Conquest: A high school tradition

The buzz has already started; maintenance boys are clearing their schedule today, so they will be freed up to play tomorrow. The BIG game of the week; camp is divided into different territories; campers are divided up into several different teams, and the afternoon is spent chasing each around the 660 acres of camp. Flags are created to symbolize each team; paint and camouflage is put on to create an imagery of some type of a battle; and the staff begins to lay out strategy and plans. The Biggest Game of Capture the Flag is about ready to begin.

I stay in the office; have never played it in the game's 12 year history; I just watch as wounded campers and staff hobble into the nurses station with poison ivy attacks or sprained ankles. Being the compassionate person I am, I remind them... 'it was your choice to play!! Stop your whining."

The entire event is comparable to a high school prom. For a prom there are weeks and weeks of preparation, and lots of money spent, only to have a so-so evening... but the before preparations are exciting, and the after talk is fun to verbalize and embellish... just the dance ain't too great... neither is the poison ivy and all the running and sweating.... but it is fun to anticipate and fun to remember creatively and selectively.

The game is a great revealer of who has leadership qualities; who is a bit lazy; who are the competitors; who is timid and not a risk taker; who are the risk takers and the gamblers; and who is the one who is the social butterfly and prefers to visit with team mates and the enemy... they just want to be together visiting with someone.

I say, "Good Luck Kids!" .... and remember... if you get lost, climb up the hill and you will arrive back at camp... if you want to run away... go down hill.... and supper is at 5:30.

For all you alumni staff, we wish you could be with us tomorrow for the game of the week; for those not able to attend, sit back with me and smile, knowing how much fun is being had and what great memories are being made at Sr. High week.