On camp: My campy days

An episode of This American Life (Notes on Camp) reminded me of the my days as camp counselor. In fact the episode was produced and recorded in 1998, my second year as a counselor. The show inspired me to be camp nostalgic. I don't have much from those days just these memories and a few pictures (the one at left is not one of them). The middle of June this year marks 10 years since I began camp counseling at Clearwater Forest (or more formally Presbyterian Clearwater Forest). I spent portions of 4 summers there literally growing up as I faced the challenges of dealing with kids. I went there mostly because of a girl I liked. It seems this theme has followed me around a bit (see How I Started Running). I am collecting camp memories so maybe you can tell me yours.
Now onto what I entitle "My Campy Clearwater Days"
I did not want to go back to landscaping grunt crew so what better thing to do than work at a camp where there was free room and board and all I needed to do was look after some children for a week. How hard could that be?
I arrived just a few days after college ended. I met some counselors from the previous year who had come early. I nearly killed them both because of my inept boating skills. I manoeuvred the pontoon almost on top them as they were swimming in the middle of the lake. I think they forgave me.
The next day training began. I think there were about 15 counselors/multi-purpose staff including 4 guest counselors from Australia, Belarus, and the Ukraine. One Aussie, Steve, had to be at least 30 years old.
My first week as a counselor was perhaps the best I could have ever had. I got a cabin of about 8 junior high guys in Morning Glory, a room in Eagle Lodge. As usual it starts out rocky. Guys meeting strangers and another stranger telling them what they could and could not do. I still can faintly remember each of their faces- most of their names have fled my memory although Jason certainly was one...I think there was a Matt too. Well we eventually started to gel by Wednesday, we were having some great devotional times, they boys honored lights out, and there was a rumor going around that I talked in my sleep about squirrels. Somewhere during the week the boys re-christened the cabin "The Flaming Squirrel" mostly based on a story one of boys told about his Uncle burning squirrels. I think I must have caught the end of that story the night I spoke in my sleep. There was one romance that developed between my boys and a red haired girl named Sara. I think all the guys liked her but I am not sure she liked all the guys.
Well if that was the best it most assuredly was followed by the worst. And that cabin's problems all began with a boy named Reed...