By Aron Katz, Communications & Logistics Director

Changeover represents the 30-hour period that benchmarks the midpoint of our summer here on Maple Lake  While over 150 campers left us yesterday, we still have over 70 campers onsite who are staying over for the second session. The feeling in the air is unique to all other days at camp. The dining hall is quieter at mealtimes, campers are sitting with friends and not in their cabin groups, and we aren’t on our usual daily schedule. There are unit meetings at different points of the day, specialty area check-ins, lots of cleaning and preparations for second session with new signs and decorations popping up in cabins and program spaces.

For our changeover campers, camp is still camp. Yesterday, campers were treated to a movie in town, there was free swim and an archery tag evening program. Today, they are busy with arts and crafts, playing volleyball and basketball, and the growing anticipation as the buses leave Toronto and head north to camp. The highlight of changeover day will be later this afternoon when we see that first bus coming up the road, and the first campers step off the bus to begin our second session.

Changeover is a time to reset and prepare to do everything over again as if it was the first time. Most of us have been here all summer, but for a lot of our campers, the summer begins today. So as we reset our physical spaces at camp, we also reset ourselves so we can give our campers the best summer ever. Looking forward to an amazing Second Session on Maple Lake.