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! On Friday, we honored and celebrated the Women’s World Cup Soccer with Hillard’s own World Cup Soccer Tournament!
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!
The week’s Lunch offerings were varied and delicious, as usual. We started the week with a Mexican Monday, Mexi-Beef Tacos with Cheese, salsa and sour cream. Tuesday featured one of the more highly anticipated lunches of the summer, Sloppy Joes, prepared with lean ground turkey and served with sweet potato fries. Hillard’s insanely popular Chicken O’s were served on Wednesday; most campers and counselors will admit to saying, “I’m just going to have one more.” But everyone knows you can never just eat one more Chicken O! A Make Your Own Sandwich meal of assorted cold cuts, cheeses and french fries was on the Menu for Thursday, and we rounded out the week with warm and cheesy macaroni and cheese on Friday. For the first time ever, South Campus Cookout was transformed into A Grilled Cheese Grill; rather than Hiilard Burgers and Hot Dogs, every group had the chance to partake of this special sandwich that has heretofore only been offered for dinner during Visiting Evenings.
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!
This week also featured another Tribal Color Day on Friday. This time around, campers and counselors added some colorful flair to their Tribal Color Shirt; the INA girls sported some red face and body paint, many of the Huron Girls were bejeweled with pink beads and headbands, Chickasaw girls added yellow knee socks and tutus, and the Huron Boys rocked some cool blue hair and wrist bands. Campers and Counselors assembled on the Main Field, which was awash in a sea of Tribal Colors, for our first All-Camp Assembly and an All-Camp Photo. Such a fun and colorful start to another great Friday at Camp Hillard!
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, including What a Wonderful World 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 Take Me Out to the Ballgame and The Sound of Music!
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 traveled to the Arabian city of Agrabah and met a magical genie in their production of the Disney classic, Aladdin and the Girls were transported to the snowy realm of Arendelle for their production of Frozen!
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 the boys hit the stage to perform a new show to Camp Hillard, The Blues Brothers, while the girls entered the story book world of the Disney classic, Beauty and the Beast.
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 and Navajo girls in Pitch Perfect, the Cherokee Boys Theater Club’s rendition of The Blues Brothers, and The Really Big Show during the final week of Camp. This year, A-I Boys and Girls will be cutting loose in their spirited production of Footloose.
Next week, the fun continues! More Talent Shows and S’mores roasts, in addition to the Junior Camp Swim Luau and the Middle and Senior Camp Crazy Dive Contests. Thursday is Favorite School/Sports Team Day; everyone is looking forward to getting all decked out and representing their favorite!
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.