Camp Echo Lake – Junior Girls: Week 3 Recap
The Junior Girls kicked off their week with Girls Camp Special Day! This year’s theme was Medieval Times. The girls played some traditional medieval times yard games, “capture the crown,” participated in sandcastle building (judged by the Queen – Laurie Rinke) and designed some medieval clothing. The day was capped off by watching the movie Brave, while enjoying chipwiches in the lodge. The grand finale featured a live royal jousting show. The Junior Girls got really into the theme, and thoroughly enjoyed their day!
The Frosh and Lower Junior Girls had a great night out this past week at Skateland (located at The Fun Spot in Lake George). Making the most of their time away from camp, the girls had a blast skating around the rink with their friends and enjoyed eating some delicious treats from the snack bar.
One of the highlights of the evening (for me) was seeing a number of Junior Girls step out of their comfort zone to try roller skating for the very first time! All of the girls were very supportive of each other, which made it easy to try something new and fun.
The Upper Junior Girls left camp for a night of bowling at Spare Time in Glens Falls. The girls really enjoyed bowling with their friends and, of course, eating some special treats. It’s always fun to do something different away from camp, and I’m proud to say that the girls all exuded superb Echo Lake behavior!
The Lower Junior Girls got to have a fun night with me this week. We played a game called “Liars Club.” Three counselors shared a memory about a specific topic, and only one of them was telling the truth. It was up to the girls to decide whose story was true. The counselors showed off their fabulous acting skills as the campers got really into it, grilling the counselors with questions as if they were real-life detectives. It was a fun bonding moment for us all!
The Frosh and Lower Junior Girls participated in an “intra-camp” this week, competing against each other in a series of games including: basketball, soccer and softball.
It was a lot of fun to see the girls competing in multiple athletic areas. All of the girls showed great sportsmanship and competed to the best of their ability.
The Frosh Girls participated in their very first Echo Lake show alongside the Frosh Boys. They did an excellent job and showed amazing stage presence as they performed a medley of songs from Peter Pan for the entire camp.
On Saturday, the Junior Girls (along with the rest of camp) geared up for Visiting Day. The girls could not be more excited to see their families! As the stampede of parents came running across the field, there were squeals of laughter and joy arising from the Junior Girls’ bunks.
It was great to meet all of the girls’ families as they spent a beautiful day here at Echo Lake. Although some girls may have shed a tear or two watching their families leave, they were immediately swept back up into the Echo Lake fun with a candy party, swimming, Halloween In July and Tribal torch lighting. It was the perfect way to end a long, exciting and emotional day! The post-Visiting Day activities reminded all of the Junior Girls why they love Echo Lake so much, and they are all excited about the remaining four weeks of camp.
I feel that the junior girls learned a lot about resilience this past week (one of the most important lessons that can be learned at camp). Some campers (especially the younger ones) have moments of homesickness from time to time, particularly after seeing their parents on Visiting Day. However, because the girls have gotten used to being at camp, any sadness that occurred from saying goodbye to their parents at the end of the day was replaced by smiles very quickly as they enjoyed the post-Visiting Day activities and events.
I think that Visiting Day helped the girls realize how strong the connections are that they have made at camp in just three weeks. All of the girls were comforting and supportive of each other as they said goodbye to their families. It was great to see the camaraderie that the girls showed for each other!
