So, the other night I had the evening to myself, as Allison was returning late from an airport run to Boston. Having gone out to dinner, I returned about 8:20pm to a camp that was very, very empty. So empty it was a bit surreal. At night, even after 'bedtime', there is always something happening on the camp grounds: people chilling in the Counselor Lounge, the odd stray counselor walking somewhere, some counselors or campers sitting on the tennis courts looking at the stars.
I saw none of that. The only soul I saw was the one counselor assigned to front desk duty that night. As I spent the next couple of hours puttering around the cabin, I could still tell that the camp was empty. It really was a bit otherworldly... (I found out later that there was a dance at the boys camp, which is where everyone was)
I decided to turn in early, hoping to get some good sleep to combat some built-up fatigue. As I was turning out the light, I could hear voices and walking sounds again... I knew folks had returned from whatever they had gone to... and I went to sleep to the susurration of that "camp white noise".
Not for long.
Shortly before midnight, I as abruptly awakened by explosions and high-pitched feminine screaming. (Seriously)
This night was getting weirder by the minute. Once I was fully awake, I could tell the explosions were fireworks. Now, this is not unusual in of itself... we often here fireworks off in the distance here. But this was a LOT of fireworks, and these were being set off in the lower athletic fields just below our cabin.
And then there were the screams, which revealed the calamitous event just a few minutes later as two girls went running by the cabin, screaming with a Doppler Effect..... "COLOR WAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Ah! All is explained.
Oh, you still don't understand? Well, let me enlighten you. Color War is one of the greatest traditions here at Forest Acres/Indian Acres. Color War is an inter-camp competition that will kick off at some point during camp and last for 5 days. The exact date of the start of Color War at each camp is a closely-guarded secret, known only to the counselors of the Color War Committee (whose membership in a given year is also a guarded secret), and probably a few high-ranking staff members. Once it kicks off, the two sides will engage in various competitions in the realms of athletic and artistic talent. Points are accrued and the winning side is announced at the awards banquet toward the end of camp.
Each camper is assigned one of the two colors for that camp. (Indian Acres sports Red and Brown for the boys, Forest Acres has Green and Tan for the girls). Colors do have a genetic aspect- if you are a blood/familial relation to a previous camper, you will automatically have the same color as your ancestors. All of the Welch Boys will sport Red when Color War breaks over at Indian Acres.
This is a big deal. The unknown start of Color War (which is always some kind of event/theatrics planned by The Committee) leaves campers on tenterhooks... more than once I have witnessed a minor oddity at a normal camp function cause a low, rolling chant of "Color War...Color War...Color War", only to be disappointed. The competition goes back many, many years- at Indian Acres, the rafters of the Counselor Lounge have wooden leafs attached, each colored red or brown for the winning side of that year... and they go back to the 1920's. There is a lot of pride on the line... Matthew attended camp 2 years ago, and then had a year off before we came up this summer. He was visibly upset to notice the 2011 leaf in the rafters, painted a dark brown. He let me know that he has to do anything within his power to help Red win again. :)
So, as I struggled to go back to sleep on this surreal night, I did smile, even though my rest was disturbed. Color War had broken out at Forest Acres once again, and another year of great tradition was added to the books.
I saw none of that. The only soul I saw was the one counselor assigned to front desk duty that night. As I spent the next couple of hours puttering around the cabin, I could still tell that the camp was empty. It really was a bit otherworldly... (I found out later that there was a dance at the boys camp, which is where everyone was)
I decided to turn in early, hoping to get some good sleep to combat some built-up fatigue. As I was turning out the light, I could hear voices and walking sounds again... I knew folks had returned from whatever they had gone to... and I went to sleep to the susurration of that "camp white noise".
Not for long.
Shortly before midnight, I as abruptly awakened by explosions and high-pitched feminine screaming. (Seriously)
This night was getting weirder by the minute. Once I was fully awake, I could tell the explosions were fireworks. Now, this is not unusual in of itself... we often here fireworks off in the distance here. But this was a LOT of fireworks, and these were being set off in the lower athletic fields just below our cabin.
And then there were the screams, which revealed the calamitous event just a few minutes later as two girls went running by the cabin, screaming with a Doppler Effect..... "COLOR WAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Ah! All is explained.
Oh, you still don't understand? Well, let me enlighten you. Color War is one of the greatest traditions here at Forest Acres/Indian Acres. Color War is an inter-camp competition that will kick off at some point during camp and last for 5 days. The exact date of the start of Color War at each camp is a closely-guarded secret, known only to the counselors of the Color War Committee (whose membership in a given year is also a guarded secret), and probably a few high-ranking staff members. Once it kicks off, the two sides will engage in various competitions in the realms of athletic and artistic talent. Points are accrued and the winning side is announced at the awards banquet toward the end of camp.
Each camper is assigned one of the two colors for that camp. (Indian Acres sports Red and Brown for the boys, Forest Acres has Green and Tan for the girls). Colors do have a genetic aspect- if you are a blood/familial relation to a previous camper, you will automatically have the same color as your ancestors. All of the Welch Boys will sport Red when Color War breaks over at Indian Acres.
This is a big deal. The unknown start of Color War (which is always some kind of event/theatrics planned by The Committee) leaves campers on tenterhooks... more than once I have witnessed a minor oddity at a normal camp function cause a low, rolling chant of "Color War...Color War...Color War", only to be disappointed. The competition goes back many, many years- at Indian Acres, the rafters of the Counselor Lounge have wooden leafs attached, each colored red or brown for the winning side of that year... and they go back to the 1920's. There is a lot of pride on the line... Matthew attended camp 2 years ago, and then had a year off before we came up this summer. He was visibly upset to notice the 2011 leaf in the rafters, painted a dark brown. He let me know that he has to do anything within his power to help Red win again. :)
So, as I struggled to go back to sleep on this surreal night, I did smile, even though my rest was disturbed. Color War had broken out at Forest Acres once again, and another year of great tradition was added to the books.
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