Thursday Part I...Indian Day!

Thursdays at Camp are always a little bittersweet. Its the last full day of the session, but to many people it is the most exciting. Indian Day always brings some great fun for both the staff and the campers. Of course Thursdays (the second Thursday for two week sessions) have so much more going on than just Indian Day. On top of the normal Camp activities, you also have the Camp vs. Staff softball game, followed by everyone jumping in the pool, dinner in Cheuk Grove, and all of the end of Camp activities such as Cross Devo. Because of so many things that happen on that day, I am going to break up the day into two or three posts so that I can give each activity the attention it deserves. This one is going to be about all the fun that Indian Day brings.

Early in the morning, with all of Camp surrounded by the flag pole after the devo, the group leaders explain to the campers what will probably happen at some point during the day. There is a very good chance that each group leader will get very sick with the flumonia. In fact, there have been many times during this time that the group leaders are already starting to feel bad. For some reason this ailment seems to only affect the group leaders and only on Thursday. After all of the talk about the dreaded illnesses that will most likely hit the group leaders, its time for all the staff to march to the front to perform the Indian Day song/dance.

Each group leader will usually go into hiding mode because he is "sick" an hour or two before group activity. He will give his whistle to one of the his male staff members and go prepare for his big show. While he is doing this, the campers are competing in Indian Day competitions. These are the leg wrestling, arm wrestling, rock chunk, and the Indian Run. Once the competitions are over, its time to start talking about the Indian. One of the staff members will tell the campers what has happened to their group leader. The story usually explains that the group leader got sick and took a nap. When he wakes up, his face is painted and he isn't right in the mind. He starts to make his way down to his group during the telling of the story, and puts on a great show out on the ball field about how crazy he is. They story says that he thinks he is a mighty Killi Indian Chief. He then runs off into the woods with a primal scream.

The campers are told that they have to rescue their Chief. The only way that they can save him is to go out into the woods and hunt for him, call out his name, let him know that they are their to help him. The way to cure him of this horrible sickness is to cleanse him in the healing waters of Killi Creek. Off course the campers are also told that the Chief is not himself, and will not willingly get into the creek to be cleansed. The campers may have to capture the Chief and carry him to the creek.

Once the campers are able to capture the Chief and get him to the creek, they have to wash the paint off his face. When they are able to do this, then the fever will be gone and the beloved group leader will return.

Usually there is one camper in particular who had the biggest part of capturing the Chief, and he or she will be honored for their heroic efforts later that night during the telling of the Indian Day stories.

Indian Day is so much fun and provides many fond memories for the campers to take home with them. Next week I will cover the rest of the day that marks the ending of each session of Camp.

Hail, Dear Ol' Deer Run,

Sparky