Our First Days

On Sunday all of the campers began to arrive. Some of the veterans came and were glad to see some of their old friends, but many of the kids at camp are new this year. We began to welcome them into the St. Vartan Camp family. Once everyone was registered we began to meet all of the kids in our counselor groups and we were taught about the safety guidelines of camp. After this, it was time for our first meal as a St. Vartan Camp family. We ended the day with ice breakers for us to become more acquainted with one another.

Monday was the first full day spent away from our families. We began to the day with our days beginning early in the morning. After breakfast we got ready for sports and we played basketball, soccer, and volleyball. Next it was time to swim. It has been very hot so the water was nice and refreshing. After lunch we went to our three classes of heritage, religion and Armenian performing arts. Then it was time for us to participate in our new class -- the electives. We were able to chose from Arts & Crafts, Dramatic Studies, Armenian Language, Alter Serve Training and Armenian Dance. The last portion of our first day was a discussion lead by Yn. Arpi and Der Vasken. The topic was “carrying the Flame.” We discussed all the ways that we can pass on our Armenian Heritage to others. After the discussion we spent the last part of the night around the campfire; telling stories and making s’mores, and spending time with our friends. This concludes our first full days as the St. Vartan Camp family.