Posted by: Birch Rock Camp

After a restful late wake up and the triumphant return of grits, Sunday at the Rock kicked into gear with the arrival of Greek Gods to camp. Zeus first touched down during breakfast, bringing with him the warring duo of the crafty Pipsqueak and the imposing Behemoth played by 5’4” Jonah Keates and 6’10” Seth Brewster respectively. At Zeus’s command, all of Birch Rock would swear allegiance under the mighty Elephant Herd and the cunning Rat’s Nest in order to settle the feud on the field during Ilion. 

    But first, clean up. In the first Sunday inspection of the summer, campers pulled out all the stops, folding trunks and leaving toothbrushes and books on pillows in a bid to impress Musc. In the end, George K. ended up taking home Best Bed with a stellar trunk, and the older campers in Cabin 8 won Best Cabin with a masterclass in hospital corners. 

    Once all of camp was swept and organized, campers settled in to write their weekly letters home before enjoying the beautiful Maine day with Sunday dinner in the Grove. Heaping servings of turkey and mashed potatoes satiated the masses, and prepared them for the coming games.

    Behemoth and Pipsqueak entered the fray again at dinner, this time sparring with hammers and daggers for the entertainment of Zeus. When neither could emerge victorious, Zeus turned to the campers of Birch Rock to take up arms in the name of the Rat’s Nest and Elephant’s Herd and go to the field to wage a game of Ilion. 

    Many flags were pulled and campers were felled, but in the end Behemoth rained supreme as his clan took 2 of the 3 rounds. Then, in a spirited game of staff versus campers, the staff routed their enemies mercilessly en route to a signal victory, reaffirming their supremacy over the Rock. Last but not least, Zeus demanded an elimination game to choose a single champion from the masses.

As the war of attrition raged on, the Rat’s Nest dwindled one by one until the last of their group was swarmed by the Elephants and destroyed. Then, with no competition but themselves, the surviving Elephants turned on each other until only Jasper R., Raphael S., and CIT John Flannery stood with flags intact. Flannery fought hard and died nobly but in the end he was no match for the combined forces of the campers. Finally, in a battle of skill and endurance, Jasper bested Raphael and was crowned as Zeus’s champion. 

After the triumphs and tribulations of Ilion, camp enjoyed a camp-wide general swim and a supper of sloppy joes in the grove. For counselor Gus Tringale’s 20th birthday, he requested the time honored classic mint chocolate cake which once again was met with enthusiasm. 

Last but certainly not least, all of camp met at the Birch Rock to discuss the land we use, and those who came before us. The senior campers of ‘Zig house added insightful comments, and Mac H. shared a thoughtful personal story. 

After a long and joyful Sunday of adventures, Birch Rock Camp is once again quiet, preparing softly for an especially active day of festivities tomorrow, on July 4.

-Eli Protas (Zeus)