This week saw the end of our first session and the start of the second session. As our Session One campers headed home, our full-session, seven-weekers had an all-day, off-campus extravaganza to an arcade, the movies, and a Trampoline Park. By evening, the second session campers had filed in, and everyone was together on campus. We held Bunk Wars with events like bucket brigades, crab walks, relay races, and more, which was a great way for the new campers to bond with their bunk mates, and for all campers to come together – ready to enjoy the rest of the summer.
After one rainy day with fun indoor activities like Gaga, dodgeball, arts & crafts, and music, the rest of the week was filled with beautiful weather. The sun was the perfect setting for one of our annual, camp-favorite special events: The USR NCAA flag football tournament. Each team was named after a real college and played through the rounds until we ended up with a final four: Michigan vs. Illinois, and Wisconsin vs. Indiana. The final came down to Michigan vs. Wisconsin, and Michigan took the big win. The rest of camp popped in and out throughout the day to cheer on the teams and watch the competitive play.
We also had some great tournaments and competitions both on campus and off. We hosted a 5k run with two other camps – Watitoh and Danbee, which was great. Our soccer players went to Camp Taconic for a tournament, while we held a Basketball tournament here at MKN. As for Intra-camp sports and activities, TJCs played in their enthusiastic Gaga league tournament, our ‘intensive’ programs also headed out for their own special days – our rock climbers took a trip to Albany, horseback riders saddled up and headed out, our golf athletes played a front nine, and the sailing team enjoyed a beautiful regatta.
Back at camp, The Senecas— our oldest campers— spent a day focused on preparing for the upcoming Olympics, our big full-camp competition that takes place at the end of the summer. One of the signature Olympic events is the Decathlon, which is limited to Senecas only. The boys tried out for the specific events within the ten-part track and field series that they hope to compete in. As the glorious weather continued, many campers took advantage of our beautiful lake – spending time sailing, boating, paddling, waterskiing, tubing, fishing, and jumping on the lake floats. And everyone wished our Algonquins (the second-oldest bunk) bon voyage as they headed out on a weeklong trip to California. On this journey with Camp Danbee, they’ll visit SoFi Stadium, Disneyland, an Angels game, The Grove, Manhattan Beach, a Hollywood Hike, and much more!
This week’s Friday Night Huddle took place against the setting sun, and Jamie spoke to the kids about the importance of leadership and what a good leader looks like. Then, as the week came to a close, we hosted our annual Mini Mak Day. Mini Mak Day is filled with future campers who come join us for a full day of camp prior to enrolling for next summer. We had another great Mini Mak and can’t wait to see these little guys back at camp for Summer, 2027.
That’s it for Week Five. Don’t forget, you can get MKN news every day on MKN Today. Be sure to create an account and see/read all the daily happenings at camp!