Our Final Day

The final morning of Camp is always bittersweet. As we pack our belongings, clean our cabins, and start saying our goodbyes, the reality of heading back to the real world starts to creep in. But for a few more hours we get to enjoy the feeling of being in our favorite place with our favorite people.

Campers carried their trunks to the truck and made their way to breakfast by 9:00. We enjoyed eggs, pancakes, home fries, bacon, fruit, and muffins and the portions were quite generous. We sat for our last meal together and reminisced on the week we’ve shared. While everyone is incredibly tired by this point of the week, only laughter could be heard coming from each table.

After breakfast, we settled in for morning watch for one last reflection. At the end, each person was encouraged to stand up and hug the first person they made eye contact with. In a matter of minutes, campers and staff were embracing for one last Camp hug. Words of appreciation and gratitude were aplenty.

We walked back up to the council ring for a staff photo and a Camp selfie. To close out the morning, Reverend Bill had us stand together in one large circle for a final prayer in which he reminded us that this group of people would never be together again, encouraging us to savor these last few moments. After the prayer, we joined hands and sang the Lord’s Prayer one last time.

Campers were given their bus assignments and they slowly made their way through the field. The staff members who weren’t assigned to bus duty walked to the end of the Cody driveway, preparing to bid our campers farewell. As the buses pulled away, our staff applauded, waved, and cheered loudly for each and every person who joined us this week. 

This staff-member-turned-blogger/Taylor Swift enthusiast is getting a little emotional just thinking about it.

It’s nearly impossible to put into words what a week of Camp is like. Capturing the memories is a daunting task. Everyone who’s ever spent a week at Camp knows that to truly understand what it’s like, well… you just had to be there. But I hope I was able to offer you even just a fraction of insight into the wonderful time we all shared. We appreciate your support and your interest more than you’ll ever know.

Thank you to the amazing staff who worked so hard to make this week possible. Planning for the next week of Camp begins almost as soon as we return from our previous one, and this group of people dedicated thousands of hours to creating this vacation with a purpose that means so much to so many.

Finally, thank you to the campers. We wouldn’t be here doing this work that we love so much if it weren’t for them. Spending this time with our Camp family is truly a gift and a privilege. I know that for me, having the opportunity to be at Camp is the greatest joy of my life, and so many of our staff agree.

I hope to see you all at the Braintree High School parking lot 51 weeks from now. Until then, do good and be well.

Friday: Long Live

What a day! The sun returned just in time for our final full day at Camp. We enjoyed a breakfast of eggs, french toast sticks, bacon, muffins, and fruit. After the morning meeting, everyone went off for their last morning group. Groups reflected on the week, enjoyed a faith wandering, and offered each other kinds words during strength bombardment. 

Each group enjoyed lunch together, which was steak and cheese subs, hummus wraps, grilled cheese, and curly fries. After lunch, our campers and staff prepared for our annual hug line. The playlist was cued up, and our administrative staff and senior class got us started. Campers and staff exchanged words of affirmation and hugs as they made their way through the line, listening to some of our favorite Camp songs. 

After the hug line, everyone gathered for our graduation and recognition ceremonies. We celebrated our five seniors and campers cheered loudly for their favorite counselors as Tom recognized each staff member. Earlier this week, we introduced the Cody Awards and encouraged campers and staff to nominate people throughout the week for going above and beyond this past week. At the recognition ceremony, we awarded 12 Cody Cups for things like Unsung Hero, Best Smile, Most Camp Spirit, and more!

Our whole Camp family enjoyed a few hours of leisure time, many choosing to spend it playing lawn games, sitting by the lake, or catching up with friends. Dinner was chicken parm, spaghetti, and Brussels sprouts. The Cody staff once again pulled out all the stops and provided fresh-made cannolis for dessert.

Following dinner, our senior class and a few other campers and staff members assisted Reverends Bill Ferguson and Brian Craig with our consecration service. The worship service was held outdoors and included reflections from our Chapel messages throughout the week. After communion was served and the message shared, Reverend Bill had staff members hand out glow-sticks to everyone. At the right moment, he instructed everyone to crack their glow-stick simultaneously and faces lit up with the different colors, illuminating the soccer cage.

We transitioned to the council ring where Steve had built a roaring campfire. On their way to the council ring, everyone received the Camp memento, which was a keychain with the QR code for a Spotify playlist created special for Camp. Two seniors offered messages at the senior campfire and John Fiander played a handful of our favorite songs to close out the evening.

As is our tradition, we joined hands and sang the Lord’s Prayer together around the fire, eyes pointed at the stars.

Thursday: The General

Happy Thursday, friends! As I write this, my poor feet are aching from dancing the night away at another amazing Camp dance, but more on that later. Our day started with chocolate chip pancakes, sausage links, fruit, and more delicious muffins. This morning was a bit rainy, so morning groups switched up their locations in favor of spots that provided some cover. We discussed conflict and how we resolve it, as well as forgiveness. As groups headed toward the tent for lunch, the rain started to give way to a little bit of sunshine.

As if the amazing Camp Cody staff knew we had a big day ahead of us, they made spinach and sausage tortellini for lunch, making sure everyone had enough energy for Cabin Wars AND a dance. They also came in clutch with garlic bread. Our final day of Spree Time offered coloring, disc golf, juggling, siesta in the shade, and a second round of the popular Taylor Swift listening party.

In the hour before Cabin Wars was set to begin, cabins began to change into their outfits. Teams appeared dressed as M&M’s, different versions of Adam Sandler, characters from Monster’s Inc., bachelorettes, and more. Each team selected a “walk up” song to be introduced to. As each team entered the council ring, the excitement continued to grow.

The competition was fierce. Games included trash in my backyard, bucketball, sponge relay, tug-of-war, dizzy bat (back by popular demand), and a final relay featuring frisbee toss, pie-a-counselor, bean bag toss, and a super soapy slip-and-slide. Cabins Loon and Fox took the win, but only barely! The afternoon concluded with campers and staff taking turns on the slip-and-slide.

Dinner was fish and chips (in the form of potato wedges) and beef stroganoff. Chapel returned to the council ring after a few days under the tent, and John made up for it with lots of songs that encourage (or require) participation and dancing. Kelsey Fritz gave the Chapel message today, and shared a story about the importance of asking for help and being able to forgive yourself. Our seventh grade campers did a wonderful job assisting with worship!

As the sun set, campers and staff arrived at the soccer cage dressed in their finest formalwear ready to dance the night away. Tonight’s Victory Ball ran until 10:30 and DJ Tommy Tunes made sure to play some Camp classics like “Love Shack,” “Time of my Life,” and “The Yatta Song,” as well as newer hits and FOUR Taylor Swift songs. It was truly magical. When the music and dancing finally came to an end, John Fiander gave his Vespers message to a tired but captive audience. John drew comparisons from the song of the day to experiences he’s had in his life, and empowered us all to lead with confidence.

The rain seems to be behind us, and we’re looking forward to our final full day at beautiful Camp Cody tomorrow!

Wednesday: Rivers and Roads

Skies were gray, but spirits were high at Camp Cody on this rainy Wednesday. The day began with waffles, orange and cranberry muffins, bacon, and fresh fruit. Luckily, the rain held off until the afternoon, and morning groups were able to meet in their regular spots. Today’s discussion centered around how we approach challenges, change, grief, and loss. A new group activity introduced by OSU Associate Pastor Brian Craig helped our campers and staff dig deep into the experiences that unite us all, and how we can support one another.

 

If you’re wondering why this blog always includes a detailed account of the meals, it’s simply because this staff-member-turned-blogger is a big fan of the food at Camp Cody. Lunch included pulled pork sandwiches and chicken caesar salad wraps, AND TATER TOTS. As we transitioned to Spree Time, rain drops threatened to turn into an all-out shower, but held off for most of the afternoon. Today was our annual “three versus three” basketball tournament. Eight teams competed for the title of champion, and a team including Steve Flaherty, Billy Reeves, and senior Matthew Tevnan walked away with the victory.

 

Today’s afternoon program paired two morning groups together and tasked them with creating a skit to be performed later in the evening at the Variety Show. Teams were given a song from the week, a prop, a line, and other criteria that needed to be included in their performance. They spent the afternoon planning and practicing for the big event.

 

Clad in rain jackets, everyone made their way to dinner. Tonight’s meal was chicken lo mein, pork fried rice, dumplings, and exquisitely baked chocolate cookies. Seriously, these cookies were incredible. Because of the rain, Chapel was held underneath the tent again. Members of the eighth-grade class assisted with worship, and John incorporated some fan-favorite songs that involve dance participation from the crowd. Bob Caldeira provided the message this evening, reminding everyone of how small acts of kindness and gestures can brighten someone’s day and impact them long after the fact.

 

Our staff worked very hard leading up to Skit Night and the Variety Show to move the stages and all of our equipment underneath the tent. While rain tried to put a damper on our evening program, our committed team refused to let that happen. Skit Night and the Variety Show were both huge successes. The evening started out with each of the five groups performing their skit. Costumes, props, and music cues were key in delivering these Oscar-worthy performances. Campers, staff, and CIT’s came together to put on an amazing show. Our judges Candace Crocker, Billy Reeves, Katherine Kelly, and Colin Liebert had their work cut out for them determining a winner.

 

Once all the skits had been performed, we transitioned into our annual Variety Show. Campers performed talents like singing, comedy, dance, and more! Staff members led fun games, and our first-year staff hosted. As always, our whole Camp family was blown away by the talent of our campers. This night is a favorite for many.

 

We then made our way to the council ring for a Vespers message from Staff Director, Rachel Mirski. Rachel recounted her rocky start to her Camp experience and highlighted the folks who’ve helped her throughout her journey from camper, to cabin staff, to administrative staff. Everyone returned to their cabins a little wet from the rain but with smiles on their faces.

Tuesday: I Won't Give Up

Happy Taco Tuesday! As we near the halfway point of the week, campers and staff members are starting to walk a little slower to breakfast each morning, but this morning’s tired faces faded fast at the mention of “French toast,” “chocolate chip muffins," and "sausage patties." 

Members of our senior class and our CIT’s helped lead our junior high morning groups today, offering a different perspective for our youngest campers. The weather was picture perfect all throughout the morning.

Lunch was pizza and Caesar salad, and Spree Time featured a corn hole tournament, yoga, volleyball tournament, and death ball. For any concerned readers, death ball is similar to dodgeball and no one actually dies.

Clouds started to roll in shortly before the afternoon program; however, after a slight rain delay the program began. Today’s afternoon program was the Great Camp Relay. Campers competed in challenges like dizzy bat, whipped-cream pie-eating contests, piggyback races, and more in three different legs. Teams accumulated points during each leg, culminating in an ultimate face off. Check out our Instagram page for some awesome pictures and videos!

Dinnertime brought the fulfilled promise of tacos (it is Tuesday, after all…). Folks built their own tacos, enjoyed enchiladas, and some folks tried their first-ever churro. As dinner was winding down, the clouds returned and the skies opened up. After some dancing in the rain, our team pivoted and moved Chapel to the tent.

Today's Chapel was led by campers in 9th, 10th, and 11th grade. Christine Candler, a veteran member of our staff, offered the message. She reminded our teens that we can be masterpieces while simultaneously being works in progress. The rain slowed down just in time for our campers and staff to prepare for the evening program.

The evening program was called Camp Rock, and had morning groups playing games to earn clues to help them identify their musical artist. Once they determined who their musical artist was, they were charged with locating them and choreographing a dance with them. Each group performed for our judges and the winning team won a gold cup filled to the brim with Jolly Ranchers. Each and every performance was incredible!

At Vespers, Valerie Ripley talked about the challenges she's faced, the adventures she's had, and knowing the difference between giving up and letting go. 

Although there's rain in tomorrow's forecast, we're too busy reliving the musical performances from the evening program and the exciting relay race to worry.

Monday: Better Together

You won’t find a case of the Monday’s here at Camp Cody! We had another beautiful day on Lake Ossipee today filled with good food, great activities, and the best people. Breakfast included eggs, bacon (the crispy kind!), bagels, pastries, and fruit. 

Monday at Camp is always a fun day. We like to pull the ol’ switch-a-roo and have morning group at night, and evening program in the morning. Today’s evening program combined two morning groups into two new ones. Staff led their new teams in group discussion about some of our favorite Camp songs, what they mean, and how they apply to our lives. Teams played games, created a team name and team dance, and competed against other groups.

If you’re a fan of Italian subs, chicken and pesto paninis, and waffle fries, then you would have enjoyed today’s lunch. Campers filled up on sandwiches and then made their way to Spree Time. Staff ran a variety of events this afternoon, including arts and crafts, coloring, swimming, kayaking, and even a Taylor Swift listening party.

Thanks to Billy Reeves, one of our veteran staff members, we held our first-ever kayak race today. Campers and staff lined the beach at the ready, and fierce competition ensued as each participant began paddling. For a glimpse of the action, check out the photos on our Facebook and Instagram pages. Senior Matthew Tevnan came away victorious and was named our first winner. I hear that he’s negotiating to have the trophy named after himself…

After Spree Time, we held our first color team game of the year. Teams this year include Banana, Kiwi, Berry, and Tangerine. Each group took to the fields, the courts, and the pavement for the Olympics. Teams competed in events like home run derby, Pictionary, tennis, floor hockey, basketball, limbo, and more. A final competition, which featured a slingshot, an inflatable pool, and rubber duckies, determined the winner. Berry and Banana tied for gold!

Many campers and staff enjoyed their favorite meal for dinner: chicken tenders and mac and cheese. Eyes lit up as word spread through the line into the dining hall. Chapel was led by our senior class, and yours truly delivered the message, which offered a reflection on the song “Better Together” by Jack Johnson. If you haven’t heard the song before, I recommend you listen sometime!

After Chapel, Tom started to make a few announcements about our evening when suddenly, a group of staff surprised our campers with a well-choreographed flash mob!

As is tradition on Monday nights, we met with our morning groups to dive deeper into conversation while enjoying the incredible view of the stars. Billy Reeves (it was a big day for our friend Billy) shared tonight’s Vespers message surrounded by a sea of glow sticks.

Sunday: Here Comes the Sun!

Our first full day of Camp has come and gone! The day started with a big breakfast of pancakes, sausage links, fruit, muffins, and apple turnovers. Once the plates were cleared and table wiped down, Steve introduced our campers to morning watch, a time when campers and staff take 10 minutes to sit quietly and reflect on the day ahead.

Tired faces perked up during the morning meeting as our administration staff walked everyone through the schedule for the day. Cabin cleanup was followed by morning group, where campers and staff talked about the theme for the day, “Here Comes the Sun.” 

Everyone returned from morning group to a lunch of cheeseburgers, hot dogs, and french fries. Next up was Spree Time, when campers and staff get to choose from a variety of activities to participate in. Today’s offerings included nail painting, basketball, swimming, paddle boarding, juggling, disc golf, and more! 

Our afternoon program had groups traveling around the grounds competing in different games and challenges to find a long-lost treasure chest buried somewhere at Camp. Once teams gathered clues and coins, they reunited in the counsel ring to solve a puzzle and put together a map leading to the treasure. Buried deep in the sand down by the waterfront, the treasure chest contained note cards with positive words of affirmation on them, which were then distributed to campers and staff. 

In preparation for tonight’s dance, dinner was a carb fest, including chicken, broccoli, and penne, as well as baked ziti and meat sauce. The Cody staff pulled out all the stops this evening and provided TWO different kinds of bread: garlic and tomato-basil focaccia. Lots of faces also lit up when word spread that dessert was ice cream sandwiches.

After dinner, we made our way to the council ring and prepared to join together in worship. Chapel was led by our counselors-in-training (CIT’s), and songs included Camp classics like “Take Me Down to Ossipee,” “Compass,” and “Lean On Me.” Brian Craig, one of our newest staff members, offered the message, reminding us to love each other into wholeness.

The theme for tonight’s outdoor dance was “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” and campers and staff alike danced the night away! As the final notes of "Stairway to Heaven," played over the speakers, everyone slowly made their way to Vespers.

With a sky full of the brightest stars, campers listened to Junior High staff member Colin Denizkurt offer his thoughts on the importance of finding the positive when things don’t go your way. 

It was quite possibly the perfect day.

Next stop... Camp Cody!

 

Picture this: 100 teens ages 13 to 18 arrive at the Braintree High School parking lot, many of which are toting ornately decorated trunks. More than 50 staff members, clad in their signature red staff shirts, direct families to check in, help carry and load luggage, and cheer as new faces arrive one after the other. Six counselors-in-training arrive ready and excited to learn. Camp has begun!

For the 65th time, our Camp family is coming together for another incredible week spent laughing, singing, dancing, and learning about one another in our favorite place. Goodbyes are said, the buses are loaded, and eager faces turn toward 93 North. A few hours later, campers spill out of the buses and are welcomed to Camp Cody by those same red shirts.  

Our first day of Camp is always an exciting one. After arrival, campers receive their cabin assignments, meet their morning groups, and start getting to know the staff. 

What’s a morning group, you ask? Each day, a small groups of campers and two staff meet together for group discussions and games. Many of our campers reflect on morning group as being one of the most impactful parts of their week. You get to know the other members of your group well and share your thoughts on topics like family, friends, school, and more.

Morning groups met briefly to introduce themselves to one another and lay the groundwork for what promises to be a wonderful week of getting to know each other. Ice breakers, games, and activities eventually lead to meaningful conversation and long-lasting bonds as the week progresses.

After meeting with our morning groups, we met for our first camp meal. The food at Camp is a treat, and tonight’s menu included chicken, pork roast, masked potatoes (this blogger’s personal favorite), asparagus, and lemon bars for dessert. We eat all together outdoors under a large tent. Once the plates were cleared and the tables cleaned, we moved to Chapel.

Each evening, Reverend Bill leads a different team in putting together a Chapel service. John Fiander pulls out his guitar and gets the teens and counselors singing and dancing. Tonight’s Chapel service was facilitated by members of our staff, and a message from Reverend Bill highlighted the impact we can have on each other by reaching out and offering a helping hand and a kind word to those who need it most. 

The evening program was our traditional opening campfire where staff members performed musical numbers, skits, contests, and other fun acts to help introduce our teens to Camp. We ended the evening with Vespers. Steve Flaherty shared why he’s an optimist, and how important it is to find the good in all things.

All in all, our first day was a success! Tune in throughout the week for more updates and the occasional camp-related pun!