June 1, 2014
As a first year counselor, opening day was definitely a unique experience. After more than a week of staff training, the influx of energy from all of the campers was phenomenal.
One of the most amazing things that I witnessed was the reconnection of old friends. Since Falling Creek is a summer camp, the boys form tight bonds with their fellow campers in just a few weeks and then return to their homes, separated from some of their friends for an entire year. Opening Day saw many of these friends reconnect with all the excitement that a year of anticipation can bring. Another dynamic to this is when the boys would see their former counselors over the course of the day. Falling Creek really tries to foster a lifelong brotherhood between the campers themselves and between the campers and their counselors, and this goal has clearly been met by the joyous look on the boys faces when they see people they know and the big goofy grins that the counselors get when they see campers who were in their cabin previously. I have also noticed an incredible amount of support from everyone in the Falling Creek community, whether it be from the full-time staff, my fellow counselors, the campers, and even the families of the campers. Everyone who comes into camp walks around with a bright smile on their face and is willing to lend a helping hand to anyone in need. It was also awesome to see all of the boys support each other even though some of them had never met before. During a free time, there was a group of boys just playing tag in the gym and when it was time for them to go their separate ways, they remembered that they didn’t know each other and introduced themselves after they had been playing together for twenty minutes. This was an awe-inspiring thing to witness and really reminded me that I need to approach more things in my life with that sort of mentality of getting lost in the fun and not getting hung up in the introductions. Camp has only been going for a day and I already feel incredibly honored to be a part of Falling Creek Camp. I know that the boys are going to teach me a lot and make a huge impact on my life, and I can only hope to do the same for them. This is going to be a fantastic summer and I can’t wait to see what’s in store.
Melissa Greer