Each meal today started with at least 3 campers being carried in on the shoulders of proud instructors to the deafening cheers of the entire Main Lodge congratulating them on getting a high class award. We are absolutely blown away by how much drive, dedication, and perseverance our campers have shown at activities this summer. One of the most special things about Arowhon is the culture of kids challenging themselves to learn and grow, and this summer that mentality is stronger than ever. Many of our campers have been working all summer long on their awards – waking up before breakfast to practice and using all of their spare time during the day to improve their skills.

The boys Brent and Whitney trips arrived back today after paddling and portaging hundreds of kilometres through Algonquin wilderness and they as well are a testament to the unbelievable tenacity of our campers. But whether or not they beat a record or pass their award test, each and every one of our campers who was working toward a goal this summer has something to be proud of. The award itself is small potatoes compared to what it took getting there. They have all put in such hard work and improved their skills and their ability to persevere through challenge and work toward goals – congrats to all of them!

In other news, we had our last campfire of the summer hosted by Joanne herself and JJ Greenberg (counsellor and archery instructor) in role as a grumpy old couple. They were hilarious and had us rolling on the ground laughing. There were several impressive camper talent acts and some hysterical staff improvisational  theatre. We gave out 3 more 10 year jackets (we can’t believe how many people we have stick around for that long!) and ended with the traditional chorus of “Camp Arowhon We Always Will Remember”sung as usual with linked arms.

We are so sad that there are only 2 days of regular programming left, but we intent to make the most out of them and enjoy every last moment of summer 2016!