Day #5 – Packing up Camp, All Camp Activities, and Closing Ceremonies

Can you believe this is our last day?  This week had such beautiful weather that we were able to really pack a lot of activities in!

We inventoried all of our unit boxes and got them back to Fred’s Shed.  We did a clean sweep of our campsite so that it looks better than when we came — and we have practiced “Leave No Trace.”

We joined together at the Bea Conrad shelter for an all-camp lunch complete with Whitey’s Ice Cream, and then went off to play games looking back — and reaching forward.

The recognitions and closing flag ceremony are always a highlight of the week.  See you next year!

Day #4 – We’re getting good at this!

It seems like the campers really know what to do now!  Meals are getting more complicated to prepare, but the campers are stepping up to work as teams to get the job done.  Firebuilders, Cooks, Hostesses, Runners, Dishwashers — everyone has a job to do according to the kaper chart.  The blue unit spent most of the day at the lake today before hiking back up the hill for the flag ceremony.  Since it was flag day today, you could hear patriotic songs throughout the camp besides the “usual” Girl Scout songs.  At the closing flag ceremony, we sang “Happy Birthday” to our flag.  The blue unit had a special ceremony to retire a flag, also.

We can’t believe that tomorrow is our last day!  Where has the week gone?

Check out all the pictures at Conestoga Day Camp Flickr.

Day #3 – Overnight

Seek-and-find, GPS, knife safety, knots, water bottle rockets, bracelet-making, Ga Ga, and more happened today!  The blue unit who is working on their Trailblazer Cadette badge hiked self-contained to the lake to set up their camp.  They made their meals on their hobo stoves that they made out of #10 cans with their tuna can buddy burners.

Many of the PAs and girls 5th grade and older spent the night at camp.  In the evening, they enjoyed canoeing, zip lining and archery after a wonderful dinner of chicken and dumplings.

In the morning, it was “Donuts fresh from the grease” just like our song.

Check out all our photos for the week at Conestoga Day Camp Flickr.

Don’t forget to Wear your Tie-Dyed Camp T-Shirt on Friday!

Just in case you lost the “final” instructions for the tie-dyed shirt, here they are:

  1. Keep in plastic bag for at least 6-8 hours (longer for more intense colors).
  2. Rinse well with water until excess dye is removed.
  3. Cut rubber bands.
  4. Fill washer with “large load” setting and warm water and small amount of laundry soap.
  5. Wash and dry separately.

Wear finished shirt to camp on Friday.  You might want to bring a permanent marker to use for shirt-signing at our all-camp event.

Day #2 – Tie-Dye

The craft shelter was busy today as the units folded, twisted, and banded their shirts for tie-die. They learned an accordion-fold, spiral-twist, and banded flower techniques.  The shirts were dipped first in cold water, then the girls did the twisting and folding and secured with rubber bands (about five).  Then their unit-color dye was applied after donning some rubber gloves to protect their hands.  The result — we’ll see a rainbow of colors on Friday!  Don’t forget to wear the shirts!

Juniors had a “Camp Fashion Show” and learned about knife safety.  Brownies cooked a “meal-on-a-stick” as they learn how to go from primitive methods of cooking to modern-day conveniences.  The Brownies made a pretzel fire to teach them about fire-building.

Songs, hiking, skits, and more left campers happy and tired at the end of day #2.

Check our the pictures on Flickr.