Hi Campers, it’s your friend Gus! I am missing all of you and thinking about how much we all learned and grew this summer. Here are some life lessons I saw everyone learn at camp:
1. Spend Time Outdoors Every Day: All the fun time we spent outside in the fresh air and sunshine at the Res, at the pool, at riding, let it be part of every day for you. It is so uplifting! As I like to say, “The worst day outdoors beats the best day indoors!”.
2. The Power of Friendship: The deep emotional attachments you formed with your camp friends in your group, over 4 & 8 weeks, supported and sustained you as you tried new things at camp, and beyond! I felt so loved because of my camp friends and I know you did too!
3. Never be afraid to Fail: When you fall off the horse, just get back on (this makes you a member of the Flip Flop Club) and keep going; if you do a belly flop off the diving board, keep practicing and you will get it. It is through failing that we all learn to succeed. It took me years to learn to sit and stay, but I am proud to say I can do it!
4. Think Potential: Every day we saw campers trying new things in all parts of camp, from learning to take the bus to camp, to being able to swim across the pool, to riding at a trot all the way around the ring, skills some parents and campers thought was not possible to do this summer. Well, you did it! Believe in yourself! Woof, Woof!
5. Go for a Morning Run: Camper Groups from Kindergartners to Junior High did a morning run to start off everyday at camp. It is good for the body and for the mind too! Exercise settles you down and helps you focus for the rest of the day. My favorite was a morning run with the Junior High Boys. They tried to beat me, but I was too fast!
6. Nature is Amazing: The hikes campers participated in at the Reservoir led to some amazing discoveries in nature! From finding deer antlers, baby lizards, the elusive Big Fred, getting to watch an egret sweep down and snatch a fish out of water, constructing lizard huts, running through the sprinklers, and hiking into the Briones Overnight site with me were all wonderful experiences that happened through nature. Amazing stuff!
7. Be a Participator: Join in, be part of the group, jump into that game or help put up a tent. All our campers, new and returning, shy or confident, discovered that the more you participate, the more fun you have, the more you want to do. My favorite camp activity was any game or sport that involved a ball!
8. Come when your Name is called: It is a good habit to stay alert, pay attention, and hear all of the instructions. I always come when my name is called so I don’t miss out. I know you do too!
9. Include Everyone: Making everyone feel welcome and included in the group is a key part of each camper’s success at camp this summer. The counselors helped us all reach out and become friends with everyone else in our groups, whether they came from San Ramon,Berkeley, Lamorinda,San Francisco,Hong Kong,Germany orJapan. I learned this too. Who would have thought a dog and bunnies would become friends, but we did this summer!
10. Let your Imagination Soar: Remember those fun, original and zany skits, songs, D’juno clues, (Who is the D’uno Fairy anyway?), and camp legends we all loved this summer?! Continue to imagine unique and creative ideas. You never know what you can create. After all, I am a dog, and I just created this Dog Blog posting!
