This article is a special edition. As one of the directors at camp, I really want to thank you for sending your boys to camp.

Often times in these articles we tell you all about bars earned, kayaking trips, rock climbing trips, etc.

But my role at camp sheds a very different light on your boy’s day today.

Sure, the activities ran as normal. Boys laughed. They pushed themselves to new heights and made new friends. Keaton B. earned his bronze bar in climbing, and Thompson B. earned a bronze in fencing.

But in my job as program director, the overall program gears churned ahead as well. The extra stuff that makes camp special like Chapels, Little Chief, Evening Activities, and night-time cabin bonding all comes together behind the scenes.

Many of you already know that we have a system to recognize and promote personal growth and camp participation in our campers called Little Chief. It has undergone many changes in the offseason this year, but it’s been my pleasure to see boys like yours flourish in this remade system.

Instead of purely basing promotions and recognized growth on counselors’ opinions, we’ve changed the system to reflect not only growth in the eyes of counselors but also their cabin mates and in participation in concrete activities.

When campers make strides in these areas of growth, they earn “marks.”

Well, we had our very first fly fishing trip of the summer go out today.

On that trip, Mark F. earned the very first “mark” for having gone on three trips ever. These “marks” will hopefully one day add up to earn him the title of Little Chief.

It is these small things that warm my heart because I believe in the program of camp—that participation in the day-to-day will produce strong, humble, and mature men. Mark F. took strides in that direction today, as did your boy today in some way just by being here.

We also tried out a brand new Evening Activity called “Stealing Skins.”

It was a crazy mix between a beloved camp favorite called “Sock War”—a capture the flag-type game—and Frisbee golf played on Mackey’s green.

Unlike sock war, however, the game does not end by capturing one flag. Instead, one tribe had to obtain six flags to end the game. And even after such a feat, that tribe only received 25 points. They are not guaranteed a win. In fact, it’s possible that a team could capture all six flags and lose if the other tribe had a lead greater than 25 when all six flags were captured.

Obviously, the game takes a lot of strategy and leadership, which is great for our older cabins as the younger campers seek guidance.

The results will be announced tomorrow morning, but I will say that both tribes gave it their absolute best and many of the campers even said it was one of their favorites of their time at camp.

After some fun nighttime activity like “Minute To Win It” in the Tucker Inn with Greybeard, S’mores in the Council Ring with Big Slaty, and battleball with Little Slaty and Stomper’s Knob, we were all exhausted.

But like all days at camp, it was great.

Nick B.