Chop Point for me has always been the place where things come back. Summer after summer, no matter what happens during the year, something drags me back. I listen to stories, I try to find connections, I try to figure out just how exactly people end up at Chop Point, but four years later, I’m still coming up empty. Some say it’s fate but I refuse to believe that it’s entirely coincidental that so many incredible people happen to be in the same place at the same time. No, there’s something here, something that makes sure anybody who needs to be here ends up here at just the right time. Feeling the presence of God has always been difficult for me, but this year I felt it in just about every interaction I had during my time at Chop Point — from crazy sailing adventures to drinking iced coffee with my friends to singing songs during chapel to just sitting on the dock and watching the river. While I was at camp this year I had a conversation with one of my counselors about times our souls felt at peace and of the dozens of stories we both told, the majority of them had one thing in common: they happened at Chop Point. There is undoubtedly something special that happens to you while you drive down the two miles stretch of road that leads here that continually draws us here no matter how long we’re away. Even now that I left, I’m sure I’ll be back soon. I don’t think my story with Chop Point has ended quite yet, but until then my soul will remain at peace knowing that at some point, the universe will figure out a way to bring me back home.
Summer Blog
And We’re Off and Running
Things move so fast here during the transition from staff training to the community program that sometimes we forget to take a step back and take a look at all the pieces of the camp puzzle falling into place around us. Check-in started bright and early at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday with parents and excited campers lining up out the door. The plan was to start swim tests right away after the kids got their cabin assignments, but as a few of our bravest early swimmers found out, the Kennebec current was in a fairly bad mood. We switched gears into some fun large group games on the lawn – Drip-Drip-Drench, Ultimate Frisbee, and the overwhelming crowd favorite, Sponge Dodgeball. The current subsided after about an hour and most of the campers were able to take their swim tests and get started with their afternoon water activities. The water was a little choppy and the wind was really ripping after lunch but the first time windsurfers did an incredible job bearing with the difficult conditions right out of the gate. A few brave sailors headed out for an exciting afternoon on the Kennebec as well. After dinner, we all gathered in the lodge to finally show the campers our lineup of Counselor Skits, along with a staff-written song and dance, that the staff has been working very hard on for the past two weeks. There were endless laughs and a very slight amount of controlled chaos on stage that the kids seemed to thoroughly enjoy.
As the week progressed we were are all excited to start our daily Bible discussions and work
through the story of Jesus and his miracles with the campers. We bounced around between all
four books of the Gospel and shared some of our favorite parables to spark some very productive
dialogues with the kids. We finished up this morning with a chapel service featuring some of our favorite worship songs and a panel of counselors answering questions about their walks with God over the last few years.
The final few evenings were a whole lot of fun for the athletically and creatively inclined
campers alike – with Sports Night, Capture the Flag, and Skit Night all making a triumphant
return from last year. The summer is off to a fantastic start, and we’re looking forward to
interacting with lots of folks from the area at the wrap-up barbecue this evening. We’ll be back
with more updates soon, as we say goodbye to our community week friends and train our eyes
forward for the start of first session. Thanks for reading, and thanks for being part of our Chop
Point family.
Where Did the Time Go?
It seems like only yesterday we were recapping the first week of First Session, and yet he we are well into the second week of Second Session. First Session came to a close with the traditional banquet dinner catered by our good friends at Morse and Doak Builders, followed by a bittersweet final campfire and the viewing of the completed First Session video – a digital way for our campers to relive their summer here with us as many times as they wish once they return home. After all the difficult goodbyes the group of kids staying for both sessions enjoyed an afternoon at the Maine Mall while our counseling staff did a few cleanup chores around camp and then tried to grab a couple hours of rest before the first of the Second Session campers started to roll in that evening.
Second Session kicked off much the way that first did – an evening of Get to Know You Games to introduce the new campers to the returners, followed by a newly polished reboot of the counselor skits. A few activities making a triumphant return from summers past have made their way back onto the scene this session as well. Field Sports plays a different sport every day to avoid any possibility of a monotonous schedule – GaGa seems to be the overwhelming crowd favorite during this hour. Variety hour has also made its way back into the mix – an activity that works even harder to defeat monotonous summer schedules. The counselors and campers decide together what games/activities to play on each day. They can occasionally be seen sprinting across camp in a huge pack as they look for a hiding place during the inverted game of Hide and Seek known as Sardines, as well as theatrically attacking each other with plastic spoons during a multi-day game of Assassin. Along with some of camp’s iconic evening activities like Capture the Flag and SkitSync, our staff has been working hard to give the campers a taste of something new not only during their daily schedules, but during the evening plans as well. This lead to the molding of a few brand new activity ideas this session, kicked off first by the wildly successfully Evil Scientist Night. Campers were divided into teams and sent around camp to compete in a wide variety of science-related challenges ranging anywhere from the traditional egg drop to a timed baking soda and vinegar bottle rocket making competition.
We have already had our Second Session Beach Day as well as our Car Wash/Work Day, both of which served again as an excellent day of relaxation away from camp as well as an awesome opportunity for us to provide a bit for somebody else, respectively. We look forward to our next couple of out of camp excursions that we have planned, namely a short hike and chapel service in Camden Maine followed by a final day of fun in Freeport before the session wraps up We’ll check in again soon with an end of session wrap up as we do our best to enjoy the wildly fleeting days we have left together this summer – until next time.
First Session- Moving Fast
There has been so much going on around camp since we last checked in – almost too
much to keep track of. Full and uninterrupted days of normal activities have been difficult to
come across this last week, as we have been taking frequent out of camp excursions as a group.
On the Fourth of July we attended the Bath Parade in the morning and then returned to Bath in
the evening to enjoy the carnival festivities and watch a truly awesome fireworks display. Two
days later everybody left camp together once again for a fun day on the beach at Reid State Park.
Some of our campers worked up the courage to brave the fifty-degree Atlantic Ocean water,
while a majority preferred to hangout at the shelter where some of our staff members were
grilling up chicken sandwiches for lunch. Two of our most recent trips, the group hiking Baxter
State Park and the group touring different parts of Quebec City, both managed to return just in
time for our evening program at Pemaquid Point. Campers enjoyed some free time frolicking
around on the rocks and taking pictures in front of the acclaimed lighthouse before the scheduled
singing and testimony for the evening. Finally, all of the campers participated in a communal
workday on Saturday in which three groups went out to local spots in the community to run car
washes, while another group remained here to have a camp-wide day of cleaning. The profits of
the car washes, made up entirely of voluntary donations from the local patrons, all went towards
fundraising efforts for our sister camp in Nicaragua – Campo Alegría. The opportunity for us to
put forth a few hours of effort in order to bring twenty or thirty kids a taste of the camp
experience that we have come to love so much is a truly incredible opportunity that we are
honored to be a part of. It feels like the first couple weeks of session simply flew by without
warning, so campers and counselors alike are working hard to be truly present and intentional
with our interactions as we come towards to midpoint of the summer.
Be to check out our pictures on the Chop Point Facebook page.
First Days of 1st Session
After a brief day of rest for our counselors and staff following the conclusion of community week, everybody is right back in gear and welcoming the first session campers as they make their arrivals. Most of our French and American friends are settled in and already in the swing of daily activities; sailing has once again claimed its usual place as the most popular activity. The Spanish campers arrived last night after some unexpected travel delays and are quickly settling in to camp life and working through the initial struggles that come with beating international jetlag. The first few days of daily activities have been exciting, with tons of new sailors and windsurfers getting their feet wet at the waterfront. The campers are enjoying a number of the same activities from community week along with a few special ones only offered during sessions such as photography and creative writing, both of which have solid groups working through some early projects right now. After the presentation of counselor skits to the first session campers the cabins enjoyed some initial bonding time via Boys Night Out and Girls Night In, with Girls Night Out and Boys Night In. This back-to-back set of evening activities provides each cabin with a unique bonding experience to make specific memories with each other at the beginning of the session – serving as a sort of friendship foundation to build on throughout the summer. Wednesday morning we had our first trip head out of camp, 8 campers and 2 counselors headed to the Allagash for a canoe trip and they will be home on Saturday night. Wednesday night saw camp divided up into teams for Sports Night. Soccer with a 16″ ball makes it fun and challenging for everyone, Ultimate frisbee and beach ball volleyball rounded out the evening. Yesterday we had a bit of sporadic rain during the day, but activities went on unphased. Carrabassett Valley mountain biking trip left after breakfast with 7 campers and 3 staff members. They will be enjoying 3 days of riding the trails in the shadow of Sugarloaf ski area. Thursday night we did Skit-Sync night cabins came up with skits that incorporated a lip sync (as a twist we used the Kids Bop versions of the songs) as well. The boys of Little John and the ladies of Isle au Haut were the favorites of the judges. Tonight, if the weather holds out for us, we head to Pemaquid Point after dinner. We look forward to what lies ahead during the rest of first session here at Chop Point – look out for another update on the way coming sometime in the next few days.
Take a look at our Facebook page for pictures. We try to add to them daily. Click on the Facebook icon from a computer or at the bottom of this post from a mobile device.
Community Week is Under Way
June 20, 2017
Community Week is Under Way
With all the local campers settled into their cabins, Community Week is now in full
swing. All campers have their schedules locked in and Sailing has held its position as the most
popular activity of all. A couple of exceptionally windy days have made for some eventful hours
on the dock with our sailors and windsurfers. A new stand out activity this year, Board Games, is
also enjoying a lot of popularity among the younger campers. The evening activities have been
on the more theatrical side so far, with arrival night being occupied by a collection of (mostly)
finely polished counselor skits designed for camper enjoyment. Monday night was SkitSync
Night – a hilarious concoction of camper-designed skits, popular music, and interpretive dance.
A mock commercial featuring a salesman advertising his magical product – Cat-O-Matic – set to
the tune of “Everybody Wants to be a Cat,” was arguably the crowd favorite. A surprise late night
game of Dodgeball featuring unique team combinations like Boys vs. Girls and Campers vs.
Counselors capped off the night well – with staff and kids both thoroughly exhausted. It seems
like we have only just gotten started and the community week portion of camp is already half
over. We look forward to the next couple of days with this wonderful set of campers and hope to
see some of them potentially stay for a whole session some time soon.
Memories of My First Summer
May 12, 2017
On one June morning in the summer of 2010 I climbed into the back of the Schundler’s SUV to begin what would be the most anxious eight hour journey of my life. Going to camp for the first time as a friend of the Schundler’s meant that I was not only going to an entirely new place for an entirely unprecedented amount of time, but also that I had to uphold the multi-decade legacy that was the Schundler family at Chop Point Camp. Whatever stress this may have caused me for those very uneasy eight hours fell away almost immediately upon arrival. I ran into three counselors during the walk from the car to the lodge for check-in, all of which miraculously knew my name before I had introduced myself. Everybody in the office knew who I was – even nurse Kez seemed to know me before I could get both of my feet into the infirmary to discuss my list of medical ailments. It is safe to say I was suddenly very thankful for that multi-decade legacy that I had spent so many hours worrying about.
After check-in I was shown the way to my cabin where I would be living for the better part of the next month. Here I found an equally shaggy-haired and equally nervous-looking boy putting on a bathing suit. He showed me where the waterfront was and we conquered our swim tests together, and for lack of a better cliché, the rest is history. Every little worry that had been swimming around in my head for the last few weeks began disappearing one by one. The people were genuinely kind, the food was great, the landscape was gorgeous and the activities were enthralling. And yes, even as a text message obsessed teenager, I even became grateful for the three-week departure from technology. It became quickly apparent to me that the lack of access to my cell phone and my computer was in no way a negative aspect of my experience. In fact, I struggle to recall a single instance of missing my phone at all – it was simply not something that I had time to think about. Frisbee became more important than Facebook and evening activities took priority over emails. This, for me, is the only single-sentence descriptor of the Chop Point experience that there is. I challenge anybody that does find themselves at camp this summer or any summer in the future to attempt this task upon the conclusion of their stay – try to fit your entire experience into one sentence; you’ll see what I mean.
The aspect of Chop Point that I love the most is the one that took me the longest to figure out – perhaps because it is something I could only dig into looking back at my years as a camper. It sounds like an annoyingly generic claim you might see on a brochure or something – but there legitimately is one space or another where absolutely anybody can excel at camp. I could run and jump and catch, so Frisbee became my thing. I knew thirteen-year-old kids out there on the Kennebec sailing better than counselors twice their age. I knew girls who were so mind-bogglingly talented at making friendship bracelets that they spent practically all of their free time filling orders for their friends. I knew counselors who were so good at communicating answers to my questions that I would come up with a new one every day just to have another conversation. Camp quickly became, without exaggeration, my favorite place on the planet. One morning during that first summer I can remember coming to this realization while sitting on my rock. I had taken a liking to this rock because it was a bit of a vantage point that overlooked our section of the river and the dining hall – seven years later I have yet to find a view that I like more. Dave found me out there on my rock and came over to sit next to me – I assume to see how I was acclimating to the camp environment. We talked for a few minutes about my lack of homesickness and my justification for loving that rock so much. It was almost immediately apparent to both of us, I think, that I was right where I needed to be.
Tristan
Goodbye For Now
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.
