Greetings from Hilltop. And, just like that, Junior Session is over. After a week (and a summer) of the sounds of laughter, pickleballs bouncing off the concrete, and songs from the Lodge deck permeating throughout camp, it’s quiet once again. Counselors are doing some cleaning and heading off to their next adventures. It’s that magical in-between time for the young people of Four Winds * Westward Ho, be they seven, twenty, or, well, forty-four.
It was a wonderful week. The campers embraced all Four Winds has to offer. Last night at Evening Fire, we shared songs and poetry, just as Four Winds campers and staff have for 95 years. At the end, I asked them to notice how they were feeling, both last night and as they are reunited with their families today. I encouraged them to notice if they were feeling multiple feelings at once, which often happens at the end of camp, and I told them that the staff and I were proud of them. Very few children their age get an experience away from home. They did a wonderful job adjusting to this new place, and that practice will help them navigate new experiences throughout their lives.
For those of us used to the rhythms of a four-week session, Junior Session goes by in a blink. It can be hard to put yourself into the mind of a seven to ten-year-old, but for them, I suspect the feelings are pretty close to what our four-week campers experience, which is a warped sense of time. Sometimes it feels like it’s flying by, and other times it feels like we’ve always been here.
Regardless of what it did to their sense of time, these campers had the chance to immerse themselves in a special community filled with new friends, fun, caring counselors, a beautiful environment, and meaningful traditions this week. We loved having them here. Thank you, as always, for sharing them with us.
As most of you know, this is usually the end of the Four Winds summer. This year, being our 95th anniversary, we’re having an Alumni and Family Weekend over Labor Day weekend. So, it’s time to get a bit of rest and get ready for that exciting event. To those of you attending, we can’t wait to see you.