Editor’s Note: As of today’s date, this work week blog post actually refers to last week. This week we’re deep into Staff Training Week. But because we’re so busy at camp letting camp be camp, we don’t move as quickly to get stories like this onto the blog, but squeeze them in when we can. Think of it like camp in the old days, when word traveled slowly, like the relaxing pace of camp itself! (Urgent news is different, and comes directly to families when necessary).
Work Week To Open Camp for 2021!
This week at Camp Alleghany for Girls we’ve had a wonderful group of counselors come to do some prep work to get ready for the fun filled summer that we have planned for our campers and camp families!!
On site this week was Emily, Ellie, Grace, Hollis, and me, Lilly, working on various projects throughout camp while also sharing many laughs, and lots of stories from camp and our lives. We’ve already truly experienced that ‘Ghany Magic before the summer has even officially started.
And to keep you in the loop — and excite your anticipation — we wanted to share some of the awesome memories made here through a blog post.
Sharing and Caring
My personal favorite memory was sorting through our “FreeCycle,” a collection of donated clothing, water bottles, chairs, and other fun camp gear. We got to look through all of the items and make sure they were clean and ready for our fellow counselors to find their perfect camp shirt or new favorite flashlight!
I love that ‘Ghany cares so much about making sure every counselor feels at home and has all of their needs met, and can keep their summer expenses down, even if that need is as small as a new pair of socks.
Critters and Fritters
One of the things that’s always a reminder of how much nature is a crucial part of camp is the wildlife. I had a great, yet terrifying, encounter with a harmless black snake that Emily, Hollis and I named “Noodles.” We’ve also already met various turtles, frogs, and deer.
And we can’t forget about the camp dogs that stay here during the summer. Philae, who is Program Director Casey Tucker’s furbaby has especially loved having the whole camp to explore, sniff, burrow into, and run and play in all on her own.
The Green Team, Kitchen staff, Housekeeping staff, Admin Team, Infirmary Staff and all of our Work Week Crew had an especially dramatic and tasty evening sharing a s’mores campfire in the middle of a storm! It was a great way to get to know all of the people who help keep campers and counselors healthy, happy, safe and well-fed all summer long.
Weather and Shoe Leather
The weather has been pretty consistently inconsistent with thunderstorms and sunshine almost every day! We’ve splashed in puddles, sunbathed, sweated as we worked, and kicked back for cool evenings at the end of the work day.
Emily, Hollis and I have worked in the office laminating over 300 index cards and signs and filling up almost 100 binders and folders to get ready for for all of the counselors who are now arriving for staff training and a summer at ‘Ghany. It gave us great insight into how prepared and organized the Camp Office is and how much work goes into making camp camp well before the summer solstice dawns!
While we’ve loved seeing a different side of camp, the quiet pre-summer stage of things, we’re sure ready for campers to get here. We are ready for you, Alleghany Campers of 2021! See you soon!
— Lilly Kane, Alumna and Summer 2021 Unit Head, Camp Alleghany for Girls
