of Maine!!

It seems like yesterday we were greeting our campers and kicking off another magical Laurel South summer, but blink, and suddenly we’re a week into the session…and what a week it’s been!

Programming has been in full swing and we had our first “S” Day of the summer.  Our CITs ventured to North Country Rivers for their amazing White Water trip. The group had a blast on the river and enjoyed some incredible bonding time!  Our 8^th graders took an epic tour of Maine’s greatest destinations:  Bar Harbor, Acadia National Park, Camden, The Old Port in Portland and Peaks Island.  It was incredible! Our 7^th graders took a day trip to beautiful North Conway, with stops at Zab’s Country Store and Flatbread Company for dinner!  Baxter and Allagash had a fantastic time at Aquaboggan. Saco and Kineo had the entire camp to themselves, competing in the Saco/Kineo Cup! It was a fantastic first “S” Day for all involved!

While everyone had so much fun, camp just isn’t the same until the entire family is reunited!  And we have so much to look forward to in the days and weeks to come:  4^th of July, Spirit Days, Theater Shows, Social, Council Fires…the list goes on and on! But don’t worry, we’ll keep you updated in future blogs. Until then, rest assured that it’s always a beautiful day in the state of Maine!

Summer is here and Laurel South is off to an amazing start!

The staff couldn’t have been more excited to greet our campers from all over the country and the world. With their arival on Thursday, our camp family was complete. After an amazing Laurel South Cookout, we all headed to Cove, where Roger and Dagni welcomed everyone to another magical summer in Casco. We shared in evening programs designed to rekindle old friendships and build the foundation for new ones. We all went to sleep excited to see all the new summer has in store for us.

On Friday, Moose Stomp Day, we created camper schedules, devoured s’mores and took photos. Crescent Lake was alive with bumper tubing and pontoon boat rides, all leading up to our first program day on Saturday! From Crescent Lake to the ball fields, from the Culinary Center to the Stables, from Arts to Adventure, the sounds of campers and staff singing and cheering and laughing filled the air.
 
We’re gearing up for all the summer will bring, and we’ll keep you posted on the goings-on at Laurel South in future blogs. Until then, know that we’re having a blast and making memories that will last a lifetime.
 
After all, it’s always a beautiful day in the state of Maine!!