Spirit Days 2016

Unknown-1We all knew Spirit Days was going to break soon. We had so many campers guessing. Would it be Wednesday morning at breakfast? Thursday morning? Everyone had their theory. But what no one could have guessed was that, at Tuesday’s Evening Cove, CIT Matty G would engage Roger in a seemingly innocent conversation about fishing that would serve as a distraction for the CIT’s to break Spirit Days at Cove. That’s right…Spirit Days 2016 broke at Evening Cove, and what an amazing two days we had!!!

The Blue Jedi and the Green Wizards squared off in the friendliest of competitions. From the ballfields to the waterfront, the sounds of games, cheering, singing and team pride was evident throughout. Our amazing group of CIT’s ran one of the closest KAOS races in history, and the Moosehead Relay was even closer! The songs, cheers and plaques were awesome. And, when Adam read out the final scores, the winner was… Laurel South, because at the end, we had a blast competing with each other and we were so glad to reunite as one Laurel South family. Closing Ceremonies concluded with an incredible fireworks display, and we went to bed exhausted but happy.Unknown

This morning, the 5 Year Club headed out on their annual trip, Intercamp games and Tournaments resume and camp is back to regular program. Tomorrow is our Beach Resort “S” Day! On Sunday, our 8th Graders depart for North Conway. Tuesday is Moose Bowl. As you can see, every day is packed to the brim with activity.

As always, it’s a beautiful day on the state of Maine!!!

At the Midway Point

UnknownIt seems like just yesterday we were greeting all of our campers. Today, we have hit the midway point of the session. We’ve had so many great times and still so much to look forward to.

We had a wonderful Arrival Day and Opening Ceremony…The 6th Grade Boys, Seventh & Eighth Graders had amazing overnight camping trips…The CIT’s had a blast White Water Rafting…Intercamp games and tournaments have been humming…Counselor Hunt remains an Evening Program favorite…Culinary Classes have satisfied our palates…Carnival was awesome…And we’re just getting started!

Unknown-1We have so much to look forward to in the two weeks to come. When Spirit Days will break is anyone’s guess…Moosebowl is coming up…Sixth Grade girls are going camping…our Eighth Graders will venture to North Conway…our incredible production of Shrek, the Musical is coming up…Funtown…the list goes on and on!

We’ve already had a great summer, and the best is yet to come!

One Week In

Blog Photo 1 How quickly a week at camp can fly by! Our first “S” Day was a smash. Saco, Kineo, Baxter and Allagash beat the summer heat with trips to water parks. Saco and Kineo had the run of Splashtown and had an incredible time. Baxter and Allagash has an awesome trip to Aquaboggan. Seventh Grade Nation spent the day cruising around Old Orchard Beach. While all of this was going on, our 8th Graders saw some of the most beautiful sights Maine has to offer during their trip to Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor. And, of course, the CIT summer was officially kicked off with the White Water Rafting trip on the Kennebec River.

Blog Photo 2Everyone had an amazing time on their trips, but we love to have the entire Laurel South family back together. Our intercamp games and tournaments are in full swing, and the cast of this summer’s theater production is going to a local performance tonight. Not to mention, our first Fly Fishing expedition of the season is taking off as we write.

As you can see, it may have only been seven days on the calendar, but we pack as much fun into each day and every moment as possible!

Let the Good Times Roll!

Blog Photo 1 What an amazing beginning to the 2016 season we’ve had! After an awesome Arrival and Moose Stomp Day, we began our normal “A” and “B” Program Days on Saturday. All around camp – from the Ballfields to the Waterfront, the Culinary Center to the Riding Arenas…the sounds of campers cheering, singing and laughing fills the air!

This morning, our 8th Grade campers took off for Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor. At the same time, our outstanding group of CIT’s head out to white-water raft on the Kennebec River. These 3 day, 2 night trips offer our campers a chance to see some of Maine’s (and our nation’s) most beautiful destinations. While we will miss them greatly, we can’t wait to hear the stories about all of the good times they had!

Blog Photo 2Everyone’s excited for their first “S” Day of the session tomorrow! Each group has their own thrilling trip planned — a perfect day for a break as we complete our first week together.

We may have just begun, but the good times are already rolling in Casco!!!

And So It Begins…Arrival Day 2016!

Blog Photo 1 Yesterday was a time for rekindling old friendships and forging new ones, high-fiving returning counselors and introducing ourselves to new staff members. We had our traditional Opening Night Cook Out before each campus broke off for their Evening Programs. Once back in the cabin, campers and counselors became better acquainted and began building the cabin family dynamic.

Today is Moose Stomp: a combination of administrative tasks (Health Checks, Pictures, Theater Auditions, etc.) along with fun Laurel South favorites (S’mores at the Outpost, Bumper Tubing on Crescent Lake, Snow Cones at the Downeast, etc.) By this time tomorrow, camp will be in full swing with programming, boats and skiers out on the lake, cheers from the ballfields, creativity in the Arts, the list goes on!Blog Photo 2

We say at camp the days are long because of all the fun we have, and the weeks are short because of how quickly it flies by. But one thing is for certain, we never take for granted the fun times we have, the memories we make or the understanding of how lucky we are to be here with each other!

What a beautiful day in the state of Maine!!!

One Chapter Closes… Another One Opens!!!

Blog Photo 1 What an amazing First Session we had at Laurel South!!! We had such a great time making friends and creating memories that will last a lifetime. The session officially ended on Monday with an incredible Departure Day. We so loved meeting the families of our wonderful campers. We want to thank our awesome campers for sharing their summer with us, and we want to thank all the parents who put their faith in us to look after their children. We fully recognize the leap of faith you take and the great responsibility we have every summer.

The staff is on a well deserved day-off today to recharge their batteries and prepare for our Second Session Arrival Day on Thursday! We’re so excited to greet our new and returning campers at their summer home in Maine!

Camp is quiet today, but the anticipation is building for another awesome summer in Maine. We can hardly wait for Thursday… See you soon!!Blog Photo 2

Final Program Days of the Session

Blog Photo 2Yesterday was our final “S” Day of the summer, and everyone had an amazing time at Funtown USA!!! We enjoyed the rides, the games and, of course, the fun and the food! What we enjoyed most was the time we all had, the entire camp family, laughing and sharing an awesome day.

Today began our final two program days of the session. Each activity area will hum with culminating programs and events. We’re psyched for tonight’s performance of Shrek the Musical in the Laurel South theater. Our campers worked hard to prepare all summer and this show promises to be one for the ages!

Blog Photo 1Tomorrow night we will have our Final Banquet. Campers and staff will feast on lobster, steak, clam chowder and vegetarian lasagna while reminiscing about the summer gone by.

Monday is Departure Day, and while we’re sad to see the session come to an end, we choose to look at the positive…we are one day closer to the start of the 2017!! Our CIT’s will be greatly missed — they were an amazing group.

Every summer is special in its own way, and the 2016 one has been no exception. The laughter of the campers, the bonds formed between staff and campers, and the feeling of Ohana lets us know we’re so lucky to be here together each and every summer. Oh what a beautiful day in the state of Maine!!!

Just a Week Left

Blog Photo 1How quickly a session can fly by? It seems like yesterday we were greeting our campers, creating our schedules and starting First Session. In what seems like the blink of an eye, we enter our final week. We’ve shared so many good times and created so many memories, but the final week has much more in store!

The 5-Year Club enjoyed their special morning trip this week. We also brought in a professional Fly Fishing instructor to teach advanced lessons for those who had already done the beginner’s course at LL Bean. We aim to be a top Fly Fishing destination for campers who want to learn and perfect their craft! The 8th Graders spent an amazing two days in beautiful North Conway, New Hampshire. They had a blast! Intercamp games and tournaments allowed our campers to compete against friends from our neighboring camps. Last night was another awesome Council Fire. And the list goes on and on.Blog Photo 2

Everyone is pumped for the 6th Annual Moose Bowl this evening. We still have our all-camp trip to Funtown on the horizon. Before you know it, we’ll have our Final Banquet, Final Social, Final Council Fire and complete our First Session.

While we’re sad to see the session starting to come to an end, we’ll be forever grateful for the memories made, friendships built and all of the wonderful times we have spent together!!!

Spirit Days 2016!

Unknown-1Wednesday morning started out like any other “B” Day. Everyone came to breakfast excited for the day. Little did they know how much excitement they were in for. In unison, our incredible CIT’s removed their sweatshirts and sweatpants to reveal their Blue and Green clothing hidden until just the right moment.

That’s right, Spirit Days 2016 had broken!!! For the next two days, the Blue Jedis and the Green Wizards battled it out in the friendliest of competitions. From the ballfields to the waterfront everyone had a blast! The cheers seemed endless, the plaques made by our campers were awesome, and the CIT’s set the tone for everyone. We even had one of the closest KAOS races ever.Unknown

When it was all over and the echoes of the final cheers faded in the night sky, Adam read the poem which revealed the Spirit Day winner. In the end, the winning team was…Laurel South, because everyone enjoyed their Spirit Days and were excited to reunite as one camp family.

We’ve passed the midway point of the summer, but there is still plenty of fun on the horizon! Stay tuned for future updates.

An “S” Day for the Ages

LS 2While every day at camp is awesome, every once in a while the stars align to create an epic day that will be talked about for a long time. Monday, July 4th, 2016 was that kind of day!

Not only was it the Fourth of July, but it also happened to be an “S” Day! We began the day with an incredible breakfast of chocolate chip, M&M and blueberry pancakes, coffee cake, and other great treats. We then moved on to an amazing morning of bumper tubing and various other activities around camp. After lunch, we feasted on ice cream sundaes, but that was just the beginning! It was then time for our annual Laurel South Carnival filled with rides, games, snow cones, cotton candy and of course, a cook-out dinner. Once the sky grew darker — we were treated to one of the most amazing fireworks displays ever!!!

By the time the day was over we were exhausted and ready for a great night sleep — our heads full of memories to last a lifetime!!!