June 28, 2007
A1- Thursday
Thursdays are Talent Show days at SVC, and this week’s show was one the funniest SVC has seen in years. Many of the campers showed off their talents, which included singing, dancing, jokes, piano and violin performances, and lots of funny skits including one where the younger teen boys dressed up like the CITs. Swimming was great today because it was really hot just like it’s been all week, and in arts & crafts we made our own cowboy bandanas. They will come in really handy tomorrow for Rodeo Day!
June 27, 2007
A1 - Wednesday
Today was the best day yet at SVC. We had the opening ceremonies for the Olympics. The whole camp is divided into color teams, so we wore our team colors while the counselors dressed in togas just like the ancient Greek gods did during the first Olympics. The first event was who could sing the loudest as we sang our camp favorites. The black team came from behind to claim victory as they sang their rendition of the Ants Go Marching Meg by Meg. After dinner the competition continued as each team created a team poster and skit. All the teams were judged for creativity and enthusiasm, and though the black and blue teams were neck and neck, the black team’s earlier win made them the winner of the day. Afterwards, Der Krikor and his band played Armenian music and we all danced til bedtime. Can’t wait til tomorrow!
A1 - Tuesday
Today was lahmajun day in the dining hall! After a busy morning of classes and swim, we sang the lahmajun song. We ate a lot of lahmajun so that we would have enough energy for the surprise camper/staff dodgeball game. Hayr Aren, who is visiting from Chicago, was the referee. We never saw a Hayr Soorp so into a game of dodgeball, he was really fair. After dinner, the juniors did some role-playing with the counselors to discuss what they would do in as Christians in difficult real-life situations that sometimes arise. The teens had a “Hot Topics” session where we wrote down any questions we wanted for Hayr Aren and Der Krikor. We learned about the history of the Armenian church, how it’s different from other churches, and also what Der Hayrs and Hayr Soorps like to do for fun. We learned a lot today!
A1 - Monday
Today was jam packed with excitement as we went through our first full day at SVC. After chapel and breakfast, the juniors went to classes in the morning, and the teens went to sports and swimming. In the afternoon we switched. In religion class, Father Krikor talked about the what it means to be a Christian here at camp. In arts & crafts, we made SVC 2007 t-shirts with fabric spray paint. After dinner we played scattergories and had vespers before going off to bed.
June 26, 2007
June 24, 2007
June 24
Wow, what a great first day at St. Vartan Camp! We arrived by plane, train, and automobile, from as far away as California. After saying good-bye to our families we got to know our counselors and CITs a little bit better. The counselors acted out funny skits during orientation to teach us about safety at camp. We played icebreakers and had fun with our old friends while getting to know new campers. We also got to go into the pool to do the swim test. We are really tired from all the excitement of the first day, but we can’t wait to start off the week tomorrow!
June 22, 2007
Staff Training
Staff Training is well under way and the counselors and instructors are gearing up for a fun and safe summer at St. Vartan Camp. We covered lots of topics including gender differences, role playing to discuss how we would handle different situations, and finalizing programming. Steve Maguire, a guest speaker who travels the country as a camp consultant, gave us some great tips. Der Krikor, the Camp Director, has been sharing inspiring messages along the way as well. Tonight is our staff night out; after dinner we are going bowling. It’s sure to be a great time! Though we are having lots of fun, we can’t wait til the campers get here!
June 14, 2007
Campers and Counselors: Get Ready for SVC 07!
St. Vartan Camp 2007 is almost here! Campers and staff alike have been counting down for months and camp is just around the corner. Over 20 counselors and instructors will arrive next Wednesday, June 20 for a four-day Staff Training. They will spend this last weekend at home making sure all of their medical forms are filled out, packing (don’t forget your shower flip flops or your Bible!) and kissing Mayrig and Hayrig goodbye. This summer is going to be the best year yet at St. Vartan Camp!