We’re smiling through our tears tonight as we hold each other close after an incredibly moving last two days of camp.

Yesterday was our last day of activities and campers squeezed every last bit of fun out of it, particularly the seniors who commandeered all the boats and took over Tepee Lake, astonishing us with their skills, and amusing us with their antics.

This morning before breakfast the Moose Brent trip emerged, paddling swiftly and silently through the mist, a vision to behold. After paddling and portaging 180km to the northern tip of Algonquin Park and back, they were still going strong, and watching the pride on their faces as their peers and staff jumped into the lake and enveloped them in hugs and cheers was a perfect illustration of what camp is all about: taking on challenges and being celebrated by friends.

The camp magic continued today, with awards speeches for a slew of campers achieving high class awards, notably a Bear and a Moose receiving the only first class awards of the summer – recognizing near professional skills in their activities (riding and sailing). A standout moment was the windsurfing instructor talking about how a Point Boy had come down to the dock every day and spent multiple hours alone on a board, circling a buoy until he got his turns flawless, and falling into the water and getting back up again hundreds of times before finally mastering his head dip. This is the kind of drive, persistence, and skill that defines Arowhon campers.

This evening was full of reflection and celebration. Dinner was our final awards banquet where instructors presented awards such as “Most Dedicated”, “Most Improved”, and acknowledged the kids who were consistent parts of their activity community on their plaques. And speaking of plaques… the full camp plaque was finally revealed, showing a beautiful painting of 4 campers dressed in Colour War outfits, building roaring fires. Campers swarmed it after the reveal, searching for their names that will now be memorialized on the ML walls.

We continued the celebrations with an uplifting slideshow of pictures and videos reminding us of all the fun times we had this session.

And last but not least was our annual candle ceremony where campers came to the front of the Main Lodge to find 300 candles in the shape of an A. Each camper, after being addressed by their Section Head,  got to pick a candle and put it in the lake with a wish and hope until we meet again.

We are so grateful to parents for sending us their wonderful kids this summer, and are sad that it’s all over for now. Can’t wait to do it all again next year, and luckily we have all the memories to hold us over until then.