Spectacular Saturday

Hello Birch Bloggers, Today is Saturday, the halfway point in the session. This morning, campers who wanted to switch bunks were able to move from top to bottom, or bottom to top. This gives people the opportunity to try something new, or just be bunkmates with another one of their friends.  The rest of the day followed the normal schedule, but tonight we have an exciting surprise evening program.

In a few moments the campers will be partaking in a fabulous game called Mission to Mars.  This evening program has not been played in five years at girls’ camp. The campers will enjoy it because it is a combination of a few of our favorites: pirates, capture the flag, spies and smugglers. This game will have the girls running through the woods looking for cones, which represent parts of their space ship that has been crashed on mars. As this is going on, the other team acts as Martians who are trying to capture pieces of green paper from these “Earthlings” that will stop them from being successful in their mission.  What makes this game unique is that it is also a two-night game, the green team will have one night to be the Earthlings, and then will have another night to be the Martians (and vice versa). A lot of campers have been asking about this game, so it is exciting that we will finally be able to play!

Tomorrow is Sunday, which means that it is track meet day! The teams have been picked, so tomorrow everyone will compete in both individual and group events to earn points for their team. This is a special event that runs all day, giving campers a break from their normal schedule. Hopefully the weather holds out and we are able to compete! Be sure to check back tomorrow to hear about all of our fabulous events.

-The Birch Blogger

A Beautiful Thursday at Camp

Hello Birch Bloggers! It was another perfect day at Columbia Lake! The weather was beautiful and everyone is having lots of fun. Today we ate wonderful cinnamon bread, one of my (and most campers) favorite breakfast breads. Then for lunch we had Sue's famous lasagna, and hamburgers for dinner - everyone's stomach's are full and happy! Classes ran smoothly, as usual. In arts and crafts, many of the campers are starting to sharpen their sewing skills, learning how to make pillows and cross stitch - you will be amazed by their skills when they return home. Sports classes played nuk'em and Kan-Jam, while swimming and boating classes went smoothly.

Campers just picked out teams for track and field day which we will have on Sunday. All of the campers are split into two teams, green and white and there will be different games and activities throughout the week, opportunities for campers to win points for their team. Tonight, to start off the competition, we are playing Pirate Gangs! This is an extremely fun game which takes place throughout most of camp. Campers are dressed in black and running around the camp look for a hidden treasure, trying to collect trash for extra points, and partaking in "gun battles" with girls on the other team. (Camp Asto Wamah guns are a small cloth tied with a rubber band to keep hold flour in it, so when a camper is hit, a small spot will appear on her dark clothes.) The girls all love the game and were so excited when they heard we were playing it!

That's all for now!

~ The Birch Blogger 

Thrilling Thursday

Thursday was yet another beautiful day here at Camp Asto Wamah. We received a bit of rain last night, but all was well by morning time. We woke up this morning to everything being a bit damp, but we did not let that hold us back! For breakfast we had waffles and peanut butter, which was followed by cabin cleanup and camp duties time. When the first period bell rang, seniors were in the upper lodge for sports, lakeside was in the lake for swimming, and the hilltopers were making arts and crafts. Today marked the second day of our Secret Sister program here at camp. Last night each camper drew a name out of a bucket; this person was to be their secret sister for the next couple of days. Over the course of the program, everyone is expected to do something nice (give compliments, make a craft, help out, etc.) for their secret sister. The catch is that it is a secret! Tomorrow night we will have a big reveal, and so everyone will know who their secret sister was. This is a great way for campers to get to know someone new and maybe make a difference in someone’s day.

Tonight we enjoyed tacos with all the fixings (tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, hot sauce, etc.) with apple crisp for dessert. Everyone is currently up at the A-field where they are getting instructions on how to play King Dodge. This is another favorite amongst both the campers and staff. It is sure to tire everyone out and make for a good night’s sleep.

-The Birch Blogger

Wonderful Wednesday

Hello Birch Bloggers, Yesterday was a hot day that made it perfect for swimming on the lake! All of our classes ran smoothly, per usual, and in addition to our normally scheduled programming, we had a special visitor. Instead of activity period, we had Bwana Iguana, a reptile specialist, come as special entertainment. Each session we try to bring in special acts as a way to mix things up a bit. Bwana Iguana brought all types of reptiles: a box turtle, alligator, snakes, etc. This was both a fun and educational program for the campers.

Last night the campers played cops and robbers. This is both a camper AND counselor favorite! Cops and Robbers has campers running through the woods with numbered slips of paper looking for their match. The counselors act as cops who stop the campers and try and guess the color of their paper in order to win it from them. The game definitely tired everyone out, making for a sound night’s sleep.

Today we enjoyed bagels and oatmeal for breakfast, chicken parm and spaghetti for dessert, and then had a fun eat out for dinner! Every Wednesday and Thursday the kitchen staff has off once they are finished cleaning up after lunch. That means we have a meal of turkey and ham sandwiches along with as many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as each camper wants. The most fun part is that each cabin picks a different location to eat, some are on the A-field, Main Dock, different rafts, or on different picnic tables around camp. It is definitely a fun time.

Today was a windy day so sailors really enjoyed being out on Columbia Lake. Sports classes today went out to our ropes course; campers had to work together to accomplish a task on the different equipment. One class took to the Nitro Swing, each camper had to swing over and either land on an “island,” base, or wooden board. It seemed easy at first but then the campers had to put extra thought into their movements when the landing zones started getting more crowded. All of the girls had a great time!

Tonight we will be playing a rousing game of capture the flag! Capture the flag is always a fun game but it is even better on a big field with 40 to 50 people on either side. It’s fun seeing campers either sneak onto the other side to attempt to capture the other team’s flag or jail, or see them just sprint in a mad dash. We are confident that we will be able to get in a fun game before it begins to ran and we look forward to the rain bringing in a bit cooler weather!

- The Birch Blogger

Magnificent Monday!

What a fun first full day for our first girls session! We started the day off being woken up by our bell, just like every morning. Then all the campers gathered around to raise the flag, say the Pledge, and do Chicken Fat – a quick morning aerobics (jumping jacks, toes touches, etc). Then it was time for breakfast and we all enjoyed Sue’s blueberry bread. After breakfast campers head back to their cabins to clean up, get ready for classes, and also do a camp duty – every one helps make sure each cabin and the different buildings around camp are nice and clean, the way that we all want to use them.

Then classes began! Campers all have arts and crafts, swimming, boating, and sports throughout the day. We have three different options for boating classes, row-boats, canoes, and sailboats. Sports classes either played kickball or nuk’em (a fun game that is like the opposite of dodge ball, instead of trying to hit someone you want the ball to hit the ground). There are many different options within arts and crafts, many campers went to nature, basket making, or staying in class to make bracelets, geckos or pillows.

In the afternoon, we had a lovely general swim. The weather was perfect so all of the campers were able to swim around and enjoy Columbia Lake. In the afternoon counselor’s offer different activities and campers can decide what they want to do. Many campers signed up to go on The Hunter, our camp’s sailboat, the paddle-boards, or on the sunfish. Other options were volleyball, jumping off the tower, Kan-Jam, Spoons, and Apples-to-Apples. Everyone had a great time!

This evening we will be playing Spies and Smugglers. A game when half of the campers will try to smuggle a piece of paper with a point value up to the A-field while the other half of the campers are trying to stop them from getting the points up. After the game it will be time again for bed. It is always much easier for campers to fall asleep on the second night after a full day of running around.

Check back in tomorrow!

- The Birch Blogger

First Day of Girl's Camp!

Hello and welcome to the first day of the third session! Today we welcomed 87 girls to camp, but only 7 were completely new to Asto Wamah. The large number of returning campers allowed today to run smoothly. After moving into cabins, campers went on a tour of camp, learned the names of their cabinmates, and got a refresher of  the rules and daily schedule. At around 3 o’clock everyone gathered in the council ring (the logs next to the parking lot) to go over general rules and further introductions. Once rules were completed, we moved into swim classification for new campers. Each of the new campers were tested in either aquarium, intermediate, or deep water to see how well they could swim and what level they should be placed in. During this time, all returning campers had the opportunity to hang out, play nock hockey, and eat a snack of peanut butter crackers. The swim test wrapped up quickly and we were able to squeeze in a quick general swim. For those of you who don’t know, general swim is when everyone in camp goes in the lake at once for a swim.

For dinner we had the traditional first-night of camp meal, hot dogs, baked beans, tater tots, with brownies for dessert. The campers are currently enjoying a bit of downtime before the bell rings for evening program. Tonight we will playing a classic beginning-of-the-session game, medical war. Medical war is a dodgeball game where there are “medics” who can go around and save people who get “out” by being hit with a dodgeball. As it is the first night of camp, we expect some will have difficulty adjusting to sleeping in a new environment. Hopefully they will be so exhausted from the game that they fall right to sleep! Tomorrow is our first full day of the third session, so be sure to check back for a complete update.

-The Birch Blogger

Last Couple of Days at Asto Wamah

We are wrapping things up here at Asto Wamah and what a fun and exciting past two days it has been! Yesterday was a normal day until we got to the evening and then some new festivities began. At each two week session, we have a banquet on the last Thursday. Campers are told to wear their cleanest pair of clothes that they have left and to clean up, then all of camp is seated in the upper lodge and we all, along with a few invited guests, and enjoy a wonderful meal just like at Thanksgiving. We enjoyed turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, corn and homemade gravy - and boy was it delicious!! For dessert we had ice cream from Shadyglen. The festivities didn't end with dinner. Campers were given a quick break to leave the lodge and run around and then the evening continued. We sung some of the campers favorite camp songs, watched a slide-show with pictures from the past two weeks, the campers received year awards, and then there was the candle light service. Every year campers receive a C.A.W. (A felt C with a W going through it to create the camp's initials. The awards also have a number on them representing how many years each camper has been coming to Asto Wamah. Nancy always asks returning campers to raise their hand if they still have their old year awards and nearly everyone in the room (including staff and guests) have their hands up! For the candle light service, the cabin counselors choose one camper from their cabin to to read a quote from the bible about light. Counselors choose someone who has been a wonderful camper in every sense, always participates, listens, is respectful, and enjoys camp. If your son comes home and tells you he was a candle light reader, know that it is a great honor and there are only ten out of all the campers and LTs. After the camper reads his blurb, he and the rest of the cabin place a candle, in a bowl, into the lake. It is a beautiful sight to see the candles floating away.

Today was another fun day, and the most exciting part is about to begin, Camp Fire! Campers will gather around the counselor ring where we will sing sons, receive awards from track and field day, cabin clean-up, swimming, boating, and archery, see a funny skit by the staff, and get a s'more for snack! It is a great time for everybody!

After Camp Fire campers will settle back into their bunks for the last time. I have heard so many campers say that they can't believe how quickly these two weeks have gone by, that they will be sad to leave, and they are excited to see their parents, pets, and siblings (usually stated in that order).

That about wraps it up for the Boys Session 2014. We have had a great time these past two weeks at Asto Wamah and look forward to seeing you bright and early tomorrow!

- The Birch Blogger

P.S. Reminder: Check out begins at 8:30 and usually finishes up by ten o'clock - see you then!

Dress-Up Wednesday!

Hello again Birch Bloggers! This morning when we arrived at flagpole, everyone was dressed in costume. Dress-up breakfast featured campers dressed up as various staff members, people dressed for the beach, and ninjas. The cabins went around and introduced themselves and who they were dressed up as, ending with the extra staff who dressed as characters from the Wizard of Oz. For breakfast we had waffles with peanut butter and cereal. A light rain hit camp right around first period which kept us indoors. In sports, campers played ping pong baseball in the upper lodge, swimming classes played Scattegories, and boating classes learned parts of the boat. When the lunch bell rang, we were treated to lasagna! And for supper we had another eat out-style meal; counselors picked locations around camp and brought their cabins with picnic baskets to enjoy a nice meal.

Tonight for evening program we have a special treat, the LT carnival. The LTs have worked hard over the past couple of days to put together a carnival for everyone in camp. All session long the LTs have been putting on a movie-themed trivia contest, so their carnival will reflect the movies they’ve referenced. Traditionally, carnival includes games like potato sack races, musical chairs, limbo, etc. This is a great way for the LTs to put their leadership skills to the test! We are now halfway through the second week of the session which means there are only two full days left. Tomorrow is banquet, so everyone will be sporting their best outfits for a Thanksgiving-style meal in the evening. Be sure to check back tomorrow to hear all about this scrumptious meal!

-The Birch Blogger

An Awesome Tuesday!!

Even with a little bit of rain we still had a fun day here at camp. We were able to have all classes today around the rain but instead of having sports outside, classes were in the upper lodge. I don't think anyone minded being inside because we still played some fun games including Wild West Showdown. During activity period the wind on the lake was great so our sailboat, the Hunter, went out with six campers and many of the intermediate and advanced sailors took to the lake as well. Other campers played basketball, ultimate frisbee, and can-jam.

During free-time many of the campers have been preparing for the talent show tonight and dress up breakfast tomorrow. We always have a talent show at girls camp but this is the first time in years that boys camp will be having a talent show and the campers, LT, and staff all seem very excited! Then tomorrow morning each cabin will dress up and put on a little skit. The theme is "cabin's choice" and I've heard rumors of Super Heroes, Counselor impersonations, and Spartans; it is definitely going to be a fun breakfast.

Thanks for reading!

- The Birch Blogger

Marvelous Monday!

Today got us off to a great start to the final week of boys camp here at Asto Wamah! We had blueberry bread for breakfast, pork chops for lunch, and burgers for dinner. At lunch we had butterscotch pudding for dessert and at dinner we had peach crisp (yummy!). This morning we woke up a half hour later than usual, giving everyone a chance to sleep-in. After breakfast we began our day according to schedule, everyone headed off to first, second, and then third period. It was a bit chilly today, so we did not have our regularly scheduled general swim. Instead, campers were given the opportunity to go back to their cabins and work on their skits for talent night (tomorrow). They could also use this time to prepare for our themed breakfast on Wednesday. This session’s theme is cabin’s choice, so each cabin will pick a theme and show up to breakfast dressed in costume (this is always a fun way to begin the day). We eventually moved into fourth period – which was held indoors – where hilltop built towers and mazes with wooden blocks, boating played board games, and arts and crafts went on as planned. Activity period was held mostly indoors as well, counselors offered various board games around the upper lodge.

Evening program was a rainy day classic here at camp, Murder by Night. Murder by Night is essentially a live version of the game of Clue. A counselor on their day off has “died” and the campers travel around camp with an LT as their leader trying to figure out who committed the murder and with what as their weapon. This game keeps the kids off the damp field, but still active and going around camp. The rain has begun to set in, so hopefully things will cool down a bit and everyone will have a good night’s sleep.

-The Birch Blogger

Track & Field Day!

Today was an exciting day here at Asto Wamah because it was track and field day! The campers were split into two teams, green and white, and competed both individually and as a team in various events. The morning began with four big events on the A-field: the softball throw, standing long jump, running long jump, and a 50 yard dash. For these events the campers traveled in their cabin groups (hilltop, lakeside, seniors) competing for first, second, and third place. The morning was filled with cheers for both the green and white teams. The afternoon featured a camp-wide event known as the Indian War Relay. This is the first team event that includes each member. The race begins at the top of the camp road; runners pass a baton between each other until they reach main dock. At main dock the baton is passed off to a swimmer who swims to white raft and hands it to another swimmer who goes to grey raft. Once the baton gets to grey raft, it is handed off to teammates in a row boat. There are two sets of boats who then pass the baton off to a canoe. The canoes eventually get to Hungerford dock (near where the LTs live), and pass the baton to more runners. The runners get it to pollywog dock where the last two swimmers swim back to main dock. In the end the white team was victorious! This is a big win because the relay gets the white team a lot of points.

This evening we had meatball grinders for dinner and the traditional green and white cake for dessert. Those on the green team had vanilla cake with green frosting and those on the white team had the same cake but white white frosting. Tonight we continue on with team events. The campers will once again be competing by their cabin groups (hilltop, lakeside, seniors), in a series of relay races on the A-field. Tonight’s events are worth even more points than this morning, so this is a great time for one team to really take the lead.

Track and field day has been a huge success thus far, but you will have to stay tuned to hear the final results! The final scores will be released in the Birch Barker (our camp newspaper) on Banquet night. All of this running around will definitely have everyone exhausted just in time for bed.

Until next time,

-The Birch Blogger

Sun-shine Saturday

Hello Birch Bloggers! Today we enjoyed bagels and oatmeal for breakfast, sheppard's pie - many campers' favorite- for lunch, and then hot dogs, chips, fruit and cookies for dinner. The kitchen staff had off after lunch so they extra staff and counselors whipped together a tasty dinner and then we all enjoyed the meal outside in the water front area.

The weather today at Asto Wamah was amazing! We have been very lucky with the weather so far but I found today to be perfect: not too hot, a nice breeze, and plenty of sunshine! Campers enjoyed another day of classes but are looking forward to a break from their classes tomorrow when we have track and field day - more to come on that tomorrow!

Today, six more of the campers were able to go out on the camps paddle boards and I came along on a kayak. We all went out at activity period, right around 4:40, and I cannot describe how beautiful it was to be on the lake at that time. We had a gracious sky above us while the boys paddled and splashed around, I had a great time and could tell that the boys really did too.

Tonight we will be playing King Dodge. Another game of dodgeball with a Wamah twist. Players are given the chance to rejoin the game by running to the other teams side, standing behind a marked line, and trying to throw the ball at a player on the other team. It is an especially fun game of dodgeball because there are balls flying from either direction, you really need to be on your toes to succeed.

I look forward to giving you the update on a fun-filled day of track and field tomorrow!

- The Birch Blogger

Fantastic Friday!

Hello again Birch Bloggers! Today was yet another fun-filled day here at Camp Asto Wamah. We had cinnamon bread and cereal for breakfast, chicken tenders for lunch, and tacos for dinner. Tonight’s dessert was apple crisp with whipped cream topping, one of our favorites! When the sun was out it was pretty hot, so it was the perfect day to be on the water. Swimming during both classes and general swim gave the kids a chance to cool down after running around during sports or rowing during boating. All this time spent outside makes rest hour a great opportunity to have a little peace and quiet. Rest hour also lets the campers recharge before heading to things like activity where they are running around yet again. Today we offered activities such as Frisbee golf, jumping off the tower, nuk’em, soccer and more! If they choose not to go to an activity, many campers can be found gathered around the tetherball pole, on fishing docks, or out in a boat.

Today is Friday, which means that we are almost at track and field day (Sunday)! This is a camp tradition where camp is split into green and white teams and the campers compete in track events. The captains for the green and white teams were picked after lunch; these are people who are both great leaders and full of energy. These green and white teams will come in handy for tonight’s evening program. The bell just rang which means everyone is heading up to the A-field for Pirate Gangs. This is a favorite amongst the boys because they get to run all around camp pretending to be pirates. Each person is given a sack of flour which is they can attack their opponents with. In addition to this there are two green jugs, which act as “treasure” hidden somewhere around camp. If it is found, the points awarded for finding the treasure usually determine the winning team.

This game is sure to have everyone running up and down camp throughout the evening, so (hopefully!) we will all be exhausted when it’s time for bed. We hope you have enjoyed reading the blog, so be sure to check back tomorrow!

-The Birch Blogger

Fun Filled Thursday!

What a great day at Camp Asto Wamah! Today we had English muffins for breakfast, some Swedish meatballs and mashed potatoes for lunch, and chicken patties for dinner with Sue’s famous cheese cake for dessert, YUM!

The classes went off without a hitch as usual! Since today wasn’t windy the sailboats practiced capsizing. Instructors flipped the sunfish upside down, then two or three campers worked together to flip it right side up. This is a very important skill for every sailor in order to be prepared for any sailing situation. The kids had fun holding onto the daggerboard and using their body weight to flip the boat around. Canoeing and row boating classes also enjoyed a break from fighting against the wind. A few classes rowed or paddled out to Frog Island, a sandbar in the middle of Columbia Lake. Swimming classes improved their strokes, and a few higher-level classes learned some important life-guarding skills like “Reach and Throw, Don’t Go,” “Think so you don’t Sink,” and how to help someone with a head, neck, or back injury.

The game for evening program tonight is Spies and Smugglers. Smugglers are given a piece of paper that has an amount of points on it, they will hide it in their pockets, shoes, bandanas, etc, and try to run up to the A-field. It is the Spies job to stop and tag the smugglers, to prevent them from getting points up to the A-field; spies get three guesses to try and find the piece of paper and if they guess incorrectly the smuggler gets to run free, until he runs into the next spy at least…

Since the game involved a lot of running around, the campers will have an opportunity to go in for a Quick-Dip, a quick jump in the lake to get rid of the sweat and dirt, and to cool off right before bed.

That’s all for now!

- The Birch Blogger

A Terrific Tuesday at Asto Wamah

Hello again Birch Bloggers, We've had a great Tuesday here at camp! The second full day of camp is always lots of fun because the staff is all done giving directions so there is plenty of time for swimming, boating, arts and crafts, and sports!

The day began with a delicious serving of blueberry bread, cereal, and tasty hot chocolate. After cabin cleanup and camp duties campers ran off to their classes. No one minded jumping into lake for swimming class since it was so warm outside. Sports classes played a big game of kickball while campers in their arts and crafts classes got to choose between making survival bracelets, clay, pillows, or baskets with Carol. Boaters were happy that the wind died down from yesterday so it was much easier to row around the lake.

By the time we got to rest-hour I think that most of the boys were ready for a break from running around and enjoyed the time in their cabins. There were some great activities offered for activity period including jumping off the tower, aquarium games, nuk'em, soccer, and volleyball.

Everyone is currently all done with dinner, tasty grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup. Now campers are running around playing tether-ball, ping-pong, horse shoes, and getting ready to head up to the A-field. We're going to have a quick game of triad, a soccer game with three balls and three goals. Then after running around everyone will go down to the lake for a nice general swim. It will be a great way to cool off after running around.

That about wraps it up for our Tuesday here at camp!

- The Birch Blogger

P.S. Parents of co-ed campers, there will be a survey on our website soon for your evaluations of camp this year. Please keep an eye out for it, we would love to hear your feedback!

First Full Day of Camp

Hello Birch Bloggers! Today completes our first full day here at Camp Asto Wamah, and boys camp is off to a terrific start. This morning we had corn bread and cereal for breakfast, which was followed by cabin cleanup. It’s still early in the session, but I’m sure that as the week progresses this will definitely be a hefty job. When the first period bell rang everyone was off to their classes. Today was a beautiful day here on Columbia Lake; we had the perfect weather for all of our outdoor activities.

Lunch consisted of chicken parm, spaghetti and salad (yum!). After lunch the campers settled in for their first rest hour of the session. This gives them a break where they can recharge for the rest of the day’s activities; it also gives the LTs (Leadership Training) a chance to practice their life guarding skills. The LT program is unique to the boys and first girls session of camp. This year we have ten guys – who are too old to be campers, but too young to be counselors – participating in the program. They will be helping out with a little bit of everything around camp. They will assist counselors in teaching classes, sit with campers during meals, and learn the ropes of being a counselor.

Following rest hour, everyone went in the water for general swim and then headed off to fourth period. Activity period begins immediately after fourth period ends; today’s activities included aquarium games, archery, and basketball among others. For supper we had pulled-pork with a side of salad and applesauce and lemon cake for dessert. The campers are now enjoying a bit of free time before heading to the A-field for an exciting game of capture the flag!

Be sure to check back daily for updates on the rest of the session. Also, parents with children who attended the coed session – be on the look out for a parent survey to be posted on our website. We would love to hear your feedback on you and your child’s Asto Wamah experience!

-The Birch Blogger

Boys Camp is off to a Great Start!

Hello Birch Bloggers! Today we welcomed the boys to Camp Asto Wamah! Campers got settled into their cabins, meeting cabin-mates, counselors, and reconnecting with old camp friends. Once the parents drove up the camp road the campers were getting a tour from their counselors, going over rules, and playing games to get to know one another. Campers were also given the opportunity to sign up to play tennis and go to archery archery during their sports classes. Then the bell rang and all of the campers and staff met around our counsel ring. Our director, Nancy, went over general expectations of the campers and also got the campers excited about the fun two weeks we are all going to have.

Then Catherine, our water front director, gave our first year campers their swimming placement tests. Each camper showed their best swimming strokes and then were assigned to a swimming level so they are all set for their first swimming class tomorrow. Shortly after the swim test, all of the campers got into the water for our first general swim. Catherine gave all the water front safety information. The water was very nice!

After general swim campers were given a little bit of free time right before dinner. It is a Camp Asto Wamah tradition for the first meal to be hot dogs and tater-tots with brownies for dessert. The campers loved it!

Now, as I type, the campers are learning the rules to our first evening program game, Medical Wars. Dodge-balls will be flying all over the A-field as campers are running around. A nice twist to our version of dodge-ball is that each team has to Medics which can bring the players back to life.After the game campers will head back to their cabins, get ready for bed, and then the counselors will read a book that they have all picked out for their campers.

The weather is great here, and we hope that after a full game of running around everyone will be able to fall asleep easily.

That's all for now, thanks for reading!

- The Birch Blogger

Happy 4th of July!

Hello Birch Bloggers, Happy 4th of July! The past two days have been filled with lots of activity – we have not let the rain get us down! Thankfully we were able to get a full day of classes in yesterday along with most of a regularly scheduled evening. For dinner we had grilled cheese and tomato soup which was followed by chocolate pudding pie (a camp favorite) for dessert! For evening program we put on a carnival in the lodge. Each cabin picked an activity they wanted to run and they were given beans that acted as money where they could play and win. The games offered were musical chairs, limbo, a hair braiding station (for the girls), an obstacle course, cards, and more. Campers could turn in the beans they earned for an ice pop as a tasty treat to end the night.

This morning we were treated to a delicious meal of waffles and peanut butter. I had never had peanut butter on waffles until I came to camp, so don’t be surprised if your children as for a side of peanut butter the next time they have waffles! Most of the morning ran smoothly; we moved inside for third period where we played games as an alternative to the regular swimming and boating classes. The swimming class played an exciting game of Scattegories followed by a game of Categories and a sing-off.

For lunch we had another camp favorite, Shepard’s Pie, with some refreshing watermelon for dessert. Then we moved into rest hour where most campers headed back to their cabins for some quiet time. Those who had unfinished arts and crafts projects were given the option to stay in the lodge and work on them. Rest hour has ended, so the campers are currently in the lodge playing games offered by the staff. There are activities like Catchphrase, cards, arts and crafts, and Scattegories being offered.

Next we will move into fourth period, which will most likely be held indoors. They will have a little bit of free time before enjoying pizza and applesauce for dessert. Tonight evening program will consist of a skills challenge. For the skills challenge, they are divided (hilltop, lakeside, and seniors) and then compete as a cabin to win. Skills challenge is always a fun rainy day evening program because some of the skills – picking up marbles with your toes, writing with your opposite hand – are pretty ridiculous.

As per tradition, the last night of the session will conclude with a modified version of campfire. Instead of s’mores, campers will be treated to ice cream sundaes in celebration of the 4th of July. This will be accompanied by an awards ceremony that takes place in the upper lodge. They will get an award based on how many years they have come to camp (first years receive a hat, second years receive a feather, etc.). You can ask any returning camper and most of staff and they will tell you they still have all of their year awards. Campers will also be receiving awards for passing boating and swimming classes.

This will conclude the final night of the coed session; I can’t believe how fast time has flown! It seems like just yesterday they were moving in and we were learning the names of our cabin-mates. When you arrive to get your campers (8:30-10am tomorrow!) be sure to ask them all about this week because I am sure they will have plenty of stories to tell. I think I can speak for all of us when I say that the Asto Wamah season is off to a great start!

- The Birch Blogger

*** REMINDER FOR PARENTS ***

-Pick-up time tomorrow is 8:30-10am!

We had a Wonderful Wednesday

Hello Birch Bloggers, We had a fun and busy day yesterday, not letting the hot weather or the rain put a damper on any of our activities!

The day started with Sue’s chocolate chip bread, a camper favorite! The campers have really learned their way around camp and all did a great job cleaning their cabins and getting ready for their classes, you would not believe how perfectly and wrinkle free their beds were! Sports classes included a riveting game of either kickball or Ultimate Frisbee. Then campers happily got in the water to cool off and work on their strokes. It is great seeing the campers who arrived saying that they didn’t know how to swim, now swimming under the water, blowing bubbles, and using kickboards. During arts and crafts class, many campers made their own fishing pole and were able to catch some fish! Kevin, the nature and survival expert, is doing a great job teaching everyone important lessons. Canoeing and Sailing classes got to practice capsizing, or flipping their boats over, it was a perfect way to cool off in the heat.

That brings us to lunchtime, everyone enjoyed delicious Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes, and blue ice for dessert. A few of the campers were a little skeptical about trying the meatballs at first, but after taking a bite they found the food to be great! Then we had one of the quietest Rest Hours I had ever heard! Even the younger campers enjoyed a break to read, write, enjoy their candy, and take a quick nap. It wasn’t long till everyone was back in the water and enjoying General Swim. Some of the activities offered by the counselors included jumping off the tower, a big nature walk, aquarium games, and archery.

Wednesday dinners are a little different at camp because our kitchen staff takes their time off. Instead of eating in the lodge, campers make peanut butter and jelly, turkey, or ham sandwiches and each cabin has a picnic, counselors bring the chips, bug juice (lemonade) and chocolate chip cookies. We were so lucky because we were able to finish dinner outside right before the rain started!

Usually Drew, the Sports Director, is in charge of evening program but last night we put it in the hands of the campers and WOW, they did a great job! We had a big carnival spread throughout the lodge and each cabin was in charge of a different booth. The campers worked together to figure out what they wanted to do. The booths included pin the star on the American Flag, musical chairs, battleship, hair braiding, and an obstacle course. It was great seeing the campers having fun running their booth and also enjoying the other booths.

When the campers get home you will have to ask them what their favorite songs are because they have learned so many! We sang a couple favorites after evening program to get everyone to settle down from all the excitement. Then campers and counselors went back to their cabins, got ready for bed, and listened to the counselors read. It was a wonderful Wednesday here at Camp Asto Wamah!

Thanks for reading and I’ll be sure to update you soon about the awesome day we are having here at camp!

- The Birch Blogger

First Full Day!!

Welcome Birch Blog Readers! Camp is off to a great start! Yesterday we welcomed new and returning campers, for the first day of the Asto Wamah season. Staff just finished up their training and did a great job welcoming in their campers. First year campers took their water level placement tests, so that when they had general swim today they were either in Deep Water, Intermediate, or Aquarium, based on their swimming skills. We ate a delicious meal of hot dogs, tater tots, and brownies, a Camp Asto Wamah tradition. Then campers took to the field for a rousing game of Medical War; a fun game of dodgeball with a fun Asto Wamah twist.

Campers were awoken by the bell for the first time this morning. We gathered around the flagpole, raised the flag, and did our daily morning stretches - Chicken Fat. For breakfast we had blueberry bread and cereal; campers who finished their orange juice got some piping-hot hot chocolate. Breakfast was followed by cabin clean up and camp duties (making their beds, sweeping the cabins, bailing boats, etc.).

The campers  all went to boating, sports, swimming, and arts & crafts during the day. In boating and swimming campers met their instructors that will be teaching them all week. They learned the rules of the lake and how to behave in the boats. Sports class included a fun game of nuk'em and some campers got to do archery or play tennis! In arts and crafts campers were given the opportunity to make a collage, basket, fuse beads, or learn about nature and survival. Then there was a little bit of free time before lunch; campers were all around the knock-hockey tables, ping-pong, tether ball, and horse-shoes. Then lunch time came and we all enjoyed baked ziti, followed by tasty apple turnovers.

After lunch campers were able to buy a piece of candy from the camp store to take with them to rest hour. During rest hour they had quiet time on their bunks where they read, slept and (hopefully) wrote letters home! When the bell rang everyone met at the waterfront for general swim, a free swim period. Next the went off to fourth period and then activity period. The activities offered included: nuk'em, aquarium games, hula-hoop dancing, and fishing. That brought us to dinner which was chicken patties and applesauce with cherry cake for dessert.

Campers are currently on the A-field learning the rules to capture the flag! Soon they will be running around and getting rid of some energy before they are off to bed. Counselors have all picked a book that they read to their cabin last night, and will read for the rest of the week to calm them down before bed. The campers did a lot of running around today so we are sure they will sleep soundly tonight!

Thanks for reading and we look forward to updating you tomorrow!!

- The Birch Blogger