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; the South Campus Swim Festival on Tuesday and the Main Complex on Friday. 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 Chickasaw boys, the Huron boys and girls, the Cheyenne boys and girls, Comanche boys and the Cherokee and INA girls all enjoyed their ooey, gooey, sticky-delicious S’mores Roast, while the Comanche girls and their Cherokee and INA boys 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 Make Your Own Sandwich meal of assorted cold cuts, cheeses and French fries, followed by Taco Tuesday; Mexi-Beef Tacos with Cheese, salsa and sour cream. Wednesday featured Hillard’s insanely popular Chicken O’s; 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! Thursday featured a Topsy Turvy Breakfast for lunch: French Toast Strips, Turkey Sausage Tater Tots and Chocolate Milk, and we rounded out the week with a Baked Rotini with mozzarella cheese, mixed green salad and bread sticks!
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, we also saw several nail-biting Sports League Playoff and Championship games.
In the Cheyenne Boys Hudson River League, the Golden Lightning played the Swimming Tigers while the Musical Alans took on the Mashed Potatoes. The Golden Lightning and the Musical Alans were victorious in the first round and played each other in the Hudson River League finals with the Golden Lightning coming out on top. The East River League saw the Soft Pretzels play the Flying Tigers and the Fire Shark Devils take on the Red Lightning. The Soft Pretzels and the Red Lightning won their respective first round games and had an epic East River League finals matchup with the Scarsdale Soft Pretzels coming out on top.
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday saw real exciting and competitive play during our the Comanche Boys Sports League championship games; with the Flying Chicken Nuggets, the Burning Orange Potatoes, the Flaming Titans and the Deadly Puppies placing 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th respectively in their American Division Championship Games. While the Flying Pancakes, the Lightning Beez, the Spicy Ninja Meatballs and Goofy Llamas placing 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th in their National Division Championships
Congratulations to all of the Sports League participants, who all demonstrated good sportsmanship and great Camp spirit.
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 Rubber Ducky, The Rainbow Connection, One Small Voice 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 All Shook Up and Annie!
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 hit the stage to perform their version of All Shook Up and the Girls enjoyed performing in the well-loved, Disney hit, 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 The Blues Brothers, while the Girls entered a world magic in the perennial Broadway and Hillard favorite, Wicked.
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 and Hairspray and The Really Big Show during the final week of Camp. This year, the A-I Boys and Girls are celebrating 90 years of Camp Hillard songs and performances in Showtime!
Next week, the fun continues! The excitement is building for the Opening Ceremonies of the Green and White Spirit Week competition. The Opening ceremonies will include a Top Secret Counselor Event; the event is so secret that Directors Jon and Jim Libman are still not privy to the details. It is certain to be memorable!
For more details specific to your child’s group, please read our Weekly Tribal Newsletters and Program Newsletters which are found in the Enrolled Camp Families section of our website. Have a great weekend!