2008 Counselors: Sarah Fitzpatrick, Eric Glanders, Matt Radding, Mindy Hiatt, Sarah Wright, Carol Kleinschmidt.
This was my first year as a CILT counselor and back in the Riv after three years up in the Lake Village. We had no idea what we were doing at first and felt like we were deserted every afternoon when all of our kids went off to the adopted cabins. That summer I got to work with girls I had as campers for three summers in a row and I loved getting to be with them as they transitioned into leading younger campers.
Session 1 2008
My first session ever, running in the rain to a storm shelter but grabbing all the snacks first, ctxc every morning, the twins, Sam rapping on the porch, the evolution of both the food bed and the puppies, getting the 534 jump rope record, re-writing our cheer in the middle of the session, the test of silence that earned a late night porch talk, laughing so hard we cried during Dominican Chaos, and crying when they all left.
Session 2 2008
So many Carmel kids, Noelle climbing into all of the counselors beds, the girls from Spain, sitting on the porch with Margaret after the rock devotion, the tree fall during RFAJWD, souveniers from the float trip, and we recited bible verses when we ate lunch up in the LV.
Session 3 2008
The rain stopped for the rock devotion, a clique of 31 kids, Charlie never washed his hair and feeding everyone cereal like communion, BEANIE!, Kelly reaching out of her comfort zone, the graduation song to 100 years that made us all cry, Jimmy fingers, passed out little plastic horses to counselors when we ate in the LV, and the epic stomp at the end of our cheer that had us all hobbling the day after we learned it because we were so sore.
2009 Counselors: Sarah Wright, Eric Glandes, Sarah Delong, Matt Radding, Libby Costigan, Gwyn Pevonka
It was my second year doing CILTs with Eric (and we had perfected the ability to finish each other's senstances and read each other's minds) and my second year working with Sarah Delong. That summer threw us more curveballs than we could have ever predicted and forced us to grow immensely. I got to live with Libby who I had once been a CILT for when she was just a Warrior.
Session 1 2009
The most difficult night of camp I'd ever experienced, the Ellyn song, seeing how much a group of CILTs could impact a girl like Katie Doman- "Buck!", sow choir moves, getting to finally be Grace Currie and Kendall Brunner's counselor, and AJ's drawings.
Session 2 2009
The sled devotion all the way up to Kettlehut chapel, Love Story/Camp Story graduation song that we recorded, Maggie's sword, the angry cat game, walking behind Sammi Haynes and listening to her talk about being a rockclimber, and Griffin's obsession with Lady GaGa.
Session 3 2009
Marc's creation of the friendship dance, the crazy hand step dance thing we put on the beginning of our cheer, Lizzy's art supplies, Shelby and Beth's bowling shoes, Rachael and Mackenzie's tutus, and a totally original rap for a cheer that went so fast when we performed at campfire that we could hardly breath.
2010 Counselors: Ben "Beef" Needham, Nick Brobst, Shelby Barrett, Shannon Evoy, Sarah Wright, Kaitlin Kennedy.
The first summer of 40 CILTs each session, of boys living in the Yurt, of 30 girls in Theta Kappa Lambda. Beef, Shelby, Katilin and I didn't know each other very well at all at the beginning of the summer but quickly formed a team of incredible communication and teamwork. The second summer in a row that I got to live with Shannon aka Supa Fly. I had never laughed so hard as I did with these three on a daily basis. The first summer we were known as TEAM CILT-- we had sweatbands, "Touch someone who" closing devotion, love tanks, psychiatrist, started adopting Warriors again and green hat took on a whole new meaning.
Session 1 2010
Emily Chase's crump moves, really late night heart to hearts that lead to sleep deprivation but were totally worth it, Roger Murphy swim, cheer to Tik Tok and an intense fast rap, "the girl's room", mouse traps at the TLC, Carly and Lauren's guitar skills, eating Katilin's birthday cake in less than a minute, Kelsey's Texas accent, carrying logs in the woods for the service project, the girls and boys talk over the stayover weekend, and Zach Huffman's announcer voice.
Session 2 2010
Funeral for a bird, OMGZenon, rompers, Bro day, cheer to Mars the Bringer of War and Hey Jude, all camp crump party before lunch, the cookie cake on the fourth of July, and Katie Lilegdon's prayer on RFJAWD.
Session 3 2010
1,019 jump rope record, two broken Annies, late night pizza, cheer to Lion King and Dynamite, slept out on the tennis courts, grilled cheese obsession, CILT-only Wacky Wednesday during week 5, everyone was sick or injured, Ei's dinosaur backpack, and Jason's dance moves.
2011 CILT Counselors: Even "Fratopher" Frick, Mel "6 eyes" Lang, Sarah "Crimson Foot" Wright, Arielle "Vitamin S" Brosman, Michael "Bike Chain" Krafty.
The summer I got to work with Arielle (my best friend since I was 7), Krafty (we were CILTs together in 03), Mel and Evan. This summer was about living the dream-- Krafty's movies, jello dancing in chapel, party tanks, family portraits, pirate names, potholder headbands, love tanks, playing family, Yolf and hammocks, our counselor devotion on the Lookout during staff training, collaborating on devotions, the iPod game on the bus, recording every session's graduation song, night chapels, playin' sports, fugitive through River Village, all of staying to work at least a week of Res and hide-and-go-seek in the Lodge.
Session 1 2011
Building the Fort in the South Pasture, impromptu scavenger hunt and family feud, the rock kids, cheer to Friday and Tonight Tonight, flash mob, I left when I got mono, and Jack McGee!
Session 2 2011
Serenading the Yurt, New Jersey accents for two weeks straight, cheer to Harry Potter and Wavin' Flag, "they're not sticks, they're wands", Lizzy's clown hat and pumpkin costume, deserting the Party Room during lunch to walk up to the LV to put flies on all of lake, Marc's rap, and the way these girls sound like a choir.
Session 3 2011
Overall week, Russian accents, planking, CILT night water polo, the making of "what goes on when the counselors leave", cheer to We R Who We R, I'm a Be and Bohemian Rhapsody, the Dark Lord, Victor Krum and Peanut, all the girls staying up to eat the rest of the food on the last night, best lake time ever, the couples getting married in Vegas, and Erin O'Farrel Junior Olympian.
"Camp T changed us, we're never gonna be the same. We are a family even if we're kind of strange. We learned how to love and we learned how to listen. It's our CILT story- we're gonna miss this."
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