Over a month ago, a group of CHS students left their friends, beds, and schoolwork behind to travel two hours on a bus to Sherwood Forest, all of them ready for a week’s worth of fun activities and lasting memories as 6th grade camp counselors.

Since 1951 CHS has been taking students to Camp Sherwood in order for them to lead and to get to know the many 6th grade campers. However, counselors did not just pack their bags and walk out.

The trip required a great deal of planning and responsibility since each cabin ranged from 12 to 17 campers with only two counselors.

Before the campers even got to camp, the counselors arrived to ponder the weekly activities with their co-counselors.

“I definitely had to think about what cheers we should do,” junior Jonathan Matheny said. “We also had to go through things that should and shouldn’t happen at camp and overall just learning about the camp itself and what activities to do with the kids. It’s more about getting the kids on board than anything else.”
Junior Isabella Jacobs added that doing team-building activities and focusing on including everyone during camp were both vital aspects of the before-camp preparations. Once the counselors got to camp, the fun began.

Trips through the cave, climbing the infamous Tango Tower, and wading through the river are just a few fun activities that happened, not to mention the champion cabin winning the spirit stick as well as the hard work that is put in to win Mr. Carter’s white gloves. Missing out on camp would be a great misfortune for counselor and camper alike.

Though going to camp is a fun experience, being a counselor does have its pros and cons.

“It’s going to sound like there are so many more cons than pros, but I wouldn’t change anything,” Jacobs said. “I have so much work to make up, I’m still behind and I feel so overwhelmed, but everything was so worth it in the end. Camp made me feel like a kid again. I was hanging out with those little kids and I felt like a real role model to them.” Senior Carter Ellston shared the positive reflection of his sixth grade camp experience.

“You get to miss school for a week and do camp activities which are really fun,” Ellston said. “But you don’t get very much sleep because the kids keep you up. Sometimes it’s hard managing all of the kids for a week. You can lose your temper at times.”

Matheny echoes Carters opinion adding that the kids were beginning to wear on his patience.

“My worst experience at camp was the food,” senior Grace Brumley said. “I am the pickiest eater ever and I snack a lot. It was weird having set meal times and having to eat really weird, artificial camp food. I’m totally not used to that.”

However, no matter how bad the food was, how stressful the campers might have been, or how much work one has to make up, overall, camp is an unforgettable experience.

In fact, most students decide to go – not because they get a week  of vacation, but because they want to help make a difference in the lives of the campers.

“The reason I wanted to be a counselor was because when I was a camper I looked up to all of the counselors so much,” Jacobs said. “I saw how they dressed, how they would socialize, and how they would be so sweet to everybody. They were really cool. As a sixth grader I really wanted to do that. For me sixth grade camp was life-changing. I know that sounds crazy, but I always used to get homesick and that helped me so much with that. It gave me a lot more confidence. The fact that camp has helped me to overcome obstacles has made me want to be that person for them.”

Even though students may be somewhat hesitant to sign up for various reasons, once they actually get to camp, they find that it is a very valuable experience where they can lose themselves for a week in the spirit of Sherwood Forest.

“Most students find when they get there that it is an unbelievable leadership experience where they are given more responsibility then they ever have been given before,” Coach Ryan Luhning said. “They do a ton of work, but find that the reward and the experience are worth all the time they put in.”

In order to prevent students from feeling too overwhelmed and stressed, one should at least attempt to get a majority of schoolwork done beforehand.

“The teachers are pretty lenient about it, but still it’s just better if you get it done early,” Matheny said. “It’s definitely worth it to go, though, as long as you’re patient and positive with the kids. I’m planning on going next year.”

Although it is unfortunate for Grace Brumley, Carter Ellston, and all other seniors like them because this was their final year at camp.

“I definitely would go back if I could,” Brumley said. “Last year I was new to things and didn’t really know what I was doing, but this year it was a lot easier for me to get the hang of things, and for that reason it made me a much better counselor. But going to camp is really good for multiple reasons. You get a week off of school and you get to hang out with all of your friends and do campy, outdoorsy stuff for a week. Plus you do a service to the community by going. It’s really rewarding and really fun.”

Ellston stated that his parting with Sherwood Forest was somewhat bittersweet.

“I’m glad I did it, and I don’t have any regrets, but I can’t go back,” Ellston said. “That’s just reality, but I’m glad I did it for at least two years.”

He added that it is a very memorable experience and that more people should try it out.