CILTy CILT Team planning

In just two weeks an army of counselors will be rolling into Camp Tecumseh to begin their week long staff training. Over one hundred men and women will come together as the staff of summer 2013. During that week they'll plan clinics, experience chapel, participate in devotions, explore camp, find out their units and partner, start new traditions and become friends.

 

In only three weeks the first week of campers will invade Tecumseh with more enthusiasm and excitement then you can imagine. Within that group of eager children will be the forty CILTs, or Campers In Leadership Training, of Session One. I already know a few of them but can't wait to meet the rest.

I get the privilege of leading the CILTs this summer with Jamie Zurawski, Sarah Mooney and Alex Allison. The four of us got together this weekend to plan activities, copy and assemble binders for all of our campers and get to know one another better.

 

After all of the office work was completed we decided the best use of our time would be a CILT counselor photo shoot all over camp. We got Liz to be our photographer, made sure we had the clothes for several outfit changes and headed out to some of the best spots around camp.

 

I can't wait to laugh like this all summer long. Liz told us to fake laugh but as soon as we heard Alex's laugh we didn't have to fake a thing. These people are hilarious. We're really into these matching jerseys from Goodwill too.

 

The Wright Way, in honor of my Mom and Dad and all they did at Camp, is now up on the road to closing campfire. I was so excited to see it in place and obviously psyched that I just so happen to have the same last name.

 

There are two new cabins in the Oregon Territory for the Outdoor Education program. They're basically giant Lincoln Log sets-- pretty sweet.

We'll be using these pictures as decoration right inside the Longhouse and Kiva where the CILTs live, but I think we might get a modeling career out of this. Alex told us that since we all look good together that means we're going to be a really good team.

Alex found some magic beans in his overalls...

We're thinking about using horses in a couple team-building activities this summer.

Not really... but it was fun to take pictures with them for a hot second.

Don't worry, we won't actually be doing any demolition or heavy maintenance this summer. But I think we could handle it if we needed to.

I know that lots of people spend their summer on the lake-- so does Team CILT. We just do it with a little extra flare.

The Longhouse is actually three different cabins all interconnected. Instead of just living with one other counselor and ten campers, we get five other counselors and thirty campers in this building. I'm so excited to move back in, this time with Jamie Z, Jamie Mitchell, Smooney, Irene and Ellyn. It's going to be quite the summer.

After three summers of having the CILT guys live in the Yurt, it's finally being retired from that purpose. Instead the boys will be moving into the Kiva which is being remodeled to become the CILT guy penthouse.

Alex is a little excited about his new digs.

After this weekend I feel like our team is ready for what lies ahead. There will absolutely be challenges and surprises along the way but I'm confident in our ability to handle it with flexibility, teamwork, patience and positivity. We've got plans for brand-new activities, creative twists for all six weeks of CILTs and surprises that have never been done before. The kids that we get to work with this summer are in for quite an adventure and hopefully two of the best weeks of their life. Summer 2013 is almost here.