Greetings from Upper Mountain Thyme!
Happy Sunday from a beautiful day at Camp!
For those Second Session families I haven’t had the chance to meet yet, I’m Diana, the Associate Director here at Four Winds. It is so wonderful to share with you what has made this week so special.
This morning, I got to spend some time with Madrona, our youngest Four Winds group, after they won my Garbage Auction experience last week: Ruth Brown Christmas Day.
There is an old Four Winds tradition that if it rains consistently for three days straight, Ruth Brown would call for Christmas Day at camp. Paul told me that in his 22 years here, we’ve gotten close, but it has never actually happened. I decided we didn’t need to wait for three days of rain to celebrate a little Christmas in August.
So this morning, Madrona joined me in Upper Mountain Thyme for pancakes and hot chocolate by the fire, Christmas music, and decorating wooden ornaments. We talked about some of our own family traditions and how special they are to us.
It had me thinking a lot about traditions. We are so well known for the many traditions here at camp which create these incredibly special moments that bring us together and build a stronger community.
That thought continued into our Sunday Assembly this morning, led by the Gollywobblers, our youngest Westward Ho campers. Their topic was ‘What We Bring Back From Camp.”
Sitting together in the Junior Jungle, looking out toward the Dock and Four Winds Bay, we got to hear campers share some of what they think they will take away from their time here. Paul talked about how we don’t want to spend our time at camp thinking about home or what comes next, but there are so many things from this experience that we bring with us when we leave, sometimes without even realizing it. It felt especially fitting after this week.
We celebrated Ruth Brown Day, one of my favorite Four Winds traditions. Campers woke up to singing as the entire camp traveled from cabin to cabin, eventually gathering together for morning games. The rest of the day was spent in creative themed groups put together by our counselors, and we ended with some time focused on gratitude.
Campers had the chance to write appreciation notes to people who have made a difference during their time here. It could be a cabinmate, counselor, specialist, friend, or someone back home. I love this practice because it gives all of us a chance to stop and recognize the people around us and the ways they contribute to our experience.
There have also been plenty of other special moments this week. Carnival Craftapalooza brought face painting, snow cones, popcorn, and lots of creativity to the Craft Courts. We’ve had Cabin Adventures, Sports Night, Capture the Chicken , silly skits at Moonraker Point , special projects coming out of the kiln, trail rides, time on the water, and so many accomplishments happening throughout our activity areas.
All of it brings me back to the question from this morning: What do we bring home from camp?
Of course, there will be projects, stories, songs, and plenty of dirty laundry. But I think there are also so many things campers bring home that are harder to see.
Maybe it’s the confidence to stand up in front of camp at Moonraker and do something completely silly. Maybe it’s learning how to live in a cabin with other people, how to compromise, help out, listen, and be part of a group. Maybe it’s accomplishing something in an activity that they weren’t sure they could do. Maybe it’s recognizing how good it feels to tell someone else that you appreciate them.
And maybe it’s the friendships.
I look around at our Second Session campers and wonder if they realize that some of the people sitting next to them could be their friends for many years to come. We hear that story so often at Four Winds from people who started here as campers, came back as staff, and continue to carry these friendships with them long after their summers on Orcas Island.
There are also all the small moments they may not think to tell you about. Rest hour conversations, bedtime stories, All Camp Hangout shenanigans, Evening Fire, walking to activities, laughing around the table, or their counselor taking a little extra time to sit and talk with them about any of their interests. Those moments become part of the experience too.
As we head into the rest of Second Session, I am really curious about what your campers will share with you when they get home and what they will say they are bringing back from camp.
They may not recognize all of it right away. Some of it might show up later in small ways. But I hope they leave here knowing a little more about themselves, what it means to be part of a community, and how special it can be to have a place where you truly feel like you belong.
For now, we are very grateful to have them here and to keep enjoying these days together at Four Winds!