  Camp has to be one of the only places I ever look forward to going to. This past week I went to camp for what will be the last time I will be a camper. (When you get to be 16 or 17 it's your last year). Lets Back up a little bit. 4 Years ago my sisters friends told her about a camp she liked, and wanted my sister to go with her. I went myself without bringing any friends to try the camp out.
This camp has many different sessions consisting of one week sessions, two week-ers, and two sessions of family camp (one week I think) each summer. This camp is run by Episcopalian, but it's not one of those we-force-you-to-be-Christian type of things. You get to sing contemporary worship in the chapel every night, which actually isn't half bad because of the songs you sing (my favs: Let it Be, Stand By me, Lean on me, etc..etc..). One again, I'm getting ahead of myself. The camp is in Ohio (yeah I know, Ohio sucks-steeler fans). It's in a little middle of nowhere town called ashtrabula, in a place called conneaut.
Oddly enough it's right on lake eerie....strange because eerie is in PA. First thing you see when you drive in there is a L shape of white cabins. There is a fence by the road that separates them from the highway. Behind the bottom of the L of cabins is Lake Eerie.&nbsp; To the left of the cabins is all the other stuff needed for camp......Dining hall, chapel, mac hall (campfires, art stuff, bathrooms, you get the idea), counselors lodge-if you want to call it that, and other essentials. Camp is located on lake road a.k.a. big long ass straight road. Calvary is near the middle of the road, at the start is the harbor where the camp owns 2 sailing boats they use for electives.
Year 1- Was kind of lost for the first couple of days. Enjoyed camp. Kissed this girl (taylor I think her name was? ) at the dance-It was a stupid kiss, well, looked stupid anyways. Didn't really sing any songs or get into much. Adam was my counselor, I liked him.
Year 2- Much better the second time around. Made lots of friends. Started sailing, and loved it. Story Time: I had met a girl named Briana and it was the last night for camp. We had held hands and done all that stuff and probably wanted to do more. Anways, It is a well known fact that behind the kaibos (bathrooms, showers, sinks) there is a back exit to both the boys and the girls room.
Half of my cabin and some girls from their cabins decided to meet there that night. We did, but everyone pussied out when they got there, leaving me and briana. We decided we couldn't stay outside or else we could get caught. We couldn't go into the boys bathroom, that would be too gross. Too many people went in anyways. So it was determined that we could go into the girls room to try and make out I guess.
We went into a shower stall (fully clothed), and kind of gave each other stupid looks like one of us would make a move. But since I'm a wimp I didn't do anything. Just then we heard a rumbling around noise. Briana ran out to see what was going on, and to my dismay it was not her who came into the stall next. It happened to be my counselor Chad. " uh, Hi Chad!
" He must have thought it was funny, and of course I was never punished for it. Chad muttered into my ear the whole time walking back, " your fucking lucky, your so fucking lucky" &nbsp; I kissed her before she got on the bus, I don't really keep in contact with her these days. I really liked chad (not like that, you sicko) Year 3- Probably the most straightforward year. My counselor was zach hoover (he was so funny, he was actually a stand up comedian I think). No storys on my part for this year. I did meet a new girl (Heh, it was becoming routine) Keri, but she was different and had a great personality.
I didn't kiss her, but spent much more time with her. I kept in contact with her through AIM, and....... Year 4 (this year) - Possibly one of the best weeks of my life. My friend Ryan came, and we both signed up for the elective JC. Junior Counselor. It sounds childish, but is the best thing there is to do there. You do multiple things there like running a campfire, taking care of kids, doing devotions with that cabin (devotions-you talk about stuff before you go to bed).Keri was there, along with most people from last year.
We flirted a little I guess, nothing that great, and by the way...she has a boyfriend. He works at dennys. We shall call him andy (and yes that's his read name). &nbsp; Chad was my counselor this year. One of the first things he mentioned to me when I arrived was that he remembered catching me two years ago. Moving on, I got JC with Cabin 1.
This would be the youngest cabin (ages 6,7 im guessing?). I love the little kids, and they are awesome to hang out with. By the end of the week I knew all of them very well.&nbsp; Then comes friday. Probably the most single exciting day of camp.&nbsp; Everything happens on friday. It was the last day of electives. That included sailing with awesome wind (almost capsizing), and making a tie-dye t-shirt for JC.
After that we had the banquet (good food, served by the counselors). All the counselors were being suspiciously nice to me that day. After dinner they had the tribal skit. Let me explain this too. They divide the camp up into four teams (or tribes). Tigers, Falcons, Dragons, and Panthers.
They compete in games throughout camp, and the points are tallied, and the winners are announced throughout the skit. This skits run like SNl ones, and are funny as hell. After the skit one of the counselors Alex took a stool and sat down (Alex runs the JC electives). He said there was something much more important to talk about and that was OCA. The outstanding camper award. As I recalled it was just some stupid award given to a goody goody girl who came to camp all her life.
I never really payed attention. Alex pulled out a piece of paper and starting talking about how great a person this guy was. Then he said, this person is a JC. Ok well, there were quit a few JC's. He said this person is amazing with the kids. Ok, well I'm sure everyone is good with kids, nothing new.
He said that this person was assigned his cabin and that he couldnt think of a better person for the award. He called my name. He told me he was very glad I got his cabin, and gave me a hug. All the other counselors chanted the We love you ben song (we love you conrad, you know, bye bye birdie? ), and everyone shook my hand. I got a bible for the award with my name inside and the session that I won it.
Ryan won the award too, along with one other kid. After that I swear almost everyone in camp came up and complimented me. I had never felt so good. Chad and another counselor John talbot called me over. They said that I was so good with the kids, and that I was an awesome kid. They told me it wasn't just them who had noticed, but everybody.
(this means a lot coming from them). After that we had chapel. Every Friday it is an hour long(but still just as fun). Towards the end everybody gets a candle to light. The lady minister called me, ryan, and matt up to light everybodys candle. We proceded back to the cabin with our candles, made a bonfire, and went in to do devotions.
Chad gave us all ice cream sandwiches (doesnt that sound gay? )...this is a big thing for camp considering we can't have food in the cabin. Our topic for devotions was our high and low point of the week. He said his was seeing me and ryan win OCA. After devotions came Stratego . Note: it is now midnight.
To make a long story short it's an almost impossible game, in which only the counselors and 16 and 17 year old campers play. Its top secret, and was so fun. All the guys got out in less than 2 minutes, but there were 3 girls left. Note: the people who have won in the past have become legends, they have done such things as scaling down the cliff, army crawling by the highway for an hour, smuggling a bike, the girls plan was faking and injury. It worked. We won.
Before I write a book about camp, I think I will stop. Year 5- SIT at sheldon Calvary Camp (staff in training) Year 6- counselor/staff at sheldon calvary camp &nbsp; &nbsp; SCC COED III 2004 
