Work Crew Day-Off, Camp Carnival, & the Roaring Twenties Dance!

Today we will be talking about Work Crew’s day-off outing, Monday’s and Tuesday’s activities at camp, and two theme nights – our Roaring 20’s Dance and the Camp Carnival!

At Camp Balcones Springs, the oldest boys and girls at camp – rising high school seniors – take part in our Work Crew program. Work Crew campers attend summer camp for free in exchange for their community service. Working together with their counselors, Work Crew helps prepare and clean our dining hall and dishes, collects trash around camp, and assists with various maintenance duties. Kids earn community service hours they can apply in high school or on college applications, and teens say it is far and above their favorite year at camp.

Work Crew is revered by other campers and staff for their hard work. As a token of camp’s gratitude, once every session, the Work Crew is given a full day off from their camp duties (which are filled in place by our Leadership Training campers, those in the year below Work Crew), and they travel with their counselors and camp staff off property for a fun day outside of camp. This term, the Work Crew girls and boys went to an exotic animal farm in Johnson City, Texas, nearby Marble Falls and just outside of Austin. The highschoolers took a tractor-pulled trailer ride and fed animals all over the property. The girl Work Crew members even had their faces painted by their counselor before going. After the visit to the farm, everyone went to Cane’s for a special off-camp meal. At night, the kids played games on the tennis courts, including human bowling (where they were the balls). All in all, it was an enjoyable, relaxing, and special day-off for our hardest-working campers!

Monday, after a day full of Blobbing, swimming, basketball, soccer, art-making, and even a relaxing spa day for O’Connor cabin, everyone at camp gathered together for Camp Balcones Springs’ take on one of Jay Gatsby’s storied parties – the Roaring 20’s Dance! Campers played games of chess, Clue, and poker and drank kid-friendly “champagne” from party glasses. Kids and counselors alike sported feather headbands, beaded necklaces, and flapper dresses.

On Tuesday, the Camp Balcones Springs Survival Skills class worked on passive signaling for a wilderness rescue. The students had to make a 4’ x 8’ light-and-radar-reflective device out of nothing but natural materials, paracord, and an emergency blanket. It was incredibly inspiring watching the students build their signaling devices – and it also made us feel confident about getting stuck in the wilderness with any of them!

After another day full of activities, boys and girls gathered together for our laidback Camp Carnival theme night. This evening is a relaxed, personality-based theme night in which campers are instructed to wear shirts from their hometown, school, or favorite sports team, TV show, band, comic book, etc. The shirts (or any other garb campers decide to wear) serve as conversation starters for campers as they meet and greet other campers, counselors, and camp staff and are able to share some more of their personality and background with the boys and girls they have met at camp. Kids also enjoy a wide variety of great side games mimicking the spirit of a carnival, including a food court with mini corn dogs, multiple types of popcorn, snowcones, and even Nutella crepes! Activities include face painting, a balloon-animal maker, and an array of inflatable games and obstacle courses.

Stay tuned for updates about our epic closing week events – the Music Video Awards, Amazing Race, and Rodeo Roundup – as we wrap up the final few days of Term 3!