Olympics 2015- Breakout!

This is it- Camp Towanda Olympics 2015! Get all the details from Mitch’s email to our parents this morning, describing the scene at Camp Towanda, starting at 3:30am! Good luck Red Team. Good luck Blue Team!

191cb0f0-1ff9-40ea-835b-456394a13f22Time: 3:30 AM

I’ll try my best to capture what transpired; perhaps you even caught some of it on the live camp cam if you dont sleep!

A few “on a need to know basis” personnel assembled at four different points at key locations around our 235 acre complex; connected through special coded radio channels.   The truck moves in and out the darkness of the night, a pyramid is assembled near The White Rock.  Simultaneously, the Generals slither to their starting points, get into costume and the Camels unload from their carrier (they came from Wisconsin).

d968eda8-c03e-424e-a191-b24f2982a19cTime: 5:59 AM
All ready, all get into place and at exactly 5:59 AM a special, extra loud, remix of REVEILLE, THE GOAT ALERT ALARM, IS ANYBODY OUT THERE AND WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN  blasts the campuses over the P.A. system.

Screams, cries and shrieks bounce across campus; the kids come running out of their bunks at dawn in their pajamas, bewildered. They see a camel surrounded by a harem of Generals walking through campus.

e7bcb214-aae0-4f37-af60-19f50927a3d8The boy camel entourage catches up to the girl camel entourage at THE WHITE ROCK, only to discover there is a huge pyramid situated on the Infirmary Lawn.

The music continues to blast; the horns shreek and the head Judgie, Bob Miller declares: THIS IS IT Towanda, OLYMPICS 2015!!!!”

And with that, a door opens on the Pyramid and four generals emerge with the team banners!

f57aff78-c970-4da0-b99b-4d25d9f58452The Blue Pharaohs Vs The Red Snake Charmers!!!!

The generals are announced, the camper captains are announced, the lieutenants and the sergeants. They all come running towards the Pyramid which was flanked by the Camels!
The bewildered look and disbelief that there were camels on camp was great!

After much more excitement and team meetings, everyone went back to the bunks, to wash up and get ready for Olympic lineup and then breakfast!

Another team meeting, coaches prep and at 10:30 the activities start; I’ll be on the GHOST COURT.

Feels like a complete day already and we are pumped to get more in.  The breakout was incredible and the games have begun!

The excitement of the end of camp hasn’t even peaked; but wow, oh wow—it is feeling oh so great!
c911f526-bd5b-43a4-b28c-e5eda810c3f0 5443f56d-0150-43ea-9a2a-be5657a83f87 bc91f1ec-2590-459f-a72b-329b205c82d4 73fde2c4-54ce-43d6-af6f-cce2bf6529f9 da9fe71c-2fca-4e1b-9a50-c33b4e29c963

 

End of Day 1 Olympics- Mitch’s Report

c56efd08-8192-4569-a54a-4c24d799c85aAttention RED fans, Attention BLUE fans,

Okay Olympics Day 1 is done. Judgies and Generals are still meeting as I write and the sing scenery and plaque crews are still working late.

The WOW factor of breakout was the talk of the morning; everyone just realizing how cool (or should I say “cold”) it was…how incredible, how exciting, how suprising and how much a part of it they were.

And then the day really got started…

e09edf0e-4003-40dd-bca5-28102a982280As we left breakfast, the maintenance crew was on the main basketball court, shoveling, blowing and sweeping the 3 inches of snow (looked even more incredible in the morning light) onto our mini golfcart dump trucks and then dumping it all into one big pile.  It took several hours to clean, then power wash and scrub the court clean for the first game of the afternoon.  The snow pile actually now sits at the far side of the court, off in the grass.  We are not certain how long it will last!

01206c21-d022-488b-a5dc-5e78992f4703Once the adrenaline of Breakout filters through every bone in one’s body, it helps transform that excitement into a spirited commitment; virtually taking all the ingredients and experiences of the summer to produce the ultimate in sportsmanship, friendship and positive energy.  This is what I saw today…an incredible air of passionate happiness and joy……exactly what we all have been striving for since everyone arrived way back in June. Camp Towanda, at it’s finest!

b560aff4-8389-4fa5-8045-2e1aca7600acUnfortunately I am unable to capture all of the activities and events of the day as I was at GHOST reffing some incredible matches. The thing about GHOST is it really defines what Towanda is all about. Simply; it is fun to play, it doesn’t matter what your level of skill or ability is; as everyone is important to the game (even spectators) and you are never out…..  there is a lot more to it (123 rules in fact)—but it is the most INTENSE and loved sport at camp.

Speaking of intense, we had an enjoyable traditional silent Olympic dinner (the entire mess hall silent), which concludes with entertaining cheers.

Then evening event was tug of war; which was also very exciting; follwed by some late night soccer and basketball games.

773a8285-7280-473b-a796-47ba9770499eSo, at the end of day 1; with still 50 points still to be tabulated, the score is an incredibly close RED LIFEGUARDS 309 and the BLUE SKI PATROL, 300!!!  How about that!

Day 2 is on the horizon. More reporting from the field…

Good luck Red Team.  Good luck Blue Team.