Author: Camp Laurel South

On Friday we bid farewell to our First Session campers, and while we miss them already, we know everyone went home with a treasure trove of memories and friendships that will last a lifetime! Yesterday, with our staff rested and recharged, we enthusiastically welcomed our Second Session campers with so much excitement for what’s to come.

Today is Moose Stomp Day – games on the North Field with our Adventure team, bumper tubing on Crescent Lake, and making and eating S’mores. By tomorrow, schedules in hand, our campers will hit the Fields, Courts, Lake, Culinary Center, Stables and Arts Center, ready to begin activities. We have so much to look forward to: Moose Bowl and Katahdin Cup…Lion King and Aladdin…intercamp games and tournaments…Funtown and Canobie Lake…camping and day trips…and (most importantly) spending time catching up with old friends and forging new friendships!

Stay tuned to future blogs as we keep you up-to-date on all of the goings on at Laurel South! Camp…the way life should be!!!

How is it possible that we’re already into our final week of the session? So much has been going on since the last blog:

Moose Bowl was incredible! The Black Bears rolled out to a 20-0 halftime lead, and many thought it was over.  But someone forgot to tell the Rattle Snake CIT captains. Fired up coming out of the half, the Rattlers staged a furious comeback, ending regulation tied at 26…that’s right, OUR FIRST MOOSE BOWL OVERTIME! Actually, it was three overtimes before the Rattle Snakes came out on top, 32-26!

Not to be outdone, last night was our younger thespians time to shine in everyone’s favorite: The Lion King. The time and effort of our campers and staff in the production really paid off as this was one of the finest shows we’ve seen in a long, long time!

Today, the entire camp is off to Funtown USA, where we’ll delight in the rides, the food, the games and (of course) the food!  We know we said food twice, but have you ever tried fried dough?

You might think we’re slowing down, but the action will continue as long as we’re here. We still have: Aladdin, Final Banquet, Final Social, Closing Ceremonies…the list goes on. Our campers may be leaving us in less than a week, but we still have time to make new friends and create new memories! Camp…the way life should be!

It wasn’t very long ago that a group of Rangeley men asked for the opportunity to compete in an event where hard work and practice would pay off in the form of a game. Of course that kernel of an idea has transformed into the Moose Bowl…one of our best camp traditions!

This past year, we received a similar request from the ladies of Katahdin. They too wanted to show their skills, to allow their hard work to pay off and to try their best (within the framework of the rules) to win. From this simple request, the Katahdin Cup was born.  Yesterday, the Laurel South Loons took to the field for a spirited soccer matchagainst a squad from Tripp Lake. Watching our young ladies practice throughout the summer, scrimmage against other camps and finally show off their skills filled each of us with an incredible sense of pride. Our ladies played hard, played fair, made friends with their competitors and created memories that will last a lifetime and a tradition sure to thrive for many years to come! We have so much to share in future blogs, but we wanted to dedicate this one to our inaugural Katahdin Cup team. You ladies certainly made the entire camp proud!

Now that we’ve hit the midway point of the summer, we can stop to reflect on all of the amazing memories we’ve created and look forward to all the incredible times still to come! Since our last post, our phenomenal group of CITs broke another Spirit Days for the ages! From the way they came together for the break to the leadership they displayed throughout, we couldn’t be more proud of them. They truly set the tone for the entire camp. We competed hard for two days on the fields, in the lake, making plaques and cheering.  The Laurel South spirit was felt all over camp. And while one team won the event, we truly are all winners, having shared this experience before coming back together as one camp family!

Our 7th Graders are on their way to Ogunquit Beach for an incredible day trip, while our CITs (a little tired from Spirit Days) departed on their Super-Secret Magical Mystery trip. We could tell you where they’re going but…. Tomorrow is not only our fantastic Carnival Day, but it will also be our 1st Annual Katahdin Cup! The girls have been practicing so hard, and they can’t wait to show off their skills! We have so much to look forward to as we enter the second half of the season, and we’ll keep you updated.

Camp…the way life should be!

How fast camp flies by! It seems like yesterday we all arrived in Maine, and yet here we are with our first full week in the books. And what a week it was! We’re all so excited to welcome back our amazing 8^th Graders and incredible CITs today. The 8^th Graders had such a great time camping at Acadia National Park and visiting Bar Harbor, while the CITs had a blast whitewater rafting on the Kennebec River!  We love that these groups have a chance to see some of the most beautiful spots in Maine, but we do miss them terribly while they’re gone. Our first “S Day” was so much fun, as each campus had a unique trip planned throughout this wonderful state. Saco and Kineo conquered Splashtown USA, Baxter and Allagash spent the day at Aquaboggan, and our 7^th Graders toured Old Orchard Beach. Everyone had an amazing time!

Today we’re back to our “A Day” schedules. Roger and Dagni are so excited to have dinner tonight with our 7-Year Club!  While the dinner is awesome, the best part of the evening is laughing and sharing stories with so many campers who have literally grown up before our very eyes! Tonight also marks the start of what we’re certain will become a new and exciting Laurel South tradition. After evening program, we will have our first Katahdin Cup practice. Many of our 7^th, 8^th and 9^th Grade girls asked for a competitive event similar to the boys’ Moose Bowl. Their requests were heard. The girls who wish to compete will practice soccer all session and will compete against another camp on our Carnival Day. The girls are pumped!

There is so much to look forward to: 4^th of July; 7^th Graders Camden State Park excursion; Spirit Days; Moose Bowl; Theater Shows; Rocket Launches…and so much more to come.

Our campers have a saying: “Camp life means living 11 months for 1.” Throughout the year, the countdown shrinks and shrinks until we are finally reunited on the shores of Crescent Lake waiting with great anticipation for Roger’s famous words: “What a beautiful day in the state of Maine today!” And, as Roger explains to our first time camp families, this statement has nothing to do with the weather, but rather the appreciation for where we are, who we’re with and how much fun we’re going to share!

We’ve already hit the ground running.  After Monday’s Arrival and Tuesday’s Moose Stomp Day, Wednesday was our first “A” Day of the summer, and everyone was thrilled. From the Fields to the Theater, Crescent Lake to the Culinary Center, Equestrian Center to the Arts Studio…the sounds of campers laughing, singing and cheering reminds us each day of how lucky we are to be here. Our 6th Grade boys were the first to head out on an overnight camping trip, having left on Thursday.  This morning, our awesome CITs will head to the Kennebec River for their  White Water Rafting trip, while our 8th Graders are off to Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor!  We’ll miss them while they’re gone, but seeing their smiles when they return and hearing their fantastic stories make it all worthwhile!

As you can probably tell, the action is in full swing at Laurel South!  We’ll keep you updated on the goings-on in Casco in future blogs. Until then, rest assured that it’s always a beautiful day in the state of Maine!