By Greg Keresztury, Director of Operations
During Session 6, I stopped by Matolly to observe camp in action as I typically do often during a session: are the campers enjoying the experience, are they safe, are they engaged by the counselors? However, upon arriving at Matolly after a golf cart ride through the woods from my office, I quickly found myself in Motunui! For those not familiar, this the home village of the main character in Disney’s Moana, a popular film that hit theaters late in November of 2016.
A section of Camp Matollionequay, our sleepaway camp for girls, had been transformed to the island of Motunui, as the campers were enjoying an all-camp Moana-themed carnival. The carnival took place by the arts and crafts building and in and around the waterfront. The camp was split into uppers and lowers, such that campers from the lower villages could all mingle and enjoy activities together, and campers from the upper villages could do the same. One section of camp went to the waterfront where they could swim, jump off the dock, play with water toys, build sandcastles, enjoy a game of ‘9 Square in the Air’ on the beach, and more. The other group enjoyed land activities which included Moana-themed arts and crafts, ceramics, face painting, gaga, carnival games, and of course a water ice station. The groups then switched later on in the day.
The games and activities were fun, and the campers were certainly enjoying themselves. However, what made this day special was the atmosphere. The campers were at Matolly, but the atmosphere was that of Motunui.
The camp was beautifully decorated, such that buildings and spaces that may have become familiar were transformed into something tropic, colorful, and vibrant. The campers and staff were dressed, painted, and glittered to mirror the costumes and outfits worn by the characters in Moana – and in fact, we even had our own Moana in attendance as well!
The day took on an energy and feel of its own, as the entire camp population was compressed into a relatively small portion of the camp, and the atmosphere was transformed into something vibrant, musical, and magical. It was a fantastic experience, and the campers had a blast!
After the carnival, the campers enjoyed an all-camp cookout where the spirit of the day’s events could continue into the evening. After dinner, the campers transitioned to a separate outdoor space where Moana was screened for the campers to enjoy. As one might expect, there was still plenty of singing as popular, familiar songs came on during the movie.
What I enjoyed most was observing how camp transformed and a whole new atmosphere was created. All of the elements that make camp special were still there, but the experience was raised to another level and was one that will be remembered by the campers for years to come, I am sure.