The Sari Diaries- Friday 7/717

Dear Chippies, Parents, Family and Friends,

What a day- like seriously incredible…one of those that makes me so grateful that I am a part of #TheRanch2017. So here goes my best attempt at relaying the magic of today at CRC…

This morning at skiing was very cool…we had three Lakeview campers get up for the first time! Congrats to Campbell S, Grace D and Molly L on this awesome accomplishment that is an indicator of their perseverance and strong wills. At climbing, some of our more advanced climbers climbed up the hardest side of the wall blind-folded! When talking to them afterward, they made it seem like it was no big deal…let me tell you though, it is a huge deal!

At lunch, we began a celebration for a very special member of the Chippewa community- Jen the Baker! This is her tenth summer at Chippewa and we had a really nice afternoon of honoring her. Jen’s tenth summer marks not only a Chippy milestone, but in this particular case, it is a truly significant display of commitment. Since 2007, Jen has made Chippyland her priority each summer. She leaves her job in Florida to be a part of this special place and to put smiles on the faces of each and every one of us. Not only through her baking (which is amazing by the way), but also through her obvious demonstration of care and kindness that she shares with campers and staff. While her recipes remain a secret, we do know that she is putting love into everything she makes here at CRC.

So Jen walked into the Adler Lodge to the entire camp singing, “We love you Jen.” After lunch, we headed to the Center Fire Circle to have a ceremony for her. Many cabins came to the front of the circle to read poems they made for Jen, songs they had written for Jen and to give Jen signs and books they created for her. The appreciation and love that Jen was shown was very cool. We always know that campers love their cabin and activity counselors…they see them, and interact with them nearly every day. But for someone who is working in the kitchen (incredibly hard, I might add) to have clearly formed such strong bonds with our campers, is so special! Jen was also awarded three Chippewa Compass Coins at her ceremony- one for Humor, one for Generosity and one for Loyalty. These are three of the traits that define Jen- she is more than just a baker to us, she is a big piece of the Chippewa puzzle, and an important member of the Chippewa family! Jen…“We thank you; for ten years of service and your friendship too- oh we thank you, oh we thank you!”

The Ten Year ceremony ended with a bit of controversy (Chippy Theater). Who made the cake if it was Jen’s ten year?! Cliff assumed that Jen made it and Jen assumed we would have made it for her…how could this have happened- dessert is an essential part of every Chippy celebration! Don’t worry, Jen had a plan! She and Taylor threw Cliff in the lake and Jen announced that it was ALL CAMP CATHY’S! Obviously, campers and staff cheered for Jen as she was officially the hero of the day!

And then the day ended in the best possible way…a Friday night campfire. At the flagpole, Molly L, Grace D and Rebecca V sang the National Anthem. Earlier in the day, Soph-Aloaf and I walked past Lakeview and heard them practicing. In addition to being quite impressed with their talent, it warmed our hearts to hear them finish, and their cabin cheer them on…they were obviously so proud of their cabinmates!

Tonight’s theme was Integrity, and the campfire was led by Sydney F. She along with those who did readings spoke beautifully and shared a nice message about the importance of demonstrating this quality. My favorite story was shared by Ari S- it is one that is read each year at the Integrity campfire. To complement the campfire, four Chippewa Compass Coins were awarded to four stand-up Chippies. Reese S & Nicole L both received the Humility coin, and Loren Hannaford & Sophie Marwil received the Advocacy coin. All four of these Chippies most definitely deserve this recognition, and we so appreciate them being a part of the Chippewa community…they make it a stronger, more loving, and overall better place!

Per usual, the campfire ended with a Keylog Ceremony. Lucy W threw in a keylog for her brother whose birthday is in three days. Additionally, keylogs were thrown in for UN Day, supportive counselors, and friends who had been kind to one another. Ryan Hutton threw in a keylog for the entire Chippewa community. He commented on what a supportive place this is…he explained that he is constantly impressed with the encouragement given to friends and the genuine excitement he sees campers showing for their friends’ achievements. I think Ryan is spot on with this keylog, and I love that he chose to verbalize it at the campfire. I know that what he said is true but I also know that sometimes it is easy to take for granted that we get to spend our summer at a place that is so unique…he helped us to stop and smell the roses…to recognize and remember that we are lucky to be spending our summer here- learning and growing while surrounded by the best people on the planet!

The crazy thing is, that despite this being a lengthy post, I know that this isn’t all. I could probably go on and on, and if I had talked to more campers and counselors, this post would likely tell you at least twenty other amazing anecdotes about this fabulous day at CRC. But for now, that is all from me. Talk to you tomorrow- thanks for reading!

Happy Camping and Love,
Sari