A Day in the Life...

When you live in a big, four-person platform tent, as CJL campers and staff do, morning comes shortly after daybreak, as the multitude of birds will tell you. For those not so easily roused by wildlife, a bell rings in the center of camp to let you know it’s time to wake up. The four staff members round up the girls in their unit and head towards the dining hall.

Before breakfast, as before each meal, a group of campers and staff assemble at the dining hall to prepare the tables for the meal, which, as with all CJL meals, is served family-style. These girls are the waitresses for that meal, responsible for shuttling food back and forth. After the meal, the remaining campers and counselors work together to clean the dishes at their table.

After breakfast, the girls head back to their units to clean up their tents, tidy up the unit, and prepare for classes. Each unit has its own cookout facility, sinks, hot showers, and flush toilets; the general maintenance of which is the responsibility of the campers and counselors.

There are three class periods during the morning. Girls choose from a wide variety of activities including archery, canoeing, sailing, swimming, diving, crafts, hiking, outdoor living skills (OLS), and horseback riding. For older girls who have completed the 7th grade, we offer a backpacking class called Extreme OLS (outdoor living skills) and a team-building and ropes course class during 2-week sessions. Some years, members of the staff teach classes that reflect their interests and expertise like hiking, photography, drama, tennis, team games, sewing, and nature crafts.

The afternoon begins after lunch with a rest hour, when campers and staff can rejuvenate. During this time, the campers read and write letters, take short naps, or work on quiet projects in the unit.

After rest hour, units participate in two segments known as “Recreation Time” and “Unit Time." During Recreation Time, several units may get together and play at the pool or in the swimming hole at the river, play field games, take a trail or water hike, go rock climbing or engage in other group activities.

During Unit Time, the unit may work on campcraft skills or projects including wood chopping, lashing, fire building, and open-fire cooking techniques. Sometimes the units simply go for a nature hike or practice for the song contest.

The long summer days allow for evening activities after dinner, such as camp fires, folk dancing, huge hide-and-seek games, and storytelling. After such a full day, very few campers have trouble falling asleep!

Special Activities & Traditions

Once a week, the campers prepare their own evening meals over fires in their units. During two-week sessions, everyone picks up their sleeping bags and treks out with their unit into the woods for a camp-out under the stars.

The weekends include special afternoon activities, like hikes, canoe excursions, scavenger hunts, or adventures to the swimming hole.

At the end of each session, a friendly competition is held among the various units. This contest, called “All Camp Day,” includes demonstrations of campcraft skills (such as fire building, water boiling and wood chopping), athletic skills (canoe racing, swimming), and group singing. The session wraps up with a big tasty banquet, awards show, and final campfire ... and a lot of talk about returning next summer!