Each summer on the Fourth of July, we have a very special tradition. All of camp gathers, from Nitzanim to Machon, for Scroll. Last night, everyone arrived at the lake with their towels and were greeted by our song leaders and leadership team. We enjoyed some classic American tunes (Yankee Doodle and Circle Game, to name a few), and enjoyed the magical sunset that fell over the lake.
The Tradition of Scroll
At the end of every summer, the Machonikim, our Counselors-in-training, write a poem, culminating their favorite parts of camp and their jokes from that summer. Then, they bury it in the sand at the lake, to unveil at Scroll the following year. On July 4th, the Scroll is dug out of the sand and read aloud to camp.
We had many Machon from 2015 who became counselors for this summer, and they were so excited to present their poem to camp! As they stood in front of the crowd and read these words, their excitement and their shoutouts were received with joy!
Scroll 2015 by Machon 2015
In the beginning the rain fell like, well, rain.
Staff week was gloomy, but then the kids came (Sunshine with hands)
Friendships forged to the bone with bitachon (confidence)
Waves sculpted by our yetzirah (creativity), band together by gevurah (strength), and softened with ahava (love)
With manhigut (leadership), we rose with a hoot
We discovered through our sakranut (curiosity)
Our community lives ten month for two
The epitome of savlanut (patience)
Ooh ha ha’s, ding dongs, what’s and XV
Connected by Torah, our family tree.
On the fourth of July, Fighting Cranes were star-spangled
Complete with dizzy bat, rodeo roper, and marriage; ‘twas tough not to get tangled!
While the rain continued to dampen our torches
Our ruach still shined from the various porches
XV thought an excursion might be in order
To get to MON**TRE**A*L*Montreal, they traveled across the Canadian Border
We also moved (sing) From the Rec Hall—to the Lake, as Bonim girls took third place
Then Nitz Girls took the cake. Oh but Bonim Boys!
Make way for the bitachon that beat the Machon, Chav and Olim
Each unit boldly went where past units had gone before
Six flags, Lake Compounce, but for Chaverim, not Zoar
Machon went to Ben & Jerry’s, in Pittsfield because we wish we were in Olim, ooh, ahh!!
Can you dig those crazy tournaments? Sports? Sports?
Football’s fighting Cranes made the Olimers cheer loud
And upper Bonim’s Kiddush Cup made the whole camp proud.
The toys came alive in four mini mac teams
Buzz, Rex and Woody fell short to Red Jessie
Oh yes, yes he. Joseph and his Dreamcoat made camp history
We danced, we sang, then the golf cart entered with a big shebang.
On Banquet we took a trip to West Egg
With dancing and sparkling cider that wasn’t bootlegged
We closed out first session swing-dancing away
While second session started up on the next day!
Second session came with fakeouts galore
Whenever we left a meal, we went OUT THE DOOR
The rain turned to snow on the night of the play
But the anticipation of color war was killing us, oy vey!
Camp’s eighteenth birthday was celebrated with a bang
With Alumni and Olim 14 back home, we had the whole gang
Soon the real stars of the color war glory
Were revealed at the end of a Todd Yahney story
Camp’s fate was spray painted onto a sign
The names of Blue Uprising and White Empire were of so fine-JEW
Five mangled fingers and two tied events later
Please, someone get Yaelle a calculator!
In the end Blue Uprising bopped to the top
Thank goodness; everyone’s lungs were about to pop!
As camp this summer comes to an end,
We have next summer to look forward to, it’s just around the bend.
Boker tov, Machon 15!
HIT THE BOX, 15,484!