2002 Daily Journal

Date (click links to go to full entries)	Super Camper	Inspection Winner	Best Bed	Notes
Wednesday, June 26				Opening day 2002
Thursday, June 27	Jack Brink	Buzzard's Roost	Alasdair Thornton	First full day of activities
Friday, June 28	Anthony Clark	Owl's Perch	Matt Clifford
Saturday, June 29	Tom Carson	Cabin 3	Andrew Clemence
Sunday, June 30	Tom Winger	Hilton B	Cole Schlect
Monday, July 1	Matt Clifford	Cabin 1	Galen Arnold
Tuesday, July 2	Galen Arnold	Cabin 4	Matt Clifford
Wednesday, July 3	Jared Fleischer	Pete's Palace	Pierce Madden
Thursday, July 4	John Geiger	Cabin 5	Jack Brink	INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!
Friday, July 5	Cole Davis	Eagle's Nest	Pierce Madden
Saturday, July 6	Joe Baxter	Cabin 7	Matt Clifford
Sunday, July 7	Kyle Case	Hilton B	Chris Rios	First parent visiting day
Monday, July 8	Jack Coster	Hilton B	Matt Clifford
Tuesday, July 9	Devin Leonard	Cabin 8	Chris Neilson
Wednesday, July 10	Mike Koinairs	Hilton B	Sether Hanson
Thursday, July 11	Barry Kerzner	Hilton B	Matt Clifford
Friday, July 12	Francois Thuriot	Buzzard's Roost	Jake Huston
Saturday, July 13	John Geiger	Owl's Perch	Jake Huston
Sunday, July 14	Pearson Jenks	Hilton B	Jake Cohen
Monday, July 15	Bowen Tretheway	Cabin 7	Francois Thuroit
Tuesday, July 16	John Finegan	Cabin 5	Pierce Madden	No journal entry
Wednesday, July 17	Sether Hanson	Cabin 3	Andrew Clemence
Thursday, July 18	Chris Neilson	Pete's Palace	Francois Thuriot	Last full day of activities for 1st session
Friday, July 19	Alex Stock			Last full day of camp for 1st session
Saturday, July 20				END OF FIRST SESSION
Sunday, July 21			Sam Deeran	Opening day for second session campers
Monday, July 22	Andrew Bowden	Cabin 3	Nat Hewett	First day of activities for second session
Tuesday, July 23				Mike's Day-off, no entry
Wednesday, July 24	Julio Heinsen	Owl's Perch	Ben Brewster
Thursday, July 25	Scott Loren	Cabin 7	Matt Clifford
Friday, July 26	Matt Clifford	Cabin 3	Jake Huston
Saturday, July 27	Andrew Clemence	Cabin 1	Andrew Bowden	Alumni day
Sunday, July 28	Charlie Governali	Cabin 8	Andrew Koines
Monday, July 29	Chris McElroen	Cabin 7	Ben Brewster
Tuesday, July 30	Chris Ortengren	Bee's Hive	Nat Hewett
Wednesday, July 31	David Barrette	Owl's Perch	Pearson Jenks
Thursday, August 1	Sebby Weeks	Pete's Palace	Christopher Cogswell
Friday, August 2	Tiger Collins	Cabin 4	Matt Clifford
Saturday, August 3				No entry
Sunday, August 4	Pearson Jenks	Cabin 5	Charlie Governali
Monday, August 5	Galen Arnold	Owl's Perch	Robert Donahue
Tuesday, August 6				No entry
Wednesday, August 7	Will Weeks
Thursday, August 8	Owen Knights			BEACH DAY
Friday, August 9	Nate Judge	Pete's Palace	Andrew Clemence
Saturday, August 10				No Super Camper, Best Cabin, or Best Bed recorded
Sunday, August 11				No Super Camper, Best Cabin, or Best Bed recorded
Monday, August 12				No Super Camper, Best Cabin, or Best Bed recorded
Tuesday, August 13				Last full day
Wednesday, August 14				GOODBYE CAMPERS! SEE YOU NEXT SEASON!

Wednesday, June 26 OPENING DAY!

Hot and humid with late afternoon cold front moving through.

Opening day! What a great way to start the summer. Old friends and new friends joined an incredible staff for the beginning of an exciting summer. After a great lunch prepared by Randy and his crew, we headed up the hill for some 'new' games and a chance to get to know each other. The games were followed by a very refreshing general swim and an extended rest period. The day culminated in our introductions, held inside because of threatening weather. We all will go to sleep early tonight so we are well rested for a beautiful and exciting first full day of activities.

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Thursday, June 27

Beautiful, hot summer day.

Today is our first full day of activities. After a delicious breakfast and our first morning cleanup, the boys went right into activity time. The campus was alive with smiling energetic young lads on the lake, on the courts, and all over the hillside. After a great morning of classes and a quick dip in the lake, we headed to our bunks for a little rest before lunch.

This afternoon was a scorcher, but with a lot of water and sun-screen we worked through two more activity periods before another cool off in Lake McWain. After a second rest in the afternoon, we were all treated to Randy's delicious beef stew for supper. Once we finished supper and had a quick chance to digest, we all headed up to the hill top for a game of Quorum, traditionally the first evening activity of the summer. Finally exhausted after a long day, we all headed back down to our bunks for a good night's sleep. "Early to bed, early to rise." We'll see you all tomorrow morning!

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SUPER CAMPER: Jack Brink: leading by example, and a willingness to share.

Cabin Winner: Buzzard's Roost

Best Bed: Alasdair Thornton

Friday, June 28

Beautiful summer day.

The morning went well. The first badges of the summer were earned by Ted Cunningham (Junior Mountain Biking), and Kyle Case, Chris Rios and John Finegan (Junior Basketball). Just before lunch the camp was roused by a fire drill; as a matter of practice the entire camp gathered on the hill to ensure we could handle that unfortunate emergency, if it ever arrives. In less than 5 minutes, the entire camp was on the basketball court on the hill, silent and waiting directions.

The afternoon brought a couple sun showers, one which doused the camp in a 5-minute torrent. As the afternoon came to a close we gathered at the flagpole for the lowering of the stars and stripes. Chef Randy prepared two types of chicken for supper—Southwestern Spice and a light lemon pepper which were delicious.

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SUPER CAMPER: Anthony Clark—Anthony modeled one of our three guiding principles, Listen and Learn, while at archery, and was duly recognized.

Cabin Winner: Owl's Perch

Best Bed: Matt Clifford

Saturday, June 29

Cool morning with no breeze. Blazing hot afternoon.

The first archery badge, the Jr. Yeoman, was earned today by Henry Rounds. Congrats Henry! Many campers earned their knife rights in Campcraft today and badge parts were earned in many field activities. The campers are already making progress toward their first and second badges. Kit Carson, resident Riflery instructor, taught safety guidelines to the campers eligible for the activity, and then lead a crew to Waterford's shooting range just down the road.

Hilton, Bee's Hive and Hornet's Nest returned from BRC's first wilderness trips today; both trips were spent at the nearby Crooked River, and each boy returned healthy and ready to jump back into the daily schedule.

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SUPER CAMPER: Tom Carson—Attitude and leadership on his trip

Cabin Winner: Cabin 3 (aka Quartz)

Best Bed: Andrew Clemence

Sunday, June 30

Beautiful, hot sunny day.

Sunday at Birch Rock is a day to slow down, take a break from the daily activities, and take care of some house-keeping. This morning the boys had time to write letters home and take a nice shower. The Shower Barons, dressed as the Good Ole Blues Brothers Band, reintroduced the old shower tunes (Beach Boys, Blues Brothers, and Animal House), while the boys cleaned themselves up. While every cabin took their turn in the showers, the lodge and surrounding area were thoroughly cleaned and swept by an elite team of staff and C.I.T.s.

In the afternoon, the entire group went up on top of the hill to play Field Olympics. The boys were divided into teams for throwing events, archery, relays, a soccer world cup, and an egg toss. In the end the American team squeaked through with the championship. Once the events wound down we all headed down hill for a refreshing dip in the lake before rest-period.

After dinner, we all went down to the Rock for our first Tree Talk. The Tree Talk topic was 'goal setting', and each camper was asked to set a short and long term goal for the summer, and to think about a plan to reach those goals.

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SUPER CAMPER: Tom Winger—Sportsmanship and archery skills during the Field Olympics

Cabin Winner: Hilton B

Best Bed: Cole Schlecht

Monday, July 1

Rainy morning, clearing afternoon.

This morning around 6:30 a.m. a nasty thunder storm shook campus with huge rolling thunder, and dropped a quarter inch of rain in under an hour. The rain had turned to drizzle by our 'rainy day' late wake-up at eight, and we ran rainy day activities in the morning. The lodge was transformed into a a bowling alley, the ping-pong table witnessed the BRC Open of ping-pong, the model train sets were set up, and the library was packed.

Two trips departed camp for the week this morning, the first to an extensive exploration of Mt. Desert Island in Acadia National Park, and the second for a three day trek in the Bigelow Mt. National Preserve.

By the afternoon the grass was dry and the sun was shining. We returned to normal sunny day activities all over camp, and the badge parts began flying. After two hot activity periods, we took a cool dip in the lake, a nice rest in our bunks, and had pork chops, potatoes, and broccoli for dinner. Once dinner was done we all headed up to the hill top for a full camp game of Ultimate Frisbee.

The forecast for tomorrow calls for 95 degrees and very high humidity, so enjoy your air conditioners for us! We'll see you all tomorrow!

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SUPER CAMPER: Matt Clifford: Leading by example at cabin cleanup

"He makes a sharp bed, and helps others in his cabin do the same"—Thomas Joyce, Head Counselor

Cabin Winner: Cabin 1 "The Bees Hive"

Best Bed: Galen Arnold

Tuesday, July 2

Today was another scorcher with the temps up near 95 deg. and the humidity near the same. Despite the oppressive weather, we rolled through a full day of activities, and completed a lot of badge work. The water front activities offered the only respite from the heat, and ran at full capacity all day. There were however, a few brave young men up on the hill daring the temps, shooting hoops, running the bases, and letting the arrows fly.

Randy cooked us cream of wheat and pancakes for breakfast, grilled cheese and chili for lunch, and chicken, corn, and ravioli for dinner. They were all delicious and filling, and we needed a tough game of 'capture the flag' after dinner to work it all off. After the game we all headed down to the water for a quick cool off before heading to bed for the evening.

The weather man says more of the same for the next few days, so we're drinking water and finding shade as much as possible! We'll see you all tomorrow!

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Super Camper: Galen Arnold: helping the other fellow at sailing

Cabin Winner: Cabin 4

Best Bed: Matt Clifford

Wednesday, July 3

Another hot and humid day with highs in the mid-90s.

Shortened activity periods and an extended general swim made the day fun and energetic. The waterfront was busy, with ducks and loons being completed during the morning and afternoon. Troy Madden swam his loon; Nate Mitchell, Jack Coster, and Chris Rios swam their ducks.

We had our first cabin night tonight. Randy got a slight break from cooking for us and we got together as cabins to roast hot dogs and eat s'mores around fire pits. After cooking, almost everybody converged on the waterfront for an evening general swim to cool down prior to bed time.

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Super camper: Jared Fleischer for his positive attitude and effort for swimming.

Cabin Winner: Pete's Palace

Best Bed: Pierce Madden

Thursday, July 4 INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!

So very hot…so very humid…must try to keep typing.

This morning, the boys of Birch Rock were the big hit at the Town of Waterford Fourth of July Parade. The boys sang songs as they marched through downtown Waterford waving to the locals. Although the parade only took about a half hour, the boys had a great time and were perfect gentlemen.

In the afternoon, we played the most popular game in camp, Cross-camp Capture the Flag. We played three games before heading to the waterfront for a general swim. The Crimson team was victorious, winning two games to one.

The fourth celebration continued with an awesome dinner of spare ribs, corn on the cob, soda, and a dessert of banana splits. Randy deserved a Birch Rock Cheer for his awesome food preparation today. After stuffing our bellies, we sauntered up the hill for a few games of orb. The day culminated in evening fireworks over the lake.

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Super Camper: John Geiger, he has been a perfect volunteer and spend the day leading by example.

Cabin Winner: Cabin 5

Best Bed: Jack Brink

Friday, July 5

A beautiful, breezy day.

Today was a regular day of activities, the first without the oppressive heat. Sailing was the most popular activity of the day because of the powerful winds and white-capped lake. For lunch Randy fired up the out-door grill and served us delicious grilled kielbasas, potato salad, and cinnamon white chocolate chip cookies. In the afternoon the activities rolled on, and the badge parts were flying.

In the evening, Upper Camp (ages 13-16) cleaned themselves up for the Camp Arcadia Garden Party. Arcadia is a local girls camp in Casco, ME., and every summer we have the wonderful opportunity to strut our stuff at their famous social. All of our young men mingled and danced with the lovely ladies of Arcadia, and conducted themselves as total gentlemen. We'll see you all tomorrow!

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Super Camper: Cole Davis, good sport while playing chess in the library.

Cabin Winner: Eagle's Nest

Best Bed: Pierce Madden

Saturday, July 6

Another cool windy day at the Rock!

Today dawned cool and clear, and by the end of breakfast the wind had whipped the lake into a frenzy. Despite the harsh conditions we ran full steam into the great last day of the first full week of activities. Swimmers, canoeists, kayakers, and best of all, sailors, braved the huge waves and driving winds on the lake. Up on the hill the winds were also swirling, bringing an added challenge to archery and volleyball.

Lunch today was burgers off the grill, chicken noodle soup, and pickles. For dinner we had pizza. After dinner and a little time to collect props, we all gathered in the lodge for this weeks installment of 'Saturday Night Camp Fire'. This evening we saw a BRC rap from the staff, 'Coffee Talk' from Pete's Palace, a Star Wars rap from Cabin 2, and "Camper Dreams" from Owl's Perch, to name a few. All of this weeks skits were excellent, and this was a Camp Fire to remember.

Well, tomorrow is Sunday, and also the first Parents Visiting Day, so this time, we will REALLY see you all TOMORROW!

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Super Camper: Joe Baxter, Helping the Other Fellow

Cabin Winner: Cabin 7

Best Bed: Matt Clifford

Sunday, July 7

Another beautiful day on Lake McWain. Slight breeze and warm sunshine.

Sunday, the most relaxing day at Birch Rock. We woke up late, fully refreshed after an awesome campfire last night. Visiting day was about to begin, and the campers left breakfast ready to clean their cabins, write letters home, shower, and entertain their parents, friends, and family.

Visitors began arriving during letter writing, and we were ready for them. Randy prepared an awesome Sunday dinner of roast beef, potatoes, string beans, salad, fresh break, and dessert. Once we satiated our appetites, we said our goodbyes to the visitors in preparation for Cross Camp Capture the Flag. Cross Camp once again proved to be the most popular game at camp, with everyone participating.

At Tree Talk tonight we discussed communication and warm fuzzies. After a discussion about the positive affect of warm fuzzies, we all had a chance to share and write warm fuzzies to each other. This was a spectacular way to start the week!

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Super Camper: Kyle Case for an awesome attitude and constant smile

Cabin winner: Hilton B

Best Bed: Chris Rios

Monday, July 8

Today was a beautiful day on the hill above Lake McWain. We were blessed with a nice breeze and some hot sun-shine. Activities rolled along all day and several badges were earned in kayaking, basketball, and archery. Not only were the badges flying, but we also had the successful loon on Jake Huston.

Breakfast this morning was oatmeal and egg sandwiches, lunch was tomato soup, egg salad, and carrots, and for dinner we had spaghetti, chicken parmesan, and broccoli.

Several trips left camp today as well. The oldest campers left for a five day canoe on the Moose River with trip leaders Matt Sutherland and Ryan Massey, and Cabins 5 and 6 left for a two day hike in the Weld Region of Maine.

Today was a great start to our second week here at BRC, great weather, great work, and lots and lots of fun. We'll see you all tomorrow!

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SUPER CAMPER: Jack Coster: a super positive attitude all over camp

Cabin Winner: Hilton B

Best Bed: Matt Clifford

Tuesday, July 9

Sunny and breezy day with cooling evening.

This morning the upper campers left camp for an all-day trip to Camp Runioa. While at Runioa, the boys played games and socialized with the girls during the morning. After a picnic lunch, we all headed to their waterfront for a nice afternoon swim and relaxation period on the beach.

The lower campers remained in camp and enjoyed a "crazy day with Lenza." The lower campers played kickball, nukem, orb, slip and slide, and enjoyed a relaxing general swim in the morning. The afternoon was more fun on the hill capped off with a matinee showing of Jimmy Neutron.

All of camp was here for dinner and another rousing evening activity. We played two Birch Rock games, speedball and smash! on the hill to finish the day.

Super Camper: Devin Leonard for just being awesome and celebrating his 14 birthday in style.

Cabin Winner: Cabin 8

Best Bed: Chris Neilson

Wednesday, July 10

Today was another cool windy day at BRC. The lake was streaked with white capped waves, the sailboats flew back and forth, and the canoes had to battle with the elements. Today BRC also hosted the annual Maine Youth Camping Association meeting. We had 80 camp directors from all over Maine on campus from eight o'clock this morning through lunch.

This afternoon also saw the return of Trip Leader Orin Dodge and the fearless brutes of Cabins 5 and 6. Their trip to Little Jackson and Tumble Down Mts. in the Weld region came off without a hitch, and a good time was had by all. Tomorrow we expect the return of the Moose River trip with Trip Leader Matt Sutherland.

Activities ran at full steam all day today, though the wind certainly added a distinct challenge to things like archery, boating, and canoeing. The highlight of the day, however, was wind related. Fourth period we had our whole sailing fleet out on the choppy lake, riding the winds, plowing the waves, and loving every minute!

Super Camper: Mike Koniares

Cabin Winner: Hilton B

Best Bed: Sether Hanson

Thursday, July 11

The wind continued to blow all day today. Our sailors were very excited to get the newest sailboats of the BRC fleet out on the rough McWain waters. Counselor Doug Miller reported that even with the rough waves the kayaking crew forged ahead and many were able to earn badge parts.

In the morning, the youngest campers went strawberry picking with Rich Deering at one of the local farms. They brought back enough delicious berries for Randy to serve an excellent dessert in the near future. Another group of boys went with Tom Clemence to Bethel, Maine for a full day of Mountain Biking on the ski trails at Sunday River.

With the cool winds blowing, Head Cook Bowden whipped up a delicious lunch of warm stew, BBQ chicken sandwiches, and soup. The stew and soup were just what we all needed to warm up and get right back out there. The BRC Soccer Team practiced all afternoon in an effort to prepare themselves for the big game tomorrow against Camp Winona.

Here's the soccer team roster: Joe Rood (Goalkeeper), Francois Thuriot (Team Captain), Kyle Case (Team Captain), Jake and Jordan Merchant, Henry and William Rounds, Marc Winkler, Aidan Bozzelli, Bowen Tretheway, Chris Rios, and Chris Neilson.

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Super Camper: Barry Kerzner, helping Eli learn the game of Chess.

Cabin Winner: Hilton B

Best Bed: Matt Clifford

Friday, July 12

A beautiful summer day.

This morning we had a rare meal with all 11 tables open, every one was in camp. That quickly changed once breakfast ended, with a busy and exciting day ahead of all of us. Cabins 3 and 4 left for their overnight hike of Doublehead Mountain, headed by Orin Dodge and Rich Deering.

Twelve of the Birch Rock boys headed to Winona Camps in Bridgeton for a soccer game. The Birch Rock boys played an excellent game against a talented and well-matched Winona squad, losing 4-2. Both teams had a wonderful game and every camper left the field with a smile on his face. The soccer team was: Joe Rood, Henry Rounds, William Rounds, Chris Neilson, Jake Merchant, Jordan Merchant, Francois Thuriot, Kyle Case, Chris Rios, Bowen Tretheway, Marc Winkler, Aidan Bozzelli, and coaches Erik Joelsson and John Wargo.

The afternoon was abuzz with energy as campers worked on badges and enjoyed the breeze off the lake. As the weekend begins, we continue to prepare for tomorrow's campfire skits and pizza night.

Super Camper: Francois Thuriot

Cabin Winner: Buzzard's Roost

Best Bed: Jake Huston

Saturday, July 13

Today was gorgeous, not too hot, not too cool. Orin and Richard returned from a trip to the Doublehead Mountains near Jackson, NH today with cabins 3 and 4, plus Sam Cleaves where they enjoyed a night in a cabin. Five boys swam loons today and eight swam their ducks; Waterfront Director Josh Pincus was orchestrating a busy long distance swim program with capable counselor-rowers Trever Dakers and Carl Finnson.

This Saturday afternoon our Riflery instructor Kit Carson also led a crew of Birch Rockers to the Waterford Rod and Gun club where each boy had the opportunity to draw a bead and hit targets from 25 yards.

Tonight Birch Rock is gearing up for another evening of Campfire as emcees John Wargo and Mike Wilson entertain the campers with skits and silly antics. As the week winds down we prepare for a slower tomorrow and a day of reflection.

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Super Camper: John Geiger, Helpful on the trip

Cabin Winner: Owl's Perch

Best Bed: Jake Huston

Sunday, July 14

Our traditional 8:00AM late wake-up bell this morning was followed by cold cereal, strawberries and Chef Randy's fresh cinnamon buns. The cool morning quickly gave way to an intense sun, and the temperature rose quickly to over 80 degrees. After an extended cleanup period the boys wrote letters in the grove and showered.

After lunch, clad in Birch Rock uniforms the campers and counselors alike adjourned to their cabins to clean up the cabin a bit and head to the waterfront for the BRC Water Carnival, an afternoon of wet and wild games including synchronized swimming and greased watermelon competition. The Crimson squad outdid the Gray side and triumphed at afternoon's end, and all involved enjoyed the Carnival created and facilitated by Waterfront Skipper, Josh Pincus.

This evening as the sun began to set, our camp community as a whole silently descended the hill to sit by the Birch Rock for Treetalk. Tonight's topic was BRC's 2002 guiding principles: lead by example, be true to yourself, and listen & learn. Each boy had the opportunity to speak his mind, and keynote speakers were Trever Dakers, Fax Herbert, Sam Deeran, Doug Miller, Jack Coster, and Andrew Chase. All campers were given the challenge to consider what their personal creed, or guiding principles, might be. An early bedtime will help ensure that tomorrow's dawn will bring well-rested and eager boys who will grace the McWain hillside for another busy summer day.

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Supercamper: Pearson Jenks, for leading by example and helping the other fellow

Cabin Winner: Hilton B

Best Bed: Jake Cohen

Monday, July 15

Mondays are characterized by trip departures, and today was no exception. Owls' Perch and Buzzards' Roost plus Jake Merchant all departed today for the Maine wilderness. Boys in Owls' headed to the Rangeley Lakes for four days of canoeing, while the Buzzards' bunch ventured onto a section of the Appalachian Trail in western Maine—the Wyman and Bald Pate Mountains—and will be gone for three days.

A rejuvenated staff began this final week of the first session campers with a renewed sense of skill development, as this is the last week for first session campers to earn badges in each activity. An afternoon thundershower blew across camp, and a rainy-day schedule was considered, but we all stuck out the storm and continued outdoor activities. This evening the activities were Orb and Ultimate Frisbee, and tomorrow's weather calls for a drop in humidity and partly cloudy skies with a steady breeze--a perfect Maine summer day.

Super Camper: Bowen Tretheway

Cabin Winner: Cabin 7

Best Bed: Francois Thuriot

Tuesday, July 16

Super Camper: John Finegan for his awesome attitude on the waterfront

Cabin Winner: Cabin 5

Best Bed: Pierce Madden

Wednesday, July 17

Today was an interesting day for weather people everywhere. It was a beautiful day until the rain started rolling in the afternoon. Then it was sunny....then it was raining....sun......rain....sun......rain. It's hard to run a camp program when the atmosphere is so out of whack.

We were able to run a regular day of activities and actually managed to have a few long distance swims go out today. There were also about 15 awards earned through out the day in several key areas of camp.

Dinner tonight was a delicious sausage and pesto pasta meal with a salad on the side, followed by root beer floats for dessert. Then it was on to movie night. Upper Camp watched Emperor's New Groove, and Lower Camp watched Bug's Life. See you tomorrow.

BY THE WAY, I HAVE FINALLY CREATED THE 2002 PHOTO GALLERY. PLEASE VISIT THE PHOTO GALLERY PAGE FOR MORE GREAT PICTURES FROM THIS SUMMER.

Super Camper: Sether Hanson

Cabin Winner: Cabin 3

Best Bed: Andrew Clemence

Thursday, July 18

Hazy morning with increasing sun as the day progressed.

As our last full day of activities for the first session campers, it was a busy day of badge parts and returning trips. Owls' Perch returned from an intense four day trip on the Rangely Lakes with stories and smiles. At camp, we finished our work on badges in anticipation of Saturday's departure.

After fourth period today, camp met at the flagpole for a surprise. We found out that tonight the plan is to sleep on the hill top and to view the stars. During second rest period, we prepped our tents and sleeping areas. We all wanted to be ready for a beautiful night under the stars.

For dinner we had cabin night with its hot dogs, s'mores, and campfires. We all met again on the hill for a couple of rousing games of orb, followed by an evening general swim.

We camped under the stars and were entertained by drummers for much of the evening. As the night wound down, our neighbor, David Sanderson, entertained us with his fiddle and a ghost story. A quite BIRCH ROCK cheer for David helped put us to sleep.

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Super Camper: Chris Neilson

Cabin winner: Pete's Palace

Best Bed: Francois Thuriot

Friday, July 19

Today is the last full day of camp for the first session campers. The morning was spent packing and then in the afternoon, the entire camp played cross-camp capture the flag.

We had a banquet for dinner of roast beef, mashed potatoes, green beans, and salad. Followed by a banana split for dessert. Then we had our awards ceremony for the first session guys. Finally, the evening ended with our goodbye chip ceremony in the old grove. Each first session camper got a chance to get up in front of the group and say their goodbyes and thank yous and then throw their birch chip in the fire.

Super Camper: Alex Stock

Saturday, July 20 END OF FIRST SESSION

The first session campers left in the morning.

The full season kids got a chance to have a whole lot of fun in the afternoon. They went to Big Adventure amusement park for rock climbing, water slides, arcade games, and mini golf. For dinner we had pizza and ice cream for dessert. To top the night off, we watched fireworks from the common in Bethel. We all went to sleep after an exhausting and fun-filled day.

Sunday, July 21 Opening day for second session campers

Today was a beautiful, sunny, and warm day for second session campers to arrive.

We started the morning with the just our full session guys. As we started with clean-up, letters home, and showers, the second session campers pulled down the hill.

By lunch time, all of the campers were in camp. We enjoyed an awesome meal prepared by Randy, Diane, and staff. After lunch, we kicked the parents and siblings out of camp and got started on the fun of the summer.

Our seven weekers were awesome today as the helped with the transition for our second session guys.

Super Camper: Sam Deeran, for his excellent attitude and constant smile

Monday, July 22

Today was the first day of activities for the second session, and it was super! The whole camp got right into the swing of things, and a few badges were even earned. The weather was hot and humid, with a warm southern breezy pushing up a good chop on the lake. This made for some great sailing, and Sam Deeran got another archery badge despite the windy conditions.

We started the day with a breakfast of oatmeal and omelets, followed it up with a lunch of turkey sandwiches, pasta, and salad, and finished off with a great dinner of chicken, rice, and peas. After dinner we all headed to the hill top for a game of 'capture the flag', our first evening activity of the session.

Today was a great start to what will be a great three weeks of camp with a great group of campers. We'll see you all tomorrow!

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Super Camper: Andrew Bowden: meeting his own challenges with a big smile and positive attitude.

Cabin Winner: 3

Best Bed: Nat Hewett

Wednesday, July 24

Today was a perfect summer day.

The boys of Birch Rock had a normal day of activities in the morning but in the afternoon Dave Jenkins took a group of about eight campers to the local botanical gardens in South Paris. The boys learned the names of many different, plants, flowers, and veggies.

This evening the boys have Cabin Night. This is when they all cook their own dinners, by cabins over an open fire. They will enjoy hot dogs and chips, and then have a delicious s'mores for dessert.

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Super Camper: Julio Heinsen, For having fun and quickly adapting to a new culture.

Cabin Winner: Owl's Perch

Best Bed: Ben Brewster

Thursday, July 25

The weather today was so perfect it seemed like we were on the set of a movie.

The energy and enthusiasm of both the campers and staff is incredible. This feeling of awesomeness is like the sun shining on us. Today was full of badges being earned around camp, with a heavy concentration on the waterfront. We had a great group of campers adding their names to the list of ducks on the waterfront: Ben Brewster, Owen Knights, Charles Netzer, and Chelton Martin. Super Camper Scott Loren was also busy down on the lake swimming his loon.

Also today, a group of mountain bikers went on a long ride to the top of Hawk Mountain. The views were incredible, and they even saw a couple of hawks leave their nests and fly by. The boys had a great time biking over to the mountain, up the mountain and back down again.

Tonight the boys of the Rock are playing speedball and Ultimate Frisbee. Two awesome games to complete another excellent day. See you tomorrow!

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Super Camper: Scott Loren, he has had an excellent attitude over the whole week.

Cabin Winner: Cabin 7

Best Bed: Matt Clifford

Friday, July 26

Another gorgeous day at BRC! The high pressure system which has controlled the weather in Maine since Tuesday maintained it's hold on East Waterford today. The temps peaked out in the high seventies with very little humidity and clear sunny skies. We carried on with the long distance swims in the morning, with loons by Thibault De Fonscolombe and Ben Schreiber, and the first seal of the season from Matt Clifford.

This afternoon a brisk breeze came up off the Southern end of the lake, driving our sail boats to the far reaches of the compass. The breeze also kept the hill top sportsmen at baseball, soccer, and baseball cool and energized.

This afternoon we also welcomed back both the Buzzard's Roost Rangeley Lakes trip, and the Pete's Palace Saddleback—Sugarloaf range trip. Both trips were reported to be fantastic, and all of our adventurers came back smiling.

Tomorrow is the final day of activities in the first week, and we're hoping to finish strong. Tomorrow Birch Rock will also welcome it's alumni to campus for BRC's annual Alumni Day. We'll see you all tomorrow!

Super Camper: Matt Clifford

Cabin Winner: Cabin 3

Best Bed: Jake Huston

Saturday, July 27

The day started off with thick gray clouds in the morning and then they slowly faded away. It was a little cold too.

We had a number of great things happen today. Andrew Clemence completed his seal today. This is the swim where he has to swim the length of the lake (2 1/2 miles). It's a great swim and Andrew was very proud of his accomplishment.

Today was also Alumni day. About 35 alumni and their families came to Birch Rock to celebrate old times and good memories. It was also time for us to remember the late great Phyllis Deneault, one of BRC's great women who passed away earlier this year. The Alumni had a short memorial service and dedicated a beautiful garden to her.

Dinner was amazing! Randy and crew served up flank steak, potatoes, and delicious portabello mushrooms. The kids were licking their chops and sprinting up for seconds. The meal was followed by Campfire (skit night). The skits were absolutely hilarious, and the boys did a great job.

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Super Camper: Andrew Clemence, Swam his Seal

Cabin Winner: Cabin 1

Best Bed: Andrew Bowden

Sunday, July 28

Today was a terrific day. The campers did an excellent job cleaning their cabins, writing letters and, of course, washing their hair.

In the afternoon the campers played three games of cross-camp Capture the Flag. It's the most popular game in camp, and the kids had a blast playing for a couple hours.

This evening was Tree Talk. We talked about the people of Birch Rock: past, present and future. Including a discussion about our current community and the campers within. We asked them how many guys have thought about joining the staff ranks in the future and many hands went up. It is great to see that the kids love and respect this place as much as we do. See you soon!

Super Camper: Charlie Governali for his great capture the flag playing and always helping the other fellow.

Cabin Winner: Cabin 8

Best Bed: Andrew Koines

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Monday, July 29

The morning started off overcast and muggy and the weather slowly improved throughout the day.

We woke up this morning with David Barrette swimming his seal. As David finished up his swim, the rest of us went about our regular daily schedule working on badges and enjoying our activities. Alex McFarlane and Jeremy Kazanjian - Amory both earned their junior baseball badges.

Tonight we had an excellent time up on the hill playing orb for evening activity. Orb is consistently one of the favorite games at camp.

Super Camper: Chris McElroen for helping out at lunch without being asked

Cabin Winner: Cabin 7

Best Bed: Ben Brewster

Tuesday, July 30

Fifteen minutes after wake-up this morning we had an unexpected and hard rain shower. The rain ended soon after first period began, and by first rest period the day was beautiful; a slight breeze and sun lasted until lights out.

The morning we had rainy day activities and a little juggling of instructional swim periods. That juggling was so we could be prepared for our afternoon visit from Camp Runioa.

The girls from Runioa showed up at first rest period and stayed through second general. Although the visit was short, the upper campers enjoyed their time with the girls. During the afternoon the lower campers signed up for field activities, were the worked on badges and enjoyed the late July weather.

We will cap the day off with a rousing game of Quorum on the hill top.

Super Camper: Chris Ortengren

Cabin Winner: Bees' Hive

Best Bed: Nat Hewett

Wednesday, July 31

The last day of July certainly was representative of the wonderful weather that we have been blessed with all month. Puffy clouds rolled through a high blue sky on a brisk breeze out of the north west, and temperatures reached the middle eighties. Tonight, like last night, promises to be cool and clear with a full array of evening's twinkling jewels.

We flew through a full day of regular activities today, and badges were earned all over camp. The activity highlight of the day was Jimmi Carney's seal this morning. Today we also welcomed home the Eagles Nest and Owls Perch hiking trips to the Mahoosic Range on the border of New Hampshire and Maine. According the both groups, the highlight of the trips were the intense rain and wind storm both ran into on Tuesday morning, and the opportunity to hike through Mahoosic Notch, supposedly the most difficult mile of the Appalachian Trail.

This afternoon our world famous tennis team headed over to Camp Arcadia (an all girls camp . . . ) for some mixed doubles, a quick dip in the lake, and dinner. The boys came back smiling and refreshed from the opportunity to mingle with the lovely ladies of Camp Arcadia.

Today was a great day at BRC, and capped off what has been a super month of July up here in the woods of western Maine. We're all hoping that August will be just as good! We'll see you all tomorrow!

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Super Camper: David Barrette

Cabin Winner: Owl's Perch

Best Bed: Pearson Jenks

Thursday, August 1

It was a great day. Sebby Weeks successfully completed his Seal (2 1/2 miles across the length of the lake) in the morning.

In the afternoon, the rain poured down on us. Rhino and some of the Campcraft guys tried to light a wet fire. The rain poured for a while but that didn't stop us from enjoying ourselves.

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It was movie night with Upper Camp watching Dances with Wolves and Lower Camp watching Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The movies were interrupted halfway through with a brief intermission in which Randy served buffalo wings, nacho chips and Fritos while Mike played the congas under the gazebo. It was a blast!

Super Camper: Sebby Weeks, did his Seal swim

Cabin Winner: Petes Palace

Best Bed: Christopher Cogswell

Friday, August 2

Today was a cloudy overcast day at the Rock. The young men kept their spirits up with the fun of regular activities and hoped the rain would hold off.

This morning a group of our Lower Campers went over to Wigwam (boys camp in Bridgton, Maine) for a canoe race. The boys had an excellent time and returned the winners of the event. Than this afternoon, another group of guys played a game of basketball up on our hilltop. The BRC Hoopsters were awesome and won a sweet victory (score of BRC 60 to Winona 23) on our home court.

We also had another Seal swim. Joe Rood completed his Seal with a terrific time.

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Super Camper: Tiger Collins, great attitude

Cabin Winner: Cabin 4

Best Bed: Matt Clifford

Sunday, August 4

Today was a great day. In the morning we had our first whale swim. The Whale is a 5 1/2 mile swim around the perimeter of Lake McWain and was completed this morning by Senior Camper Pearson Jenks. Pearson did a terrific job and was entirely ready to take on the rest of the day. Nice Work, Mr. Jenks!

It was also Parent Visitation day with many parents flocking in from all over to see the smiling faces of our handsome Birch Rock boys.

The afternoon was Water Carnival. Two teams, Crimson and Grey, went head-to-head in many events. Events like ping pong blow, water polo, synchronized swimming, and over-under. The boys had a great time even though Crimson blew Grey out of the water with a 260 to 50 score.

In the evening we had our Tree Talk. We talked about what makes BRC so special, and why we love this community so much. I have never seen so many hands go up at Tree Talk. Boys spoke about the life long friends they've made here and the fact that people with completely different interests can still learn to get along and be great friends. A few of the older staff talked about campers they had in their cabins in the past who are now peers and friends for life. It was a great Tree Talk that left us all feeling good about why we're here.

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Super Camper: Pearson Jenks

Cabin Winner: Cabin 5

Best Bed: Charlie Governali

Monday, August 5

The Whales continue. This morning Galen Arnold was the next Whale swimmer to make it all the way around Lake McWain. Galen was able to complete the swim with an excellent time of 2 hours and 37 minutes, one of Birch Rock's better swim times. You the man, Galen!!!!

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This afternoon, the waterfront was buzzing. Even Thomas made an appearance to teach sailing and canoeing. It was a sight to see. Also, the long distance swim program forged ahead with Aidan Bozzelli swimming his loon. On the hill, the badges continued to fly. There were four volleyball badges, a couple of baseball badges and surprisingly, even a few archery badges were earned.

Dinner was an exotic combination of dishes including mini egg-rolls and sweet and sour pork. Desert was an excellent frosted spice cake dedicated to Galen's great feat. The day was rounded out with a great game of quorum.

Super Camper: Galen Arnold

Cabin Winner: Owl's Perch

Best Bed: Robert Donahue

Wednesday, August 7

We had a third Whale go out this morning. Will Weeks went out into some pretty tough conditions. Once he was halfway through the swim, the winds started to pickup, and Will was forced to swim against white-caps. Even in the incredibly rough conditions, Will pressed on and was able to finish in calmer waters. We're very proud of his accomplishment.

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Super Camper: WILL WEEKS, swimming a tough Whale

Thursday, August 8 BEACH DAY

Today we woke up to the sounds of the Beach Boys in preparation for our trip to Scarborough Beach.

After clean-up, we all headed up to the hill were we waited for the buses to arrive. Once we loaded up, we were off for a day of fun in the sun.

Once at the beach we spread our blankets and prepared for the run into the Atlantic Ocean. The day was spent slathering on sunscreen and playing on the beach. For dessert at lunch we had cookies made by Will Weeks, Chris Cogswell, Ben Howard, Jake Huston, and Scott Loren under the watchful eye of Thomas.

The day was capped off by the strut contest for evening activity. It allowed us all wash the sand and salt off our bodies and bathing suits before heading to bed. The strut contest winner was Matt Clifford, Runner Up: Chris Cogswell.

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Super Camper: Owen Knights, a true gentleman on the beach

Friday, August 9

Friday's are a busy day at Birch Rock, but so is every day. Today was packed with trips returning and more trips leaving, badges being earned, and fun all around.

In the morning a group of campers and staff went to Sunday River Mountain Biking Park for an awesome day-long trip. The terrain was different than last time we went, the summer having been very dry for the last month.

Around noon, our three week long Maine Wilderness Adventure trip returned. Our five boys enjoyed their adventures in the woods. They returned with the five girls from Runioa before the girls had to return to Runioa for their closing activities.

Our final evening activity was an awesome game of Orb. A few campers were able to stay up late and play a role playing game with Director Mattson as their final evening activity. No matter which activity the boys participated in, they seemed to enjoy themselves.

Super Camper: Nate Judge

Cabin Winner: Pete's Palace

Best Bed: Andrew Clemence

Saturday, August 10

This morning was our fourth and final Whale swim. Jon Geiger accomplished one of his primary goals from the beginning of the summer by swimming around the entire perimeter of the lake. The excitement was further strengthened with Jon's attempt at the 15th and final archery badge. He tried repeatedly during fourth period and afternoon general and still could not earn it. He will get one more attempt at the 15th badge (his other primary goal) on Monday.

Other than Jon's whale, there were 11 other long distance swims today. Everywhere in camp, people are finishing up badges and completing goals they set early in the summer.

Tonight we had our final campfire of the summer, with some funny skits and a staff take off of "Whose line is it anyway?" A Birch Rock cheer must go out to Henri Rounds for being on the wrong end of a water filled funnel during one of the skits.

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Sunday, August 11

Today was our last Sunday. In the morning we had letter-writing and showers. The Shower Barons once again played Blues Brothers, Beach Boys, and Marvin Gaye, and they were an inspiration.

In the afternoon, Lenza Latendresse led the group in the BRC Olympics which included activities on the field and waterfront. We also had a mid-afternoon snack of cookies and root beer, thanks to Sam Burck.

The Tree Talk after dinner was about Warm Fuzzies. The campers and staff were asked to write a few compliments to anyone they wanted to in the community. Everyone received at least ten compliments each. It was an amazingly positive experience and a lot of fun. We hope the campers will continue to pay compliments to people in their own communities when they go home on Wednesday.

Monday, August 12

This morning at breakfast we had one of our classic traditions, the Flour Cake. This is a rectangular cake of flour with a dime in the center. The staff then lined up by seniority (people who have put in the most summers at the Rock) and went down the line, each cutting away a section of cake from the dime. Who ever has the dime fall in has to fish it out without using his hands. Cole Penley (Fifth in line) had to go fishing.

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This afternoon all of the new campers and staff will go on the lacapodium hunt, and the veteran campers and staff will stay and set up the lodge for the banquet. The banquet is our big end of the year meal of steak and potatoes. The lodge is cleaned up and decorated inside and out.

After the banquet the boys will attend our awards ceremony. Each counselor will get up and announce any awards the campers have earned this summer from that individual counselor. The boys will then receive applause and sit back down and wait for their name to be called again. It will be an evening of celebration for all of us.

Tuesday, August 13

Last full day at the Rock. The campers packed this morning, played Cross Camp this afternoon, and had the Chip Ceremony in the evening.

It was a terrific summer and a good time was had by all.

Wednesday, August 14

GOODBYE CAMPERS! SEE YOU NEXT SEASON!