Reason Twelve

All the random facts and history any staff member can tell you about their time at camp. For example, I found a blog about EB history, which appears to be abandoned, but has some neat info in it. Here's the link:

http://campemeraldbaymysteries.blogspot.com

Reason Eleven

When you join the Emerald Bay staff, you become part of an amazing family. We look out for each other, bring fellow staffers food when they are too sick to come to the dining hall, and have adventures together. One example of this remarkable comradeship is when someone gets sick. Every summer I have caught the Catalina Crud and each time I ended up with at least two plates of food each meal and a zillion cough drops. Plus somehow my Nalgene bottle is always full- someone must sneak in while I sleep and fill it up. Every staff member, past and present, make up this truly wonderful family and I am proud to be a part of it.

Reason Ten

We have such a huge variety of classes for kids of all ages and interests. I love watching all of the fun things always happening on the waterfront, but I hate going in the water (go figure since I work on and island). However, kids just like me can still have just as much fun in Handicraft, Nature, Scoutcraft, Field Sports, and more places. What other camp allows you to practice your knots on a pirate ship? Now, I may be biased, but everything in the Handicraft area is so much fun- even making baskets! And learning about the lemonade berry plant is so cool!

Yes, I am a teacher and yes, I do get excited thinking about classes and designing lessons, but our classes really are amazing. I still love going to the classes to see what crazy things we'll do.

Actually, for any of my readers out there, post a comment about one of your favorite lessons from camp. I want to hear about even more fabulous experiences, which I may have sadly missed.

Reason Nine

This lovely lady!!

She is essentially the heart of camp- if Lindsay stops working things will get done, but not nearly as efficiently or with as much charm. All those who have earned merit badges, called the camp, sent mail, or pretty much anything else, bow down to the amazing Lindsay, as well as those who have held the post before her.

Reason Eight

The waterfront demonstration is excellent. I have seen it I don't know how many times (once a week multiplied by I don't know how many weeks multiplied by nine years, give or take a few) and it still makes me laugh. I've seen demos with Pokemon, Star Wars, and Dragonball Z references, to name a few. One time the tide was so low that when the guys jumped in the water they were standing on the bottom (the boats wouldn't even completely sink). It's a great way to show the do's and don't's of the waterfront and everyone enjoys it (even though I still wince when Joe Lifeguard falls on the pier).

Reason Seven

I know not everyone will agree with this reason, but I'm sick, haven't eaten more than crackers and gatorade for five days, and I'm craving this. Roxy's lasagna! Oh, so good.

Reason Six

Cobbler!!!

Traditional apple cobbler, peanut butter and jelly cobbler, pineapple and mango upside-down cobbler, dark chocolate cobbler... every kind of cobbler imaginable!

It's fun to make, fun to taste, and very difficult to judge. Believe me on the judging thing- one time this summer we had to judge 19 cobblers at once!

Reasons Three, Four, and Five

Three:

If you ever get the opportunity to play PFD Water Polo, trust me, it's a reason. Imagine wearing old, no-longer useable lifejackets (see, I said no-longer useable for those of you who are involved in the purchasing and care of PFDs) as diapers. For the record, you will look silly wearing this out of water. Set up two goals on opposite sides of the "swimmer" swim area (the big yellowish donuts are great goals) and find a ball (no snapping please). Then jump in the water and do your best to score some points. It's a whole lot harder than it looks, but it's so much fun.

Four:

Capture the Flag- another great game. Let's see, so far it's been played all across back country (Nature and Santa Barbara as sides), across the parade ground (separated North and South Hills), and front and back of camp. All of which are amazing ways to play.

Five:

I must say, I've never actually done this, but I hear it's amazing fun for some of the people involved. I'm talking about part of the War Canoe trip to Parson's. A lot of rangers pride themselves on pointing out the whale bones to the scouts prior to landing on the beach. As I said, I've never seen them, but there are always good stories about searching for the bones.