Second Session

This past week has consisted of many activities and tearful goodbyes. The last week of camp always flies by and leaves us wondering where the summer went. Monday was a very chill day because most of the campers were on the white water rafting day trip. The campers on camp spent the morning either in the gym or in the dining hall playing different games or making friendship bracelets. After the rafters returned, it was announced that the evening activity was Casino Night! Campers were encouraged to dress nicely and instructed to wait outside the dining hall after dinner. During the activity campers played different card games in the decorated dining hall. It was so much fun to learn different games and play them with friends!

Tuesday was the last day of regular activities. Campers became a little emotional when they realized this was the last time they would sail or play Ultimate Frisbee all together. But their sadness was gone by the end of the day because of the awesome evening activity: Pokemon Night. Because of the Pokemon Go craze, the campers were thrilled. Each cabin came up with a group theme and competed in scavenger hunt-type game around camp. When the campers found a Pokemon station, a camper from each cabin was instructed to throw a Pokeball at a picture of the Pokemon. It was a successful night and all the campers had a blast!

On Wednesday the whole camp spent the afternoon in Freeport. Campers were free to shop to their heart’s content and hang out with friends. I saw many campers eating ice cream or carrying shopping bags filled with souvenirs. That night awards were given out to each camper from different counselors. It made me so happy to see and hear the cheering from kids as each camper went up to accept their award. To conclude the night, the whole camp went roller-skating! By the end, the campers were exhausted and ready for bed.

Thursday was a very chill day. Because of the late night, campers were allowed to sleep in. Campers spent the day hanging out with friends around camp. It was the last day of camp and everyone was trying to soak everything in. That night the dining hall was decorated beautifully for the banquet. All the campers were dressed nicely and many group pictures were taken. Since it was the last night, everyone was a little emotional. For the past three weeks, the whole camp bonded and formed a family. Hopefully campers have made friendships that will last a lifetime. This summer’s verse was 1 Thessalonians 2:8: ^“So we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.” It has been such a wonderful summer and it breaks my heart to see it end, but Chop Point will remain and welcome campers with open arms.

There is never a dull moment at Chop Point! There is always something to do, people to see, and beautiful places to visit. The campers are soaking in all the beauty of camp as the last week begins.

On Friday, at lunch, it was revealed that the evening activity was 50’s night! Campers were encouraged to wear all their 50’s-looking clothing to dinner. Most guys went for the greaser look, while the girls wore long skirts and red lipstick, the classic 50’s look. After dinner, a twist in the evening activity was revealed. Not only was it 50’s night, it was also Murder Mystery Night! Each cabin went around camp, interviewing suspects and writing down clues in order to solve the mysterious murder. The night was awesome and campers were really determined to solve the case. Congratulations to the cabin of Pemaquid, who was the only cabin to figure out who the murderer was.

Interviewing the suspects

Saturday was Work Day. While most campers were off washing cars to raise money for Campo Alegria in Nicaragua, others remained at camp and did various chores around Chop Point. Some swept the dining hall, while others cleaned the sailboats. A handful of campers stacked wood and a couple cleaned the arts and crafts room. It was a productive day and by the time the car-washers returned for dinner, everyone was tired, but proud of their handy-work. Despite the exhausting day, campers were very enthusiastic when they walked into the dining hall and saw that it was decorated creepily and hinting to the evening activity. The activity was Quarantine Night. It was each camper’s mission to find each safe zone on camp without being caught by counselors who were dressed as zombies. If anyone were caught, they would become a zombie too. It was thrilling and spooky to see the counselors dressed so creepily, but so much fun to run around and hide in the woods. The campers had a blast, so I would say that the evening was a success!

On Sunday, after chapel and lunch, the whole camp spent the afternoon in Boothbay Harbor. Many campers took the opportunity to shop in the tourist-y boutiques and buy all sorts of things. Others spent the afternoon walking around the harbor with friends. When the campers returned, it was almost time for the evening activity: Talent Night. What a memorable talent show it was! There were a large amount of talents and performances. There were many skits, a few musical performances, and couple of comedy acts. One camper managed to solve a rubix cube with one hand! It truly was an unforgettable show!

The second week of second session is ending and campers are cherishing the precious time they have left. Despite the end-of-the-session blues, this past week has been non-stop activity and fun. Last Saturday was Cabin Theme night, the most intense/exciting nights of camp. Each cabin is only given two hours to transform their cabin into a theme of their choosing. The themes this session were creative and so much fun to walk through. On the girls’ side we experienced Monhegan’s campfire/murder mystery, Cranberry’s Ohio, Isle au Haut’s Isle au Haut Island voyage, and Manana’s tattoo parlor/ bike garage. The guys’ side, entertained us with Old Pemaquid’s prom, Acadia’s dog wash, Sebago’s plane crash, Little John’s insane asylum, and Pemaquid’s wild west saloon. Each theme was unique and I could tell everyone had a blast putting the night together. A big congratulations to the winners: Monhegan and Sebago!

The evening activity on Sunday was obstacle course night. Each cabin competed in one huge obstacle course. Whichever cabin was the fastest won. There were all sorts of obstacles like a mud crawl and riddles. Sunday was also a very special night. It was announced that it was Christmas in July Eve! After the campers returned to their cabins at the end of the activity staff members caroled at each cabin. This caused all the campers to become so excited for the fun that was about to unfold. The next morning, (Monday) the campers were delighted to find that the dining hall was decked with Christmas decorations. There was even a big Christmas tree in the corner! Campers drew names for Secret Santa and scrambled around, trying to find the perfect gift. In the morning, campers went to their usual activities, but the afternoon was designated for festive activities such as sledding (Slip and slide), snowball fights (Socks filled with flour), cookie decorating, Santa Man Hunt, and ornament making. Every activity was a blast and helped the campers get into the Christmas spirit! After the Christmas in July feast, the whole camp traveled to the Barker Farmhouse for dessert and more games. To conclude the festivities, Secret Santa gifts were handed out and the true story of Christmas was read out loud. It was such a wonderful day and we were all sad to see it end!

On Tuesday night, after a day of regular activities, everyone played capture the flag till it was time for  bed.

Because the week had been hectic, Wednesday served as a day of rest. The whole camp spent the day at the beautiful Reid State Park, a beach on the coast of Maine. Campers spent the day swimming, Surfing, playing games, hanging out with friends, and exploring the beach’s rocky shore. It was a gorgeous day and thankfully, nobody was sunburned by the end. Upon returning to camp, it was announced that the evening activity was to have a campfire. That night, songs were sung, marshmallows were roasted and scary stories were told. It was such a great way to end such a peaceful day.

Thursday was definitely a night to remember. The campers left breakfast very excited because it was Lip Synch night. Lip Synch night is a Chop Point classic and always is so entertaining to watch. Each cabin was given a song, this session the theme was “One Hit Wonders,” and told to make up a skit/routine while lip-synching. The performances were awesome and hilarious. It was so much fun to watch Pemaquid’s “Somebody That I Used To Know,” Little John’s “What is Love,” Sebago’s “Kung Fu Fighting,” Acadia’s “Don’t Worry Be Happy,” Monhegan’s “Bad Day,” Cranberry’s “Take On Me,” Isle au Haut’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” and Manana’s “Achy Breaky Heart.” We even got a surprise performance from the staff in the Boathouse and Old Pemaquid! Each performance was amusing, but the winners, Monhegan and Acadia really stood out. After the winners cheered and everyone had settled down, the campers were surprised with another evening activity: Glowtimate! (Ultimate Frisbee with a light-up Frisbee.) Despite the fact that it was late, all the campers gathered to the soccer field, wearing glow-stick bracelets. Soon there were multiple Frisbees whizzing by and campers scrambling to catch them. It was so chaotic, but so much fun! It was an awesome way to end the successful night!

Over the last few days, campers have started to get used to their new schedule. They also have begun to attend their activities and form friendships that will hopefully last a lifetime. The last two evening activities were specifically designated for each cabin to bond. Monday night was girls night out. Each girl cabin was allowed to hang out off-camp and get to know each other.  Most of the cabins went out for ice cream, while others played mini golf. While the girls were out, the boys cabins stayed on camp and played ultimate frisbee on the mud flats. The guys also made smores over a campfire. The next night the guys went out and the girls stayed in. Some guy cabins got ice cream, while others went out for dinner. The girls spent the evening swimming, watching the gorgeous sunset and making a hobo dessert (bananas stuffed with peanut butter, marshmallow and, chocolate chips roasted over a camp fire.) It was a great opportunity for the campers to get to know their cabin-mates better.