Big Team vibes were in the air today! There was little time to waste this morning as we rolled from breakfast right into the announcements of big teams and sing-song leaders. For those of you who are new to the Tripp Lake team traditions and sing-song, it’s important to understand the significance of this morning’s event. First off, leading up to today the entire camp was split into the four Tripp Lake Camp teams: Tigers, Cubs, Climbers and Giants. The campers, however, did not know which team they were on yet. That’s part of the excitement. Each captain paraded out into the dining hall, decked in team clothing from head to toe, and stood up on their bench to proudly announce the names of the girls they were inviting to join their team.
With all the non-stop cheering and singing these 1AB girls have been doing, it was hard at times to even understand what they were saying. I guess that’s part of the tradition though! It’s fast and chaotic and very entertaining. The last name read is always the sing-song leader that has been chosen to represent the team. After each sing-song leader was announced, the girls around her would hug and cheer her on with so much love and enthusiasm. Most of us did not expect to have tears in our eyes by 9 AM, but it’s hard not to when you witness the support these girls have for each other. It’s definitely one of those events that you have to experience in person to get the full effect.
Once all the teams were announced, every camper at Tripp Lake ran outside to meet her captain and team managers at their designated team tree. This is the team the girls will stay on for the entire summer. There will be games, competitions and the biggest event of them all: sing-song. We won’t spoil the details of sing-song quite yet. You’ll have to wait for that one to unfold on its own. Chanting ensued as the girls jumped up and down with glee shouting “We’ve got spirit, yes we do, we’ve got spirit, how about you?!”. This bounced around from tree to tree, as each team tried to out cheer the others. Who needs caffeine when you have this much pure energy surrounding you in the morning. The cherry on top was watching the Seniors find out that they would be going to the roller rink for the morning, a tradition that hasn’t been experienced since pre-COVID camp. You would have thought these girls had just won the lottery. It was amazing. While they dashed to meet the bus in full team costume, the rest of camp gathered around campus for morning assembly and announcements.
The Inter Is spent the day on ropes which meant they switched between low and high ropes, getting a chance to experience all of our 35 plus elements. From the low tires to the zip line, each girl inevitably went outside her comfort zone in this challenge by choice course. Our ropes team has been working hard for weeks to get this course prepared for the summer, and it’s paid off. The girls had a blast facing their fears in a safe and supportive environment, with all their peers and counselors there to share in their successes. It was also the first night of Olympia! In this wonderful tradition, the Inter II campers had the chance to end their day with a pontoon boat ride on the beautiful Tripp pond. It’s a peaceful scene as we’re lucky to have almost no boat traffic on our lake. Tomorrow is our first trip day of the summer as well. The JRs, Inter IIIs and Seniors will be our first groups going on trips this summer. This will be another fun surprise for many of them and you know we’ll be excited to share about all the fun they had exploring beautiful Maine with their friends.
