WELCOME TO COMPETITION CENTRAL
 
Every year, in our second two week session we hold a competition central. Camp is split into four groups, each with a color and a team that corresponds with our theme. This year’s theme was “The times they are a changing’” and each team was a different decade from the 20th century! Here are the four teams this year and the captains:
 
1920s – black team: captained by Morgan the Pool Director and Carson the Girls Pioneer Unit Leader
1960s – red team: captained by Bethany the Chapel Lady (Christian Ed Director) and your resident blogger, Maddie the Office Manager
1980s – blue team: captained by Stephen S. the Sailing Instructor and Will the CIT Leader
1990s – green team: captained by Matt the Driver and Stephen G. the Adventure Director
 
Staff and campers are divided evenly between the four teams. However, not all staff members play, we need people to judge! Judges typically include Administrative Staff members who are not captaining or choosing to be on a team, a few staff assistants, and guest judges who have worked in the past.
 
Central prep begins Friday afternoon and goes on all Saturday. During these times, teams write their songs and cheers and prepare their skits for Sunday morning. They also practice their activities for the day. Some of our favorite events include tent pitching, fire building, log saw, lashing, and the ever anticipated marshmallow tower building! No matter the event all campers practice, prepare, and cheer one another on and try to bring home the win for their team!
 
Sunday morning began with a lovely Eucharist where we blessed our new Eucharist chalices and pattens at the council ring. The team captains lead the homily, and reminded everyone that no matter the outcome of the day, everyone would all be friends in the end.
 
After Eucharist we had our presentations! The 1990’s had a great skit about all the popular TV shows in the 90s, and lead a fantastic song to the tune of Fresh Prince and a cheer to the Macarena! Their banner was a depiction of popular TV characters from the decade including PowerPuff Girls, Rugrats and the Nickelodeon logo. The 1980s skit was about technology in the 80s and included a mini Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. They even tore down the Berlin Wall and had some pretty good looking Ninja turtles. Their song was to the tune of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” and their cheer was the Ghostbuster’s theme song. Their banner featured pac man, the Ghostbusters logo, and some fun neon designs. The 1960s team skit was a hippy van tour of the decade which stopped at JFK’s inauguration, the march on Washington, the first moon landing and of course Woodstock. The song was to the Jackson 5’s “I
Want You Back” with a cheer to our newest camp song “Bazooka Bubble Gum”. The banner emerged as the moon with a hippy van on top of it, and flipped to reveal the Woodstock banner with tie died sixties lettering. The 1920s skit was a fun museum tour of the 20s which featured Al Capone and his tommy guns, the Model T, some flappers, and of course Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse. Their song was to the Little Mermaid’s “Part of your World” and their cheer was to a camp song called “I bought myself a rooster.”
 
Following presentations, lunch, and a well deserved siesta, the games began. Rounds flew by as teams competed, cheered, and ran around to watch others. As a storm loomed on we postponed our big bay relay ‘til after dinner. Campers feasted on hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, and baked beans in the dining hall as the storm passed. After the storm passed the relay began. Each team took the lead at some point in the day, but in the end 1980s burned their rope first, followed by the 1960s, 1990s and the 1920s. While everyone was happy to see our 80s friends win, every camper left the finish line with a big smile and lots of congratulations for their friends. Following the end of the relay everyone cooled down with some free swim and ice cream!
 
Here are some final words from all of our captains on how great the event was!
 
According to Matt from the 90s, “It was a great feeling to be slimed by my team.” – MVD (great honor)
 
Bethany says about the 60s “Not everyone could be on stage during the Woodstock part of our presentation because not everyone had a ticket to the concert. However, by the end of our presentation everyone found a ticket, got through the Woodstock traffic and joined our team on stage. And we were able to rock together the rest of the day!”
 
“The 80s never stopped believing!” claims captain Will.
 
“The 20s had a roaring good time” says 20s captain Carson.
 
With Music, Peace & Love (paraphrased from the 60s team cheer),
Bethany & Maddie 

Hi there! My name is Bethany Bennett, the Christian Education Director for the summer. I am super excited to share all about the fun ways we are exploring our faith this summer here at camp. This year, we are so lucky to be teaching and talking to campers all about joy! Sometimes the world is a crazy place, but it is always nice to remember all the joy around us. We have been discovering the joy of God’s creation, the joy in helping others, and the all the ways we experience joy at camp. To celebrate, the chapel is decorated in colorful pennants, and colorful  mason jars with twinkly candles. It truly is a very joyful space to hold our morning chapels, and closing Eucharists.

As part of our CE program this summer, all our campers go on a “Journey of Joy” where they share things that make them joyful, perform random acts of kindness around camp, and write joyful prayers. All of the prayers are then rolled up like burritos and placed in our Prayer Tree, where they join the hundreds of others prayers that campers have written down throughout the summer. My favorite part of this activity however, is at the end when all of the campers walk over to our “Joy Tree” and decorate it with joyful memories from camp. Reading these notes always brings a huge smile to anyone who stops by. Ranging from the joys of making new friends, to the Banana Boat, to trying new things-- it is a great reminder of what a joyful place Camp Arrowhead is. As an added bonus, most of our groups will join in singing Christmas carols as they decorate the tree! In this post are some of our joyful decorations from the summer.

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Every night at camp, we end our day with reflections. Campers and staff alike light a candle, sit in a circle and give thanks for a great day at camp. This summer as part the theme, we are collecting joy in our joy jars during reflections. While joy jars are simply just mason jars that become filled with glass beads as campers share their joys from the day, they are quite a  powerful symbol at camp this summer. As one group sang in Eucharist last week, “the camp joy jars are going viral”. If you walk through Boys Homestead or Girls Homestead around 9:30p.m. and listen closely, you can hear the ‘plink’ of a bead dropping in the jar. It is very special thing to know that with every ‘plink’ a camper is sharing a moment of joy they experienced that day.

While catching the joy from the week with our units is special, we know that at the end of the session all of our joy is meant to be shared with one another. On the morning before closing Eucharist groups bring their joy jars to the Chapel, where I have the exciting task of combining all the joy amongst small fairy lights. Then, as campers enter final Eucharist, they can witness all the joy from the week lit up for all to see. It makes a beautiful centerpiece for everyone to look at during our service, and allows us to reflect on how much joy was experienced throughout the session.

I am so lucky to get to talk with campers and staff all summer about joy. The smiles of each camper who shares a joy with me have definitely filled my joy jar this summer. You can bet my joy jar is certainly overflowing!

With Joy from Homestead Way,
Bethany (the Chapel Lady)

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Third session started with an awesome first day for all groups. Monday morning began with breakfast and a Chapel service put on by our staff. Following the service, units began their activities for the day. Two of those activities, include swim block and free swim at the pool which each unit does everyday. Here’s a look at what units were up to on their first day.
 
H2 started the day off on the Banana Boat. Also on the bay, H7 went tubing. While part of the group was on the tube, the rest of H7 sat on the dock and did Praying in Color, a Christian Ed activity. P6’s Christian Ed activity of the day was Sand Painting – a Native American form of prayer we get to take part in here at camp.
 
The Environmental Center (E.C.) also had a busy day! H1 played Predator and Pray with the E.C. staff. Later in the day, P4 also had the chance to play Predator and Pray. Inside the E.C., P1 made salsa with vegetables picked from our garden. P2 completed an egg drop challenge. Adventure Pathfinder (APF) built survival shelters.
 
H6 cooked out dessert after Free Time, ending their day with a delicious snack. H8 completed a hayride around camp to finish off their first day at camp. They got to put their knowledge of camp songs to good use. Our hayride is powered by camp songs, if you stop singing the ride stops as well! Day Camp Two also went on a hayride earlier in the day.
 
Day Camp One challenged themselves at the Rock Wall. P5 played disc golf all around camp, not only getting to use our new course but also taking a tour of camp in the process.
 
P7 made lanterns at the Craft Shop, that will help light their site out in the woods.
 
Sailing Pathfinders spent the morning going over the Sailing Manual with Sailing Instructor Stephen and Waterfront Director Kevin. In the afternoon they put their newfound knowledge to the test and sailed Sunfish around the Bay.
                        
A bonfire at the beach was the final activity of the day for H3 and H9. P4 ended their night with a “bang” as they partook in a drum circle at the Plaza.
 
The day was certainly filled with tons of exciting activities, we can’t wait to see what the rest of the session has in store! 

Welcome to the Carmine Environmental Center or as most of our campers call it the E.C. I’m Ellie, the director, and I have a great assistant, Austin. The E.C. was built next to marshlands that border our bay in 1995, and it was named after the former property manager Terry and his wife Betty Lee Carmine. It was created so campers could learn about all the wonderful ecosystems and animals found here at Camp Arrowhead.
 
This year we have some super cool activities! As session 2 comes to a close, our solar oven is getting a work out as units bake cookies and zucchini bread. On Sunday, P7 even made some tasty brownies that they then enjoyed at lunch!
 
We are lucky to have a garden at camp. On Monday H1 came to the garden to pick cucumbers to make pickles for their lunch! Not only do we have cucumbers growing but we also have zucchini, squash, tomatoes, kale, and peppers. Units use these vegetables for their cookouts and sometimes make salsa with us at the E.C. This week P1 and P7 are using our vegetables to cook for the pioneer potluck!
 
As fun as cooking is, nature education is best learned outside, so we have plenty of opportunities for campers to explore. One of my favorite games is decomposer bingo. Campers walk around picking up stumps and turning over logs to find camp’s best decomposers that include earth worms, lady bugs and beetles. This week, when our taste of campers were searching for decomposers, they stopped and snacked on some blueberries. We have blueberry trees all around camp! We also have activities in the bay like seining, beach nature walks, and bay safaris that allow campers to get a closer look at the creatures living in and around the Rehoboth bay. Last week P1 took a walk out to Santa Claus to grab fiddler crabs to feed our E.C. turtles, Lewes and Dewey. They all got a little muddy but everyone had a smile, especially the turtles!
 
Campers can also feed, hold, and interact with our chickens, a guinea pig named Mo, the leopard gecko Sugar, and the newest addition to the E.C., our chinchilla Mocha Latte! H9 was able to spend time with Mocha and learn about her while they made fresh tea from the herb garden outside the E.C. H7 got to hang out with our chickens and try some fresh eggs for a morning snack on Thursday.
 
While we use our chicken eggs for farm to table nutrition, sometimes we use store bought eggs that are close to expiration for egg drops. Tuesday afternoon P5 worked to get their “most dope” egg protection devices for their egg to jump off the E.C. tower. Unfortunately, one egg saw its final drop but, at least it went out looking at a beautiful view of the marsh and the bay.
 
Never fear, our oldest campers, the pathfinders also visited us in the E.C. APF made some sturdy lean to survival shelters and SPF learned how to make sassafras tea by collecting sassafras saplings around camp.
 
We are excited for what our final week of the session has in store.
 
Adventure is out there!!!
Ellie (Camp Naturalist)

In the afternoon, our Saturday Mystery Central activities began. To introduce the theme, two pirate crews stormed the dining hall during lunch. The competing crews were the “Jollys” and the “Rogers,” led by two fighting brothers. Alec, our Craft Shop Director, was Captain Jolly, accompanied by his crew, Scallywag, Cannon Ball, and Landlubber. Stephen G, our High Ropes Director, was Captain Roger, accompanied by his crew, Roger Roger, Roger Dodger, and Rogier. The Carmine Kids ~ the gang that’s all true blue ~ asked all of camp to help solve the mystery of why these two brothers were fighting.

​After lunch, the groups received a clue leading them to their first location on a circuit of Minute-To-Win-It Games and various riddles. After decoding these riddles, they travelled around camp to get more clues. They were directed back to their sites, where they found their final clues left by the pirates. Each group was given puzzle pieces and sent back to the dining hall. Once they arrived, the Carmine Kids asked them to put the puzzle together to figure out why Captain Jolly and Captain Roger were fighting. The puzzle revealed a giant joy jar, which had been broken by the brothers. The brothers were trying to find their joy!!! Thanks to the Carmine Kids and the help of all the campers, the pirate brothers ended their long feud! After the mystery was solved, the campers headed to the pool to cool down. Then everyone met on the beach for a cookout with hamburgers, hot dogs, and ice cream!
 
Arghhh,
Cat & Carson (Girls Homestead & Pioneer Unit Leaders)
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Happy Independence Day! Yesterday we celebrated the fourth. The celebration began after breakfast. We gathered around the flag pole outside of the Dining Hall and said the Pledge of Allegiance and sang the Star Spangled Banner. Next in Chapel, the Adventure Pathfinders read parts of the Declaration of Independence and quotes by famous Americans. Some of the quotes included:
 
“I want our young people to know that they matter, that they belong. Don't be afraid. Be focused. Be determined. Be hopeful. Be empowered. Empower yourselves with a good education, then get out there and use that education to build a country worthy of your boundless promise. Lead by example with hope, never fear.” -Michelle Obama
 
“We are not makers of history. We are made by history.” -MLK
 
“Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children's children. Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches or its romance.” -Theodore Roosevelt
 
We sang two patriotic songs during the service: God Bless America and This Land is Your Land. However, when one of our homestead friends was upset that not all of our patriotic songs were included in chapel, some of our staff members led the Dining Hall in two more at dinner. They began with America the Beautiful. During the second song, Battle Hymn of the Republic, two staff members ran around the Dining Hall with an American flag. By the end of the song almost everyone was marching around their tables. It was a great end to dinner.
 
At night, after free time, we held a Fourth of July carnival on the beach. Once every group had arrived an opening skit took place. It began with Oliver, our Boy’s Homestead Leader, reading the Midnight Ride of Paul Revere. But then the golf cart came racing down to the beach, and Alec, the Craft Shop Director, let the beach know the British are coming! The British then charged in with black hats and water balloons. The British included our Camp America staff who hail from the UK or Australia and a few American staff members. At the same time, a group of staff members who had been hiding in canoes by the dock for over half an hour, ran to the beach with water balloons. The Americans and the British then had a big water balloon fight. Out on the bay, two waterfront staff – Kevin and Stephen, drove back and forth on a boat holding a huge American flag. The battle ended with an American victory, as the British were chased off, and the head red coast, British Prep Cook Rachel, was locked up by Oliver. Everyone on the beach cheered throughout, chanting U S A!
 
Following the skit, the carnival began. Staff members served food: funnel cakes, watermelon and snow cones. And there were games galore. There was ring toss, darts, corn hole, ladder golf, football throw, and more. Two of the most popular stations were ski ball and face paint. Right after campers got their faces painted, they could get their picture taken at the photo booth next door. The night concluded with the Dewey firework show from across the bay. Groups sat together on the dock to watch the sky light up across the bay. It was an awesome conclusion to a day filled with patriotic fun.
 
With joy (and a little extra patriotism) from Homestead way,  
 
Maddie S. (the Mail Lady)  & Bethany (the Chapel Lady)