A Day at Camp
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Mr. Joe 0 'Connor, Counselor/Interpreter
Lions Camp Badger is very unique in that it devotes time to both academics and just plain having fun. The first part of each day is devoted to classes. The rest of the day is spent swimming, doing electives, boating, hiking, etc. The weekends are filled with both camp-wide and small group activities for the campers to enjoy. To give you a better insight as to what your campers are doing at Lions Camp Badger, let's take a look at the routine of a typical day, a Monday for example.
At 7:00 AM the campers are cheerfully greeted by the Activities Director with a "GOOD MORNING, LIONS CAMP BADGER !!!" The Director plays some "good morning music" and the campers have until 8:00 to get ready for the day. This includes getting dressed, making beds, tidying up the cabin, brushing their teeth, and taking care of any other needs. After reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at 8:00, everyone enters the dining hall to have breakfast.
From 9:00 to 12:00, the campers go to their classes. Teaching Assistants help the students transition from one class to the next. At noon, the campers have an hour for lunch, after which they are given thirty minutes to change into bathing suits and put on sunscreen. Then they attend the last of their classes.
The end of classes for the day marks the beginning of electives. There are two sessions of an hour each, with a fifteen minute transition between the two. This longer transition is necessary for the campers who had swimming for their first elective; the time is used to change into dry clothes.
The Primaries swim during one elective and the YAPS during the other. The campers who are not swimming enjoyelectives such as boating,arts & crafts, international culture, games, fishing, drama, and nature walks. We also depend on the creativity of the staff to design new and exciting electives for the campers; for example, one summer several campers enjoyed a kite-flying elective.
From 5:00 to 6:00 is cabin time. It is a chance for the campers and staff to spend time together doing any activity they like. Campers love to visit other campers, play cards, play outside, or go on hikes. However, during cabin time campers are responsible for getting his/her pajamas and supplies ready for the nightly showers. At 6:00, everyone is called to the dining hall for dinner.
After dinner there is a camp-wide activity that could be any number of events. We bring in guests such as magicians, musicians, and dancers. We also have some repeat favorites like the "Llama Lady" and the Fire Department. If we do not have a guest, the campers are involved in arts & crafts activities, camp-wide games (scavenger hunts, kickball, etc.), and yet another favorite, storytelling (where the staff acts out a narrated story.)
Starting at 8:15, the first group of campers takes showers. By this time, everyone starts to wind down and relax for the night. At 9:30, it's "lights out".
Such is a typical day at Lions Camp Badger. The weekends are scheduled as well; however instead of classes, the day is spent doing a variety of activities or going on field trips. Some weekend highlights are the Friday bonfire/sing-a-long, the Saturday dance, and Sunday movies.
This article appeared in the January 2001 LCB Newsletter.
