by Lex Davis
Perhaps my favorite part of the day is after we return to the hall for the evening. Bonding feels easier when there are only twenty people present, as opposed to 165. In most cases, hall time is the only time a counselor group is together for longer than walking to a meal, but the relationships formed in counselor groups are, in my experience, some of the most important.
Halls are full of laughter, games, and occasionally drama. My SCATS group habitually played Mafia (a role-play game in which players attempt to identify the mischievous Mafia member), but having had enough of that game for a lifetime, I introduced my “Vampers” to my favorite card game: Presidents. In return, they have helped me brush up on my Egyptian Rat Slap skills. (I’m not very good, but I have the benefit of intimidating, painful-looking rings that keep others from slapping my hands.)
After hall time, campers turn into their rooms, and counselors make rounds for room checks. When I was a fourth-year camper, my counselor asked every night what my “rose” and thorn” of the day were, and I have continued this tradition with my girls. They tell me the high and low points of their day, which opens up more conversations, allowing us to connect on more personal levels. Both my heartiest laughter and my most special conversations have come from room checks.
Week one has been amazing, and I’m blessed to have such a social, kind, and funny group of kiddos!