You may recall us writing about team feast fake outs happening over the past week. During these fake outs the big team captains are blindfolded and taken out of the dining hall at lunch where they are placed in a van and driven to a location with our staff before returning to camp. The whole point is to make them think that it’s team feast so that they never actually know when it will happen. After much anticipation, the real team feast day arrived on Sunday! The captains didn’t see it coming when we surprised them at morning assembly. This day is probably one of the most memorable things about being a big team captain at Tripp Lake, because not only do you not know where you’re going or what you’re doing but you also don’t know what your managers have packed for you to wear or which staff members are driving you. Upon arriving at the Dunkin’ Donuts in Poland, the girls were allowed to take off their blindfolds where they were greeted by the friendly and familiar faces of Esteban and Katie. From there they dressed up in the crazy colorful clothes chosen by their team managers (which are always wacky and fun) before setting off on a days-long adventure of go karts and mini golf, as well as lunch and sightseeing in Kennebunkport. This is a wonderful time for the captains to bond as a group and reflect on what this important role has meant to them in their final summer as a camper. Upon returning to camp they are blindfolded once again and then guided all around camp by what are called whistleblowers until they finally reach their team feast location.
The team managers have been working so hard all summer to put together beautiful backdrops with the character they’ve chosen for their team captain. Included in the backdrop are various specialty items related to the captain’s character, a beautiful and detailed scrapbook made by the Inter Is, and a fully decorated cake to be shared with their team. This is a special time for all of the teams to gather once more as a group and celebrate all the fun they’ve had this summer, while showering their captain with love and support. The captains are presented with engraved rings and they present their team managers with engraved necklaces. Despite a quick but intense thunderstorm, everyone made it to their destinations safely where they remained for most of the night as a team. We’re so proud of all of our girls, and these four amazing big team captains who have led us with great energy and spirit all summer long. The team feast celebrations continue the next day with the classic cake cutting for all the teams. The night before each captain receives a massive sheet cake with a beautifully drawn version of their character so on this day we dig in and enjoy the treats that our lovely kitchen staff have prepared. It’s also a time for the rest of Camp to come view the backdrops and see our captains in their full costumes with their team managers.
Monday also brought one of the all-time favorite events of the summer with our big team All-Star basketball. The girls have not let up on their team spirit, even after weeks of chanting and cheering. In this event, each team selects the best basketball players on their team to duke it out on the courts for the All-Star title. At the beginning every player has a funny blurb read about them as they run through the lines of their teammates to get hyped up for the big game. All in all we witnessed four fantastic games where each team really left it all on the court. Ultimately, there could only be one winner and that was the Tigers! Congrats to all the teams for showing up and giving our campers and staff a great and exciting afternoon. We can’t forget the amazing halftime show by our team cheerleaders as well!
Activities are winding down now so each camper has been spending time perfecting their skills and working on their projects. In preparation for the Tripp Lake art show, all of the campers have been spending a lot of time in the shops ensuring that their crafts are ready for presentation. We have some incredible artists on this camp and we’re so glad we can show off their work for everyone to see and appreciate.
As if Monday couldn’t get any more exciting, we ended things off on another high note with the final musical production of the summer: Brigadoon. Each summer our staff choose a musical to rehearse and perform for the campers at the end of the summer. The key is that the campers never know which musical it will be therefore they always come ready with anticipation and ideas for what they might witness. The show always starts with a number of fake outs where staff perform small bits from different musicals in order to fake the campers out into thinking that will be the musical they perform. Finally the moment arrived and it was revealed that this year‘s staff production was Wicked! The night was full of incredible performances by our staff who also happen to have a lot of talent just like our kids. The campers were entranced in the beautiful melodies sung by our leads, as well as the hilarious cameos from favorite staff members. The girls exited the theater sleepy eyed and ready to rest for another full day of fun at Tripp Lake Camp.
Kind Regards,
Leslie and Katie
