Things have been busy as we wrapped up the last week-and-a-half of Term 3!
First, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter set up shop inside the CBS gates, as Camp Balcones Springs transformed into Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, and other iconic locations from the popular book and movie series. Campers made wands, tested out potions, were sorted into their houses for dinner, and danced under the stars! Needless to say it was a magical evening.
On Thursday of Week 2, campers got to choose new majors for the second half of the session – a unique perk of our three-week term! After trying their hand at one set of activities for the first half of camp, boys and girls then have the opportunity to update their schedule, choosing to either build on the skills they have already been developing or try out new activities with different friends for the final ten days of camp.
In activity news, our Jewelry Making major made adorable paracord bags and phone charms last week, while Survival Skills students learned how to rescue someone on a back board and work together to bring the person down a set of stairs – not an easy task, but we were so impressed with campers for taking it seriously and rising to the challenge. Our Cooking Class continued to work through a delicious Mediterranean menu, making beef kafta and homemade sourdough flatbreads. Returning campers say this has been their favorite menu ever!
Last Friday was a huge day for team competition at CBS as we hosted our annual Game Day and Night Team Comp events. In the afternoon, our oldest girls went head-to-head in a flag football game, with the Lonestar team coming out on top over the Silver Spurs. Later that evening, the oldest boy campers competed in an epic basketball game under our Hippodrome amphitheater. The score remained close throughout the first half, ending 9-8 at halftime, but then Rangers ran away in the second half to win 28-8. Fans painted up to represent their teams, waving homemade signs and pom-poms from the sidelines! Both teams will continue to face off each day of camp until the last day’s final event – the Amazing Race!
Other highlights from last week include long time camper and former counselor Margaret Woodberry flying in from New York to surprise her cabin of four consecutive years! Margaret dressed up in a ghillie suit and snuck up on her former campers, who had no idea she would be visiting them this summer. Everyone was so elated and happy to see each other, reminding us again of the power of the relationships we build at Camp Balcones Springs.