Farewell Term 3A!

The sun started to show itself more over the past few days, meaning more camp activities have proceeded as usual. Our Term 3A campers also left this week, so naturally, lots of “raids” and “pranks” have been taking place at camp!

At Camp Balcones Springs, each cabin has the opportunity to conduct a prank or raid every term, with most opting to do so in the last few days before their session ends (usually in an attempt to limit the opportunity for retaliation pranks!).

Camp pranks first began in 1993 when CBS opened its gates, and they have only gotten better and more innovative since! All pranks must be approved by our full-time team and must be creative (i.e. – nothing overtly mean-spirited). A member of our leadership staff, alongside the cabin’s counselors, always accompany campers during the enactment of their prank. It is pretty notorious for girls and boys to prank each other during a term and begin what is known as a “prank war” – a series of back-and-forth retaliations. We have had shoes taped to ceilings, trunks taken to the beach with epic cross-camp scavenger hunts for keys, and even “surprise” raves at 1:00 AM! Nothing says a great summer like a prank.

If cabins prefer, they can forgo the mischief and opt instead for what we call a “raid.” Raids are staff-approved “excursions” into the camp kitchen, during which campers are given a limited amount of time to scan the shelves for any snacks and treats they want to take back to their cabin to enjoy. Camp staff often stock the shelves intentionally with hidden treats and desirable items for the campers to find. After the “raid” is complete, boys and girls get to enjoy their spoils with their counselors and relish in a successful “mission.”

A highlight from the Term 3A pranks was Beticheck Cabin waking up Goodnight Cabin at 7 AM with breakfast in bed – gone wrong! The boys set up a lovely breakfast for the girls, but then flipped the table and surprised them! It took the girls a moment to realize what was happening, but the campers all enjoyed a good laugh together afterwards and appreciated the innovation – we hadn’t had a trick prank like this before.

One positive of the rain is that temperatures have been staying in the mid-80s – an extreme rarity for this time of year when we are sometimes fighting dangerous heat – so campers are spending all their time outside. The canoe/kayak class practiced kayak rescue skills in our fitness center pool, and campers have had time to enjoy swimming in our pool facilities while we wait for the lake water quality levels to be approved for safety.

Tuesday night campers took a trip – or several – around the globe at our Wonders of the World theme night and dance. The evening featured snacks from different eras and places, cultural games and music, and many creative costumes, including ancient statues, Cleopatras, Parisian artists, and tacky tourists.

Please join our staff in continuing to hold space and prayer for all Central Texas camps and camp families. We remain so grateful that our summer is continuing on safely and uninterrupted.