Word has it that the Twits were seen again! Two counselors returned to camp covered in mud, having wrestled with Mr. Twit. As we returned from the campfire last night, we came upon a note tacked to a tree that said, "If anyone finds a glass eyeball, please return it to the campfire." Some of the campers were sure the note was a hoax, but later they reported finding a note tacked to their cabin door which read, "Dinner Menu for tomorrow night-Squiggly Spaghetti!" For those of you are unaccustomed to the ways of the Twits, Mrs. Twit once served her husband squiggly spaghetti, so named because the spaghetti sauce has worms in it instead of hamburger! [The Twits are the main characters in the children's book by the same name by Roald Dahl. This is our read-aloud book for the week and all the campers get to take home their own copy.]
One of our campers has worn the same pants every day since he arrived. Yesterday, Margaret insisted he wear his swimming suit to the centers while she laundered his pants. When she asked if he had any dirty underwear she could wash as well, he told her no. When Margaret asked if he had changed underwear since he arrived, he again told her no. When Margaret askey why, the camper explained he had been too busy reading to take time to change his underwear. Needless to say, his counselors are making sure he has on clean underwear each day.
Yesterday, Johnnie Ross took some of the campers to the small stream that runs near the Bat Cave. Johnnie brought along nets and specimen trays, as well as laminated sheets to help the campers catch and identify an assortment of small creatures, found living in the streamm. Some of these creatures were so tiny we needed microscopes to count the number of legs and tails they had. Campers and counselors collected water spiders, dragonfly larvae, salamanders, and crayfish. One crayfish was so big, he climbed right up Johnnie's arm with his pinchers opening and closing.
We had dinner at the campfire last night. Paula Larke (a visiting artist/musician from Voices in the Treetops). came with us and let any of us who wanted to play her drums have a turn. Paula played guitar with two of our counselors, Matt and Josh. We sang, had a talent show, and ended our time at the campfire with most of us on our feet dancing.
The unsung heroes of our camp are our counselors: Erika Tennerino, Mary Elizabeth Queen, Abby Kirk, Kat Wells (who also doubles as one of our photographers), Elizabeth Cox, Leela Foley, Jennifer Pence, Josh Nichols, Johnny Delgado, Josh Reynolds, Matt Nichols, Joseph Fons, Joseph Shannon, and Patrick de Seroux. Believe me, this camp would not be possible were it not for the likes of our wonderful counselors. They are with the campers more than any of the teachers and support staff. In fact, they are with the campers 21 hours of the day. They are the ones who are the first to deal with the campers who get homesick in the middle of the night, the upset tummies from eating too much at dinner and the unfamiliar bird calls heard late in the night. In their three hours of "down time" every morning while the campers are in the learning centers, they try to catch up on missed sleep, drop in to volunteer in Pleasure Reading, and plan activities for evening time. They are the ever ready cheerleaders, confidants, and new best friends for so many of the campers. While meeting with the counselors this morning, it occurred to me that if we could clone the counselors we have here with us, the world would be such a gentler place. So, dear counselors, should you chance to read this blog sometime after our Reading Camp is over, I send you my heartfelt thanks and love. (And I offer up my prayers that you will find it in your hearts to sign up to be counselors here at next year's Domain Reading Camp.)
On a sad note, late last night, I was called to mediate an argument between two campers. One of arguing campers, who earlier in the week likened his parents' divorce to a tornado destroying his home, told me he just felt mad all the time and that there were times his anger came out of his mouth in mean words. He told me he needed to learn a better way to deal with his "being mad". Talk about wisdom coming from the mouths of babes...
Ok, I need to go now. A couple of my counselors just came in and told me it's time for lunch!
-Paula Ott is a volunteer camp director from St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Paris
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