Posted by: Birch Rock Camp

The campers who did the triathlon standing in front of the camp truck.

Today we woke up in an air of finality. The last day of activities has come and gone and we are not left with the final ceremonies, rituals, and traditions that come with the end of the session. After a complete breakfast of oatmeal and omelets, we did one last hurrah for a special guest mystery inspector. We would later learn that this dude was tough on hospital corners, and diligent in his toilet examinations.

In other news, today was the BRC Triathlon! Upper campers who have completed their Loon competed head-to-head in a swim across the lake, a 3-mile bike ride across trails and up steep hills, and a 1-mile run up McWain Hill road! It was intense! Kiran F came out of the swim two minutes ahead of the other competitors, followed by Max M in second. Alex M gritted his teeth and dug in as soon as he was out of the water, catching the top two at the end of the bike ride and directly racing Kiran as they thundered up the hill. In a last-minute burst, Alex M took off with only a few yards to go, clinching the title for 2024!

The top 3 finishers as follows:

  1. Alex M
  2. Leland N
  3. Kiran F

Directly following the triathlon and a brief general swim, a WHALE BELL was rung! We quickly changed out of our bathing suits and switched gears to cheer the Leadership Camper Harry F as he completed his whale! Harry completed this challenging 5-mile swim in a fantastic time and was an amazing capstone to a summer of Beautiful Days for Swimming. Also, Lenny C finally busted out his Duck! We love swimming!

In the afternoon, we headed up to the field for some games while the lodge was swept, mopped, and decorated for the Banquet. This fantastic meal of beef, potatoes, corn, green beans, and banana splits (that’s right). We waited for our names to be called and then went through the American flag drape to a beautiful looooong dining table adorned with all the fancy stuff: tablecloths, flowers, steak knives, and a cup of tomato juice to celebrate the founders of this amazing summer home. We dined, laughed, and remembered all the fun we’ve had these past 7 weeks. A good time was had by all.

After dinner, we took a brief bio-break before returning to Pats Pit for the badge ceremony. This was a time to reflect on the accomplishments of our friends and peers while handing out physical tokens of the campers’ dedication to their favorite activities. This year we had a total badge count of over 430. That’s right, four HUNDRED badges went out to campers this year. Wowza.

To top off an already historical night, we piled into the lodge for the great reveal….the 2024 plaques! This was epic! They were so clean and the design matched the vibe of the summer perfectly. Thank you, Seth!

At this point, we had already burned 3 rounds after the typical lights out and had to quickly head off to bed. Thank you to everyone who made this an amazing summer.