Week 6, Week 6!!? It’s hard to believe just how quickly the summer is flying by. The week was highlighted by the Swim Festivals; Senior Camp on Monday, Junior Camp on Tuesday and Middle Camp on Wednesday. There was music at the pools, treasure hunts, swim races, musical water buckets and more!
S’mores Roasts and Ice Cream Parties are in full swing. This week, the Pawnees, the Huron boys and girls, Cheyenne and Comanche boys and the Cherokee girls all enjoyed their ooey, gooey, sticky-delicious S’mores Roast, while the Cheyenne and Comanche girls, the Cherokee and INA boys and the INA girls enjoyed their Tribal Ice Cream Party. Nothing beats a Camp Hillard Ice Cream Party; campers build their very own Ice Cream Sundae, choosing two scoops of ice cream, chocolate or vanilla (or both), assorted tasty toppings like rainbow and chocolate sprinkles, caramel sauce or chocolate syrup and maraschino cherries. An Ice Cream Float is another option; two scoops of ice cream, swimming in fizzy, bubbly Coca Cola. A refreshingly tasty treat on a hot summer day!
Tribal Talent Shows are in full swing. Tribes assemble during their Rest Periods, and campers show off their skills; the acts ran the gamut from karate chops and arm farts to hula hooping and rope jumping, to singing and acting and joke telling! Hillard campers are a pretty talented bunch!
As we near the end of the sixth week of camp, almost every Tribe in Camp has experienced either a Visiting Day or a Visiting Evening. Campers look forward to these very special days when moms and dads, brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles, grandmas and grandpas come to watch them swim, play sports and perform songs or put on a show at theater, while also finally getting to meet the counselors who have been essential in making every camper’s summer fun and successful.
The Pawnees and the Chickasaw Boys and Girls had their Visiting Mornings early in the summer; for many of our youngest campers, Camp may be their first full-day group experience, and moms and dads are eager to meet the counselors and see their little ones in action! This year, the Pawnees and the Chickasaws showcased their developing athletic skills at a Sports Skills Showcase on the Main Field, participating in a mini-obstacle course which included shooting hoops, kicking a soccer ball and scoring a goal at field hockey. On the musical side of things, they performed a few special songs that they had been perfecting for the first few weeks of the summer; Firetruck, I Don’t Want to Live on the Moon and the Camp Hillard song.
The Visiting Day programs for Hurons and older are a little more intense; in addition to participating in sports and swimming, campers perform a Broadway style show on the big stage. This summer, the Huron Boys and Girls hit the stage for the very first time, performing The Lion King and Mary Poppins!
Visiting Day for the Cheyenne Boys and Girls included baseball and softball and swimming at South Campus Pool Complex, which always includes a ride down The Great Green River! The Boys learned how to pick a pocket or two in their production of Oliver Twist, and the Girls were psyched to receive a Golden Ticket to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory!
Comanches and older are always excited by the prospect of a Visiting Evening. These Tribes get to remain at Camp after every other camper has gotten on their bus and headed home! Dinner is served at South Campus and campers and counselors gear up for an exciting evening! The Comanche Boys and Girls showed off their athletic prowess during games of basketball and soccer, respectively, after which they hit the stage to perform the Disney classics, Aladdin and Beauty and the Beats.
Visiting Evenings for Senior Camp take place towards the end of the summer; campers spend six to seven weeks rehearsing for some very exciting shows; the Cherokee girls in Glee, the Navajo girls in Les Mis and finally, The Really Big Show during the final week of Camp. This year, Cherokee boys Theater Club participants and the A-I Boys and Girls will be visiting the snowy realm of Arendelle for their production of Frozen. Do you want to build a snowman??
Next week, the fun continues! More Talent Shows and S’mores roasts, in addition to the Junior Camp Wacky Swim Games and the Middle and Senior Camp Crazy Dive Contests. Thursday is Topsy Turvy Day; we will be enjoying Breakfast for Lunch and as well as some other special inside-out, upside-down, flip-floppy activities.
For more details specific to your child’s group, please read our Weekly Tribal Newsletters which are found in the Enrolled Camp Families section of our website.