First few days of Domain camp

Friday June 20
Although the 3rd and 4th grade campers arrived at Domain Reading Camp on Sunday afternoon, volunteers arrived at the Domain Friday evening to begin decorating for the Circus on the mountain theme. So how long does it take to decorate the learning centers? From 8pm to 3:30am Lucy Cox, Margaret Hill, Pat Allen, Allissa Ferguson and I decorated the Burton Building. Bill Cox cleared out the Abbott building lobby and chapel, then all of the volunteers decorated the Pleasure Reading Room. Lucy and I decorated the writing center and at 3:30am, Lucy and Margaret created the Tiger venue. By then, everything looked like it was under the Big Top!

Saturday June 21
On Saturday, final preparations were made on the learning centers. The other staff arrived, met one another and were settled in before a team-building Eucharist in the Shrine with Bishop Sauls. Then it was off to bed to rest before the campers arrived on Sunday.

Sunday June 22
Sunday afternoon, the Resurrection bus arrived with 17 campers at 2:10pm (the earliest ever!). No lines at the camp nurse's office-thanks to camp nurse Jenny Lou Shirley and assisting nurse Mary Jane Amick.

After a fried chicken dinner and a scavenger hunt Sunday evening, we headed to the campfire for stories and lots of singing. Chocolate for Smores was delivered by Cocoa-Boy and then it was off to cabins for the nightly reading of Friendship According to Humphrey, Chapters 1 & 2.

Monday June 23
Learning centers went well this morning. After lunch, the campers went off to archery, rappelling, or circus college. Circus College was a big hit with our experience Clown Leader Pat Allen (magic tricks, plate spinning, clowing and acrobatics!). Camp store, swimming, dinner and ballfield games made for a joy-filled and exhausting afternoon and evening. FAvorites were a modified version of Red Rover (involved panty hose!), the Scream Relay, Over & Under and Amoeba tag. Evening camp store and 4 Square led the campers to be exhausted in time for bed and more of Friendship According to Humphrey, Chapters 3 & 4.

-Lynne Evans, Reading Camp Steering Committee member and Cathedral Domain Reading Camp director