Baseball -Hot dogs- Apple Pie- Chevrolet, that's is the line from an old advertising jingle ( tune) why does it stick in our heads?
The words remind us of legends and hot summer days. They evoke memories of little league games all tied up in the bottom of the ninth. The tune makes us think about all the fun times we have had at a baseball game. The best or biggest hot dog ever eaten, they remind us of Thanksgiving apple pies and Grandpa's pick up truck rumbling into the driveway.
Are there four words like that, a perfect match with memories from camp? Words that if you said them a few times would have you believe you were right back there scuffing the sand behind home plate.
Ropes Course - swimming, paddling and archery?
The words can be different to match each camp experience. Maybe you can make some new words this year. Maybe this is the summer you make a first home run, can you hear them cheering as you round third base. It's the bottom of the ninth and you're coming home.
Frosty cold days and quiet mark camp in the winter months. The snow shovel is the the most frequently used piece of equipment. Stacks of catalogs come in and camp registration materials are going out. The baseball diamond lies under a deep white blanket. The archery field, ropes course and grounds are haunted by remembered laughter and the call of birds. We wait for the return of campers and outings groups to bring back all the smiles.
So what should a camp director do? Play guitar, sing a few of the old favorites. Be sure to ask at camp this season to hear "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgrerald" a song originally put out by Gordon Lightfoot. Listen to the video clip on the blog here. Dudley played at the Bread-Box to benefit the Covenant Soup Kitchen in Willimantic. The Bread-Box Showcase mic raises funds for the soup kitchen which is feeding our hungry neighbors. It is held in the sanctuary of St. Paul's at 22 Valley St. in Willimantic, Ct.
Now do us a big favor please and remind your friends from Holiday Hill Day Camp to enter the contest (see previous blog post )for camp memories and subscribe to this blog so you can keep up with all the news. Camp may be quiet without YOU, but there is a lot happening to get ready for your return.
