And I would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for you meddling campers.
I’ve got to tell you folks, playing the villain is tough work. After months of scheming in the offseason, my efforts to takeover camp were thwarted by those heroes: the caring, thoughtful and responsible campers of Colvig Silver Camps. So many nights spent planning and pacing in my lair (the apartment above the camp laundry room) only to be turned into a real-life Wile E Coyote.
Wild West Day
Nicole Hamme planned a fun, creative, and engaging special day for the campers of CSC. Wild West day made campers into heroes. Assembling a crew of villainous outlaws, I, Jesse James, attempted to steal the fun and music from CSC in a coup on Homestead’s Main Street. Having stolen their instruments, I retreated to the lodge to relax knowing no fun would be had in the valley that day. Things were quiet and peaceful without fun or music to be found among the trees.
Things were too quiet. Unbeknownst to me, Nicole and the rest of CSC staff rallied the campers to restore CSC’s fun-loving, musically infused spirit to the Red Creek Valley. While I napped, feeling sure of my success, the campers rotated through activities and used camp’s western decor to take old-timey photos around Homestead, learned to line dance in the livery, had relay races at the lake, panned for gold in the creek, and played gaga at the courts. After dinner I awoke to my henchmen reporting that fun was being had in the valley, and that the campers were challenging our outfit to a relay race for control over camp. We “yee-hawed” our way down to the courts and met our challengers with bravado!
I lost. You see, I forgot to stretch before the stick pony race, and I’m pretty sure they gave me a faulty potato sack for the sock-hop. Then, to my dismay, they celebrated my defeat with a good ol’ camp hootenanny. They salted the wound when every camper, together in unison, line danced to Footloose in perfect coordination. After letting loose with a few dance moves to show I wasn’t a sore loser, I retreated to my cabin to plan my next great coup. The day was theirs.
"They salted the wound when every camper, together in unison, line danced to Footloose..."
Independence Day
Andrew Belsito, fed up with all my demands to have meetings and paperwork turned in, declared independence from the “fun-sponges” on America’s 240th birthday. After my defeat on Wild West day, I’d decided to patrol camp on a daily basis, seeing to it that all the fun was being sponged up. After breakfast on the 4th of July, Andrew inspired the campers to continue the battle that began on Wild West day and led the campers to write a declaration of independence from my anti-fun regime. While I was busy popping colorful balloons somewhere, the campers played four-square, gaga, had water balloon and water gun bouts, played in the lake, took epic photos with a celebratory American flag backdrop, and painted their faces.
By the time I got wind of the high spirits, I knew I had little time left to make my mark upon the day. The campers gathered to read their declaration on the basketball courts after having a hearty lunch. I snuck up on the unsuspecting patriots. I ran into the courts. I snatched the declaration from Andrew’s hands. I issued him a citation about all the fun he was promoting. I left. Needing trustworthy henchmen, I rallied all the current and former assistant counselors to my aid. We crafted (inflated) a ship (raft) and took to the deep and treacherous sea (main lake) with their declaration of fun. Little did we know, we were not safe from the frivolity to come.
They came with water balloons, they came with water guns. They paddled hard against the sea in canoes and on paddle boards. When they’d thoroughly soaked my crew, they snatched their sacred document back from me. I washed up on shore, and walked away from the day drenched down to my socks as they prepared a night-time celebration on the beach. I was defeated. A campfire was lit, and all of CSC’s campers told stories and sang together in the night. The inescapable glow of the campfire and laughter haunted me all night.
"A campfire was lit, and all of CSC’s campers told stories and sang together in the night."
Viking Day
After Independence Day, I decided it would be a good idea to lay low until second term. Then, on Glenys Hunt’s Viking Day, I decided to strike again. Donning the attire of a mountain giant I set myself up to steal the sacred apples holding eternal life from the Viking lords. I made sure to be seen taking the first apple from the Vikings in front of all the campers, then took it to my mountain dwelling for safe keeping.
While I rested with the apple safe at hand the campers began training at the gaga pit, racing relays at the lake, and playing tag/dueling by the Art-barn after making their very own Viking costumes. They finger-fenced and practiced their skills in archery and then struck heroic poses to be photographed before having a royal feast. I could hear all the fun from my lair and decided it was time to put an end to all of this tomfoolery. Returning to the lodge I gathered my minions (the assistant counselors) once again. We stole the rest of the apples, defeating the Vikings.
Victory was mine at last. I had defeated fun. Little did I know, the campers were hiding the great and powerful Odin’s presence from me. With their help, he was able to overthrow me. I had underestimated their strength yet again. The campers of CSC achieve victory through teamwork! In a final stand in the art-barn field I was defeated once more. The campers celebrated with great gusto, and I retreated.
"The campers of CSC achieve victory through teamwork!"
A Bug’s Life Day!
By now, as you can imagine, my spirits were low. I’d tried three times during the summer to ruin the fun, but those caring, thoughtful, responsible campers were always three steps ahead of me. Melissa Miller, the Homestead coordinator, decided to have a Bug’s Life appreciation special day, and for a moment I thought, “Aw let ‘em have it. There’s always next summer.” Then I checked the forecast. A rainy day! The weather would be on my side! I quickly fashioned myself an antenna and wings (a wool blanket) and flew (walked) to the lodge to complain about the ants (campers) slacking on bringing me food! Emulating the great Kevin Spacey, I swooped in and took what food they had left. The campers quickly scattered to find me more food. Then the rain came. I cozied up with a hot cocoa and stayed warm, dry and well fed as I guarded the lodge.
Evolution is something special, folks. If I remember correctly from the Bug’s Life movie, rain is the most menacing villain an insect can come across. But… these bugs adorned themselves with a strange extra exoskeleton (rain jackets and ponchos) and just continued to have fun! They practiced archery, took photos in front of the flowers, played gaga, they danced in basements safe from the rain, and did yoga and slack-lined up in the livery. Then they returned to feast in the lodge while I was off doing evil grasshopper stuff, like croaking in your house somewhere you could never find me.
The ants enlisted the help of the circus bugs, who guided them by making great big bird costumes to scare my assistant counselors and I away. At first we were going to flee, until we discovered the ants hiding in the bird costumes and we had a good laugh in the wake of our victory.
What we hadn’t noticed was that we were surrounded, and the campers had found a way to launch giant drops of water (water balloons) at us. We were struck down, and fled from the Red Creek Valley. The ants built a fire and celebrated as a community by performing skits, singing songs, and sharing laughter.
See what I mean about being Wile E Coyote? I could not catch a break. Maybe because I napped every time I was ahead, but that’s not the point. I learned that even on the rainiest of days, our campers persevere and have fun with the bugs!
"...even on the rainiest of days, our campers persevere and have fun with the bugs!"
We look forward to the 2017 Special Days, and wish you all Happy Holidays!
