The Sari Diaries- Monday 8/1/16

Sunday, July 31 by Sari Hirsch

Dear Chippies, Parents, Family and Friends,

#TanAndWhiteRealm has come and gone and it was a day that everyone at #TheRanch2016 will remember for a very long time. From morning selections to the cornucopia and from raising chickens to eating from a food truck, both Tans and Whites enjoyed this incredible game. The detail I could go into would keep you at your computer screens for hours but I will try to give you a decent overview. Here it goes…

After breakfast, we gathered in the theater for house selections. There was a Brave house led by a Chief, a Warrior house, two Chief houses and a staff house. There were between eight and ten people in each house and one of those house members was designated the house captain. All of these placements were completely random and displayed on the projector screen for everyone to see. Music played in the background and each team cheered as names were announced. The Hunters were spies and everyone who wasn’t in a house was assigned to the castle for strategy and attacking. The entire camp was excited to get to their locations but before it all began, there was a cornucopia for the sachems that everyone got to watch on the volleyball court.

Once Realm officially began, houses worked towards different goals depending on their industry. Some raised chickens, others collected & sold lumber and still others created medicine to be sold to the sick. Meanwhile, spies were in the woods searching for different items to help their team plan attacks on the other team’s houses. Many Braves were responsible for capturing small balls and “oil” from the other side without getting their flags pulled. While all of this was going on, Jen the baker was selling desserts at the “Beckery,” Lisa & Loren were selling necessities and fun items at the “Grossery Store” and Smoss & Ashley were manning the jail. This was all happening in Chippendel’s town center. Everybody started with 100 Twills and they worked to make more money to help their teams.

As the day progressed, campers and staff were learning more about how things worked in Realm and were able to improve their plans. Houses hired James and Luke to further protect themselves and Sophie Stempel and Taylor Newmark worked to become Knights which is the ultimate way to defend your team’s assets. Finally, before dinner, we called the game, and counted up the points each team had accumulated. After analyzing each team member’s worth, the money collected and the value of their assets, we announced that the Tans won the first annual Realm.

I hope this gave you at least a small idea of our day and the awesomeness that is #TanAndWhiteRealm. There is thirty-eight page first edition Realm Guidebook that outlines most of the details and procedures of this intricate game. We will continue updating it and are already excited for Realm 2017!

Happy Camping and Love,
Sari