Day Four: So, How is the Water?

Counselors and Staff Lining Up for the Polar Bear Swim

Cheering on the Polar Bear and Penguin Swimmers 

Day Four began with the traditional Polar Bear

Swim.  The objective of the event is that the participant swims from the far dock of the waterfront to the beach, shortly after the sun rises. This swim is not for the faint of heart, but if the swimmer succeeds, they are awarded the title of Polar Bear.   If the campers and counselors cannot bring themselves to dive into the icy water, they do have the option of wading into the water, knee deep. Those who accomplish this feat are given the title of Penguin. The final option is to offer strong encouragement from the sidelines.  We want to offer our congratulations to those who ventured into the water and earned the Polar Bear or Penguin titles. 

If swimming in ice cold water is not in the cards for our campers, they have other options to earn distinction. The archery course has been a popular activity at camp for several years.  Campers are carefully instructed on safety and protocol and then offered the chance to hit the bull's eye on the target. With practice many campers have gone from being unclear as to how to pick up and handle a bow and arrow to consistently hitting the mark.  Those camper who do get the bull's eye get a picture with the target and arrow to place in their memory books.

Spiderman Rides the Zipline 

Another popular activity that requires some courage is the zip line. You can see a variety of superheroes, princesses, and military personnel flying down the line, with a few aerial stunts thrown in for good measure.

Graduation ceremonies also takes place on Day Four. The camp is designed to serve campers who are under the age of twelve. Graduates are those who will reach their twelfth birthday before the next camp starts.  Our 2016 ceremony was held tonight.  Saying goodbye to the graduates can be an emotional time for both the campers and their counselors. Our hope and prayer is that our time with these campers brought them a bit of joy and some fun while they were with us.