The weather was glorious yesterday as camp filled with our third session campers! We have a full camp again, and by mid afternoon all was peaceful, with dorm groups getting to know each other, and campers spending their first hours in their arts programs. We had a lively BBQ outdoors, our first flagpole of the session and then – oh no! The program directors were nowhere to be found! In a bizarre twist, we 
discovered a time vortex had opened in our dorms, catapulting our program directors into the past and bringing through, in their place, famous artists from bygone eras – including Leonardo Da Vinci, Audrey Hepburn and Charlie Chaplin. Dorm groups spent the evening working together to round up and placate the lost and confused artists (played, of course, by our talented PDs), while at the same time embarking on a quest to locate hidden ‘gems’ to power a time machine we had to build. Each dorm was responsible for completing a portion of the home made time machine, which was assembled into an enormous camp-wide creation on stage at the end of the evening. Amid smoke and flashing lights, the famous arts personalities entered the crazy-looking time machine and were returned to their own time periods, while our program directors reappeared in their place. We celebrated our success with hot chocolate and home made cookies in the dining hall.
We work hard in the first 24 hours of each session to help campers make friends and gain a sense of community, before turning our attention to the arts. Our first night evening program (as described above) is a big part of this objective. Groups laugh together as they participate in an activity that is stress-free and fun; by the end of the evening, dorms usually have some “in jokes”, campers feel safe and secure, and everyone feels an important part of their group. The first night evening program also gives campers a chance to get to know their counsellors and program directors better, and the activity roams all over camp, so that by the time they go to bed, campers have been in all the buildings, and know where every arts department is located.
After a full day of arts activities, the community spirit will resume at dinner tonight with our first themed supper of the session – a Disney celebration! Each dorm will represent a different movie, and there will be singing, skits, quizzes and competitions throughout the evening.
Check out the photos we have posted on the website – and remember that although we make every effort to update blogs and photos regularly to help parents feel a part of the camp experience, our first priority is always the kids – so we may not be able to post as often as we would like!
More photos here www.centauriartscamp.com/media-and-more/
Julie Hartley
Director