My sister Amy, nephew Trevor, mom and I went to the 80th Reunion at Camp Ajawah. I started going there when I was 9 years old, and was a Camp Counselor for two years when I was 16 and 17. It is a 2-week long overnight camp, with separate boys and girls sessions. It includes canoeing, swimming, arts & crafts, sailing, and tons of fun games. Ajawah is boyscout based, so it is very rustic and focuses on nature, leadership skills, survival skills, and making friends. My sister, Amy, and I loved it there and like to visit often.
These are the tents that the campers and counselors sleep in. They have a raised wooden platform with a canvas top. There are 5-7 cots inside each one. My favorite sound in the whole wide world is hearing the rain beat down on the canvas tent.
A totem pole that stands up in main camp. Ajawah has a Native American background as well which Dave, the Camp Director, tells the story of Ajawampus at every camp session.
Trevor and I eating lunch in "The Mess Hall". Every meal is served family style. Each counselor has a nickname too; my nickname was "Bo-Bo". I picked the name from the Alpha Male wolf at a wolf ranch down the street. (I love wolves).
Trevor riding piggy-back on Amy.
Walking the trails.
The Waniki - I'm not sure where the name is from, but this is our bathroom. Again very rustic, no flush toilets. They did make some improvements though, and now they have stalls. It used to be just a couple of holes lined up next to each other.
Trevor in the tent.
Someone's bed. There are T-bars for every bed that you tie your mosquito netting to. It's very peaceful once inside.
Amy, Trevor & me.
The stairs down to the beach.
The beach.
Everyone gets a metal washer with their name on it and must check in and out of the water for safety. On the right is your tent, and the left is where you are going. I took a picture of Trevor here because I have a picture of myself standing there when I was little.
We also went canoeing. Trevor was a little scared of tipping over, but he got used to it.
Trevor played in the sand.
Then we went to the craft shop and made friendship bracelets - I'm making one for Matt.
There was an All-Camp game of "Steal The Stakes" (The stakes are laying in a pile behind the guy in the cream shirt.) The red building there is "The Lodge" where campfire and other events are held when it rains (which it did today).
Everyone running to steal the stakes.
Amy and Trevor tried to steal a stake, but didn't make it, so now they are "in jail".
Trevor stole a stake!
All of these people have tackled someone and they're trying to steal a stake back! Games at Ajawah can get very rough.
These two guys are brothers - the one on the ground had been tackled.
Trevor was tuckered out.
Many of the boyscouts that come here are Hmong. In fact, some of them even stay during the girls' session to help out in the kitchen. These are a few boys from boycamp that are leading us in a song after dinner.
"Notso Swift" giving Dave Moore "Pooh Bear" the Camp Director's Award. Dave has been the Camp Director for the majority of the time. Even though he seems to be getting very old, don't mess with him during Capture The Flag! Dave picks one camper every session who he thinks deserves his special award.
This is a boys' camp song, and Doug (whom we all know very well from church) was singing to Trevor. Trevor has the weirdest look on his face!
Dave accepting his Camp Director's Award.
Dave told the story once again about Ajawampus and his friend, Red Arrow. While he tells the story, some of the Hmong boyscouts reinact it. They have bells on their ankles so you can hear every step they take.
Ajawampus asks Chief Chingachaku how to kill the Grunduff, an 8 legged monster.
