By Greg Keresztury, Director of Operations
Last week, I wrote a blog post in which I explained what Color Wars is at our sleepaway camps: Ockanickon for boys and Matollionequay for girls. As promised, here are my thoughts on why I think Color Wars is such a great event, and a fun 2-week session.
Unity
One of the things I most love about Color Wars is how unifying the event is. I know this statement seems odd, because our two camps are split into 2 competing teams, Red and Black. However, I love the excitement campers have when they learn which color team they’ll be on for the remainder of their time at camp — not just this summer, as when a camper joins a team, he/she stays on that team even through his/her staff years! It is wonderful to see the two camps blended together, so there are boys and girls on both teams. Further, the unity, spirit, and togetherness each team displays is awesome to see – campers who were strangers earlier in the day are now bonded together and rooting hard for one another, as they work to achieve a common goal. Then, at the end of the day, regardless of which team wins, both camps come together, as Red and Black teams, and enjoy an outdoor barbeque celebration in which they’re reminded that Red Team and Black Team, or Ocky and Matolly, are all #OneCamp.
Camaraderie
Each team is led by male and female cabins (counselors from both camps), and those captions work hard throughout the special event day to ensure that all campers are included, supported, and celebrated. A captain has failed in his/her job if he/she has a voice remaining at the end of the day! It is wonderful to witness the team captains cheering on the campers on their team, and even more so, encouraging the other campers to do the same. As noted above, many of the campers do not know many of their teammates at the start of the day, as many of their teammates come from the other camp, or it may just be due to the different ages within a team. However, once Color Wars begins, it is quite common to see a group of Mohawks (oldest campers) cheering on and supporting Cherokees and Senecas (youngest campers). The bonds made during Color Wars last throughout the session, and carryover when those campers return for Color Wars in subsequent summers.
Engagement
Part of what makes Color Wars to great is the high level of camper engagement. Campers are absolutely engaged throughout their stay at camp, be it during an activity, sing-a-long, skit, or cabin chat. However, during Color Wars, the engagement rises to another level, as the campers are now not only engaged by our staff and their friends/cabin mates, but by the whole camp — consisting of both sleepaway camps! Because each event matters, because team spirit and pride is so high, and because the positive support is so strong, campers are engaged in a way throughout the day that is unrivaled during the remainder of the session. In fact, Color Wars is such a wonderful, all-encompassing event, the ‘Lazy Sunday’ that follows is all the more sweet, as it provides an opportunity for campers to rest up, recuperate, and refocus for the second week of the session.
Color Wars truly is a great and magical event; it is no wonder that a countdown calendar was designed just to let campers know when it will return!