We are so GRATEFUL for the break in the heat this week.  Of course that meant that there were storms to contend with Monday and high winds Tuesday and Wednesday - but yesterday, yesterday was a fantastic day on the waterfront!  Several staff were down there helping the waterfront crank out some sailing rides all afternoon and during free time.

Last night we held a mini central on the beach.  Arrowhead takes a lot of pride in being decentralized. (Our emphasis is on the individual group experience over planning things out with other cabins.  So, when we do all camp activities we call it a Central because it's really the only "centralized" thing we do) And when we decide to do Centrals - we do it right!   All of our Specialists (non-counseling staff) and Day Camp Staff ran activity or food booths all of the beach.  The Outside Crew spent most of their day rigging up strings of lights between the trees and trees of floodlights to keep it all bright and cheery.  Paul and George , from the Environmental Center, hosted a hot dog bar with our Prep Cooks, Chloe & Roisin.  Kat, Arman, and Wyatt were serving up fresh popcorn.  Morgan and Ellie were scooping up snow cones.  Maddy and Molly from the Craft Shop ran a really silly photo booth.  Carleigh and Nikki from the infirmary were doing face paint with David from the kitchen.  There were tons of games to play and glow in the dark necklaces for everyone!!  A highlight was pie throwing - campers got to throw plates of shaving cream at staff members.  It was EVERYWHERE.  Word of the street is that it tastes minty and clean but no one would highly recommend getting it in your mouth.

We're all a little sad that it's the last day but we're squeezing in all the last moments of fun that we can while we prepare for all of tonight's festivities - Camp Arrowhead (Cheesy) Chicken for dinner, Dirt for dessert, Eucharist with Ginny Wilder from Trinity and Old Swedes in Wilmington, and the CAMPFIRE!!!!  

See you tomorrow camp families!!

peace-
Teri V (The Program Director)

Fourth Session is off to a great start!!  The Ad Staff took time at the meeting last night to check out the weather forecast.  It was promising rain from 3am to 6pm..... so believe you me - we were pretty happy when it only rained for about an hour and half today!!  Yes - there was still thunder to interfere with both free swims but the campers and staff handled it like champs.

Homestead came up to the dining hall and played games with the counselors and all of the specialists who suddenly found themselves free as the storm rolled in.  And Pioneer spent their Free Swim playing Worst Case Scenario with Justin over the loud speaker.  He would read some multiple choice answers to crazy survival scenarios and the campers would cheer for their favorite answers.

Just a few pro tips here - but if you find yourself driving in quicksand - you should follow other tire tracks - NOT slow down or swerve back and forth.  And motorcycle helmets with construction goggles makes better head wear than tin foil in the case of volcanic eruption.  You're welcome.

The weather cleared up in time for Free Time and evening activities are moving along just swimingly - Hay Rides, Drum Circles and a Mariachi Themed Bonfire at the beach :)  We're confident the first day was full and we're sure that all will sleep well tonight.

TODAY IN THE DINING HALL:
BREAKFAST: Pancakes & Sausage
LUNCH: Meatball Subs, Carrots & Fritos
DINNER: TACO NIGHT!!!

peace,
​Teri V (The Program Director)

On Wednesdays we cook out.... and that often means, as the laws of nature go, that it will probably rain.  There are even superstitions that if we sing the Johnny Appleseed grace at lunch it WILL rain.... so obviously there are opposing superstitions that if we don't sing it.... it will rain....  Tradition goes that the Dining Hall closes to thoroughly clean and we call it blitz.  And to let it all totally dry we keep out for the evening and everyone cooks out dinner.

So, yes.  It rained.  And it thundered.  And then it rained some more.  
They were even calling for possible flash flooding - but that didn't happen.  Homestead did not venture out to their homes in the woods at Outpost - but instead set up games all over the Dining Hall.  Matt, Oliver and Brooks grilled all of their burgers on the deck of the Dining Hall.  Cat, Bethany, George and Ali ran an impeccable assembly line for campers to get their buns, cheese, condiments, chips, fruit, veggie burgers, and peanut butter & jelly options.  Teri called the groups up two by two while the groups continued to play games and sing.  Everyone had a grand old time and even finished early.  Cat & Brooks set the boundaries for an epic game of capture the Counselor.  Connor, the Day Camp 2 counselor, skillfully hid under a pile of mulch but was ratted out when Day Camp's adopted specialist Kat was captured.  Alec, the H1 Counselor, managed to successfully camouflage himself deep in the fig trees by the Log Cabin.  Stephen, the CIT Leader, joined the game late and used the anti-strategy of just running.  He was most shamefully cornered and captured behind the Rec Hall.

And then there was the Pioneer Potluck.  EVERY UNIT STILL COOKED OUT and had a pretty fun time doing it!!  P1 made monkey bread.  P2 made french toast with fruit compote.  P3 tried their hand at making quiche.  P4 made pans and pans of trainwreck - a breakfast skillet scramble and camp cookout favorite.  P5 made loads and loads of potatoes.  P6 threaded tons of fruit kabobs. P7 made dutch oven biscuits and sausage gravy.  And P8 made a mountain of dessert pancakes.

Meanwhile in the Adventure Pathfinder Site - they went ALL OUT.   They rotisseried (I'm sure that's a verb...) chicken over their fire.  They made bruschetta as an appetizer and sauted vegetables from the camp garden.  AND they made brownie cupcakes using orange rinds as their muffin tins.  Way to go APF!  As their counselor Simon has been prone to say, "Can you smell that?  It's.... a d v e n t u r e."

All the thunder subsided and everyone got to attend their regularly scheduled free swims - THANK YOU, LIFEGUARDS!!!!

All in all, it was a wild and wonderful Wednesday Night Cookout!!

peace-
Teri V, The Program Director

Thursday H10 and H4 worked on woodburning their pieces of camp.  Day Camp 1 made sand art prayers in the Pavillion.  P1 made some really cool books in the Craft Shop while H1, Day Camp 2 & H7 made fantastic tie dye shirts. P5 learned how to flip canoes in the bay and spent a good chunk of their morning paddling around in the sunshine.  P3 learned survival skills from their counselors, Will and Kevin.  The boys found that if they shave the bark off of a cedar log and light it with a flint, they would get a raging fire very quickly.  P7 planned their chapel while at archery and led the whole camp on Friday morning.  In P6, some campers enjoyed lashing a tepee in their campsite during a cookout.

Speaking of tepees, The service session CIT's were organizing old tarps in the Rec Hall and uncovered an old one that Teri and her Retreat Pathfinders painted in 1998.  We're working to find enough poles to try to set it up next session in Boy's Homestead... we'll keep you posted!

Thursday Nights at camp are for Socials!  Homestead had a Scooby Doo Dive In Movie at the pool.  They were served psychedelic snow cones and Scooby Snacks (puppy chow).  Don't know what puppy chow is?  You coat chex cereal in melted chocolate and then cover the chocolate with powdered sugar.  It's a camp favorite.  You can also add peanut butter to the chocolate, use white chocolate or mix ingredients like cinnamon, cocoa powder or cake mix to the powdered sugar coating.  It's a camp favorite!  And Ketih and Emma had some episodes of Scooby Doo projected up on a screen at on the deck of the Quail's Nest Staff Lounge.  The kids had a blast - and the staff had fun too.

The Pioneer Units had a beach party in the Pavilion and called it the Tidal Wave Tango. P5's counselor looked up all of his campers names in Hawaiian and made them name tags.   P4 wore lyrics to a beach song on their name tags and P3 wore Hawaiian & beach phrases like Aloha, Mahalo & Surf's Up! P1, P2, P6 & P7 wore flowers in their hair.  They danced to surf tunes and pop music dj'd by the Eriksen Cousins - Paul and Lars. 

Though the weather has been a bit cloudy this week, the sun keeps peaking through at Camp Arrowhead and all planned activities have commenced without any rain drops!

Today we're packing and preparing to return home.  Tonight we will attend Eucharist.  Every unit is in charge of a a part of the service and Father Tom from Christ Episcopal Church in Milford with celebrate. After the service we will have our end of Session Campfire.  All the groups meet up at the dining hall and silently process to the Council Ring for the fire.  Every unit will share a skit to share and Walt's leading the fire tonight so it's sure to be a fun one!

Peace & Adventure Are Out There!
Teri & Theresa

Tuesday morning Day Camp 2 were the very first camper group to lead Chapel.  They read from the Beattitudes and lead us in singing I Like Bananas.

High Ropes was busy busy busy!  P4 traversed our four bridges.  P1 lept from the pamper plank.  P6 & H2 both screamed (or held their breath) on the Giant Swing.

H9 & H10 gardened with Paul at the Environmental Center and H4 disected owl pellets.  H7 dressed up as animals for lunch.  H6 kayaked after siesta. H8 made cards with Doreen.  

Tuesday night the Waterfront Staff hosted many Homestead groups for Pirates and Mermaids Bonfire at the beach.  There was a lot of hula hooping! S'mores were roasted.  Pineapple was toasted.  And many a brave pirate and mer-person helped to capture the evil Sea Monster (aka Chet, a waterfront staff member) and forced him to walk the plank (or just off the bottom of the beachtower, into the bay).  Thankfully no staff were injured in the making of that memory!

Wednesdays are always exciting at camp Arrowhead.  Dining Hall closes after lunch to bltiz the kitchen and everyone cooks out for dinner.  All of Homestead ventured out to their homes in the woods at Outpost and grilled burgers over their fires.  Once the chocolate and marshmallow from their s’mores was wiped from their faces, they played capture counselor before heading back to main camp for free swim.   

In the mean time - Pioneer Units cooked out in their units and gathered at the Pavilion for a Potluck Dinner.  Each unit cooked for 50 people and shared what they created with the other groups.  P1 made twice baked mashed potatoes with bacon, cheese, and scallions, P4 made chicken with a BBQ sauce made from a reduction of ketchup and CocaCola, and P5 made mega egg burgers with a spicy sauce.  P6 and P7 tested their cookware skills and used a Wok and Dutch oven to make pineapple stirfry and baked mac and cheese.  For dessert, P2 made griddle pretzels with cinnamon and sugar and P3 made campfire ice cream cones stuffed with marshmallows, banana, and chocolate.  After they filled their bellies they played games together around the Pavillion.

Peace, 
& Adventure is Out There!
- Teri & Theresa

Meet Bob.  Well, many of your already know him.  Bob Hammond worked at camp "back in the day."  So... Remember Bob?

He signed up to ride the 22 mile loop in our 3rd Annual Bike to the Bitter.  If you, like me, have met Bob - you probably just titled your head and thought - really?  Bob's gonna ride 22 miles on a bike?

That is exactly  how he hooked sponsors into giving him $20 if completed the ride.  He was really proud to have raised a lot of money and prove all of us skeptics wrong!  He sent the letter below to all his supporters - and gave me permission to share it with you.

In the still of the morning the teams Ocean, Swamp, Savanna, and Jungle were finishing up their last minute costumes and preparations for the beginning of the competition central. 

Father Mark Harris came from St Peter's in Lewes to celebrate Eucharist with us in the Council Ring.  The team captains did the homily (sermon) together.  Each Teams Captains were singing versions of Walking in the Light they way they liked it about their own teams and came around to singing a version about camp together instead.  Father Mark reminded us that sometimes when we live in community our many versions of stories need to be merged together to tell a better more complete story of who we are.

Opening Ceremonies began at 10:30.  All four teams presented their team cheer, song, flag, banner, and costumes for the judges.   After lunch and siesta the judges and teams met in Boys Homestead for three round of events like Log Saw, Song Writing, Tug of War, Yahtzee, Sudoku, Pool Relays, Obstacle Courses, Ladder Lashing and more!  

The day of central culminates in a huge relay race that runs all over camp.  It begins with a camper making a bed and folding pajamas in the parking lot.  They run matches to someone who eats a huge slice of watermelon and then a third person run the matches to archery.  Two campers have to hit the target twice.  Then a water bucket is walked through a windy path without spilling.  The matches are passed to campers in inner tubes in the big pool then to campers making loops around the small pool.  Two campers have to make two hoops at basketball, one camper pushes another in a wheel barrow, then other campers have to ring two horseshoes.  The matches move over to hockey at the tennis courts, then to toilet paper - where two campers take  turns wrapping a stationary camper in toilet paper.  Then the matches go down to the waterfront to get canoed out to Santa Claus and kayaked back to the beach.  A few campers fill a five gallon bucket with sand and then some more dribble a soccer ball across the ballfield and back and then the matches get run up to the team fire builders in Boys Homestead where they must build a fire and burn through their rope first.  It's intense and exciting.

The round worked out in such a way that even though Team Savanna burned through their rope first - Team Jungle had more points and won "The Battle for the Biosphere!"  

A highlight of the day was at the firepits - Team Ocean was still building their fire and the other teams finished celebrating and shouted Ocean's cheer with them.  Team pride is great but Camp Pride is better :) 

All of camp cooked out dinner on the beach.  Hot dogs and hamburgers, baked beans, chips and ice cream were served to each unit while campers and staff played frisbee and nukem and sat on the dock.  Heat lightning flashed in the distance cancelling free swim and everyone was tired enough they didn't seem to mind missing it and going to bed early!  Rain actually held off until nearly 10pm - leaving Central virtually dry - HUZZAH!

peace-
Teri & Keith

Mother Nature has been threatening to open the skies upon us all week and yet she has smiled upon camp and "stayed on the sunny side."  Thanks a million, Mother Nature.

THE SUPER MOON:
Horseshoe crabs come on shore to lay eggs at full moons - and the extra bright nights have made for a lot of really cool viewings this session.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT COOKOUT:
The dining hall served Super Hero and Super Villain Pizzas for lunch. Our Day Camp groups cooked out at the beach while all of Homestead (11 cabins!) went to Outpost to cook burgers.  Many of our specialists have adopted units and joined their cabin groups for cookout.  And the Green Team WON Shamalamadingdong - think of three-way Capture the Flag.

Pioneer had a Potluck in the Pavilion. P1 made churros, P2 made chicken kabobs, P3 made quesadillas, P4 made chicken divan, P5 made onion rings and chili dip, P6 made grilled fluffer nutters and P7 made veggie stir fry.  They all performed paper bag skits for each other after dinner.  

The humidity made everyone thankful for free swim!

AROUND CAMP:
H10 made seashell wind chimes yesterday with Paul at the Environmental Center.  H1 prayed in color with Teri yesterday on the beach tower.  P5 pumped out some spectacular tie dye in the Craft Shop.  H2 made sand art prayers this morning in the Chapel & P6 made some stepping stones in the God Shack.  


H6 is with Kathy right now making prayer beads.  Day Camp 1 and H9 are on our Walking in the Light Trail.  H4 is in the midst of a Pirate adventure around camp.  

TONIGHT:
Homestead is preparing for a Luau in the Chapel - Snow Cones will be served in abundance! AND Pioneer is having a Space Jam (dance) in the Pavillion. "... And I love Space Jam." (to quote Kid President.)

I apologize for taking a while to get our first post up from First Session - but promise to work on posting with our Ad Staff more regularly!

peace be with you - 
Teri <}}><

1) GET ACTIVE WITH THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
The Alumni Association was formed for 3 reasons:

• To promote camaraderie among former staff members
  
• To assist Camp Arrowhead in its program, publicity, and recruitment (both staff and campers)
• To provide funds for worthwhile projects and programs.

Membership in the Alumni Association is open to any person who has worked at Camp arrowhead either as a paid or unpaid staff member since 1954. Dues are $15 per year (which you can pay online) and the money is primarily used to support camp maintenance and programming.  A business meeting is convened each winter.

2) COOK AT OUR 4th ANNUAL STAFF TRAINING ALUMNI LUNCHAPALOOZA - (Thursday, June 20, 2013 from 10am-1ish) Come cookout in Pioneer in pairs - show our staff how to make something delicious, tell them your story, and listen to theirs. It's a GREAT day. If you're interested and available contact Teri Valente.

3) WORK THE ALUMNI BOOTH ON CAMPER PICK UP DAYS 
You may arrive the night before, enjoy dinner and campfire, and sleep over. Volunteers will then get up early, set up the alumni booth, and socialize with visitors from 8 until about 11. We need 2 people to represent the CAAA at each booth. If you're interested and available contact Meg (Callahan) Sebastianelli.
2013 BOOTH DATES
         Sat., June 29 – Donna Hernandez  & Doreen Raub
         Fri., July 12 – ??
         Sat., July 20 – ??
         Fri., August 2 – Meg Sebastianelli & ??
         Sat., August 10 – Genie & Don Hobson, Doreen Raub

4) COME TO FAMILY CAMP 
Every year for Labor Day Weekend Camp hosts a weekend for the whole family!!  From Friday dinner through Monday morning come experience camp with your parents, children, and cousins.  Brochures are generally posted on the camp website and you can contact Dina Hollingsworth for more information. 

5) SUPPORT BIKE TO THE BITTER END 
(September 14, 2013) Come ride, run or walk in our third annual bike-a-thon!!  Or volunteer to help make it all happen.  You can register online this year!  Check out our site and contact Nancy Lafontaine for more information.

6) COME TO A WORK WEEKEND 
Every spring we take a weekend to all pitch in and get camp ready. The work is hard but the company can't be beat.  It all culminates Sunday afternoon with Open House.  Keep your eyes peeled in the fall for the 2014 dates to be announced.

8) ATTEND AN ALUMNI REUNION 
Held triennially, our next Alumni Reunion Weekend is being planned for the fall of 2015.  It's a wonderful weekend to reconnect with old friends and see what camp's been up to since you worked.