Carnival Week 2018

Carnival is a fun word, so it’s appropriate for Doublecreek to have a Carnival Week.  I recently googled the word, carnival.  After several clicks, I worked my way past the cruise line to a working definition.  The definition of carnival is basically, “A time of public revelry at a specific time of year or a traveling amusement show or circus.”  I actually remember traveling circuses coming to town when I was in elementary school.  Now, I associate the word carnival with school fund raisers!

This week was Carnival Week at Camp Doublecreek.  We’ve had fun and games all week!  During Sing-Song, we had mass juggling contests, ring-toss contests using hula hoops and our taller counselors, knocking over cups with dodgeballs, and a “Find the Head of the Counselor” through a blanket game.  I’ll try to explain that one.  Three counselors were behind a screen.  Two were holding balls and pushed them into the screen.  The third counselor pushes their head into the screen.  A camper is given a foam club, boxing glove, whatever and hit one of the bulges.  They have a one in three chance of hitting the counselor.  All the games described above some with the caveat, “Only at Doublecreek.”

I noticed when reading up on carnivals that the focus is on having a good time.  You get the impression that it’s “canned” fun.  It may look spontaneous, but it’s choreographed.  Doublecreek is both similar and dissimilar to a carnival.  Like a carnival, we’re here to have fun!  Our activities are chosen on the basis of “will the campers enjoy this?” 

We’re constantly changing and modifying games and tweaking our schedules to ensure our campers have the most fun possible.  For example, we might start out playing Newcomb or Volleyball in the sand pit and end up seeing who can make the largest sandpile!  Once, we started off playing basketball and ended up with Pac-Man!  Ore than half the games we play aren’t played anywhere else but at Doublecreek!

While I’m trying this write this article, I’m watching a Farmer/Rancher contest consisting of a dunking booth; then the world’s tallest ice-cream drop!  As the contest ends (I think the Farmers won, but it doesn’t really matter), the groups are now taking turns dancing off the stage to go to 4th Period.

Officially, the carnival is almost over.  Meta-physically, the circus is leaving town!  The thing is that at Doublecreek, we don’t have to have a circus to have a carnival!

 -- Joe Ray