Final Fling

This was Final Fling Week at Doublecreek. I have a hard time writing this article for two reasons. First, I missed all of the fun because of my teacher obligations and second, it was the very last week of summer. Let’s face it – Doublecreek is more fun to me than teaching. Please don’t judge me, but I’d rather be playing Lava Lake with the campers than sitting in workshops.



Director Dan tells me the week was amazing and even more adventurous with the rain!  Final Fling Week dates back to when Uncle Carter and Aunt Trudy used to run camp.  The name was derived from the attitude that it’s the last week of the summer and we are going to throw the schedules out the window to cater to the campers’ desires.  This is still the case!  When you add rain into the mix, it adds to this mentality, and creativity takes flight. The consensus around camp, was that more unique games and activities happened last week, than any other week all summer!


However, summer is over, and it’s time to go back to school.  I hope your campers have had the greatest summer yet. I’ve enjoyed all our campers and our staff. I need to express my gratitude to our Doublecreek owners, Judy Kirtley and Jane Neal, for continuing the Doublecreek traditions. I need to thank our Director, Dan Neal, for continuing to make Camp Doublecreek a special place to spend the summer.

And finally, I must thank you, parents, for trusting us with your precious children! Without your campers there wouldn’t be a Doublecreek. So, until Winter Break Camp, Spring Break Camp or until June 5th, 2017, when summer camp begins, we hope to see you again.


Have a great school year and thank you again for sharing your summer with us!

-- Joe RayFling

Soccer Fever!

Soccer fever has gripped Doublecreek this week.  Well, that’s not exactly true – soccer fever is always gripping Doublecreek.  But this week the fever has taken the form of the DC Cup.  I’m sure some of you are thinking, “Wait a minute, the World Cup is still two years away.”  The World Cup happens every four years, but at Doublecreek the DC Cup happens every summer.

This summer, the countries represented by the teams in the DC Cup are:  Chile, France, Germany, Iceland, Mexico, and the USA.  Players are selected at random.  It’s not a totally blind draw, we try to have an equal number of boys and girls on each team. We also have an equal number of counselors on each team.  The tournament is run as professionally as possible.  There is a referee (Austin W.), linesmen with red flags and a set time to play.  We even have brackets to fill out.

For one week out of the summer, Doublecreek has an international flavor.  Campers become identified with a country they may not know existed until they became members of the pseudo-national team.  For some campers the DC Cup is also a quick geography lesson.

I don’t get to watch as much of the DC Cup as I would like, but the snipits I have seen are very entertaining!  The skill level of the players is as wide as the age range found on the field.  There are players who are very adept, while others are still learning.  But, it’s hard for the skilled players to dominate since we’re playing on a field (pitch) that’s one-third the size of a regular soccer field (pitch), with the same number of players going at each other.  But that doesn’t matter.  The campers are playing for the pride of Chile, France, Germany, Iceland, Mexico and the USA!

What makes the matches compelling is that the campers really care.  Now it’s not a “do or die” atmosphere that you find in the real World Cup where losing coaches are fired or exiled if they lose.  Of course with the DC Cup that’s a moot point since we don’t have coaches.  We don’t have television or radio.  We don’t play with millions of fans hanging on every play or with announcers who lose their minds when their team scores a goal.  Now we do have announcers, usually a camper with a mike channeling their inner Chris Berman, in front of dozens of campers (some playing 4-Square, some dancing to music and some actually watching the game).

Let’s stress the word “game.”  The DC Cup is fun!  The team that wins has fun, but the losing team also has a great time.  I’m not sure what the winning DC Cup teams get for their efforts.  It isn’t fame or endorsements.  I think they get a free Sonic drink.  That may not sound like much in the professional soccer world, but let’s keep this in perspective.  Have a good time, win a Sonic drink – that’s a pretty good deal!  And you don’t have to have an agent negotiate it for you!

 -- Joe Ray

Here's the link to this week's video:  https://vimeo.com/174813250

Red, White and Blue

With the 4th of July being celebrated on Monday of this week, the phrase “Red, White, and Blue” takes on a special meaning.  I’m talking about our flag, our country, and the freedoms we enjoy.  All families have special ways of celebrating July 4th:  picnics, family reunions, trips to the lake, cookouts, and fireworks.

Doublecreek spends the entire week celebrating July 4th.  In the past, we celebrated in a style unique to Doublecreek.  Early on we had cookouts.  The day before the 4th, Uncle Carter would fire up the grill and he would grill hot dogs for the entire camp.  When you have less than 100 campers, that’s an option we do not have now with 300+ campers.

Later we had 4th of July parades.  We would decorate everything that moved.  Golf carts, wagons, trucks, tractors, horses, goats, and campers were all decked out with every combination of red, white and blue you could imagine.  One year, we had a marching band made up entirely of kazoo players.  Hearing “You’re a Grand Old Flag” played by kazoos was truly a memorable experience.  The only problem we had with our parades was the audience or lack thereof.  With the exception of Uncle Carter, Aunt Trudy and the camp nurse, everybody else was in the parade.

For the bi-centennial celebration in 1976, we were very ambitious.  We tried to re-enact Washington crossing the Delaware in the pool.  We used wading pools as boats.  It was spectacular – except for all the boats capsizing and the entire company swimming to the side, it went very well!

Recently we’ve had groups singing an assigned song – usually a military song.  Every summer, Uncle Carter would lead a stirring rendition of “The Army Air Corp” song.

Uncle Carter served this country with pride during World War II along with millions of men and women of the “greatest generation.”  Except for going AWOL (away without leave) once (I’m not sure it was even noticed), he served with distinction.  I should mention that when he went AWOL, it was for a very good reason – to attend my parents’ wedding, where he gave away the bride.  It’s a pretty good story, but that’s another article.

However you celebrate the 4th, remember to either thank or honor those who have served our country.  I’ll remember Uncle Carter for the way he served his country, for the way he led his life, and the wonderful influence he had on me and thousands of Doublecreek campers and counselors.  

I will be sure to thank my father for his service and for being a wonderful father to me.  I will thank my nephew, Griffin Reeder, for serving his country now and for being a nephew I am truly proud of.
I apologize for hijacking this article to show my love and appreciation to members of my family.  Hopefully, you get to do the same.

If you have memories of Uncle Carter or if you would like to thank members of your family for their service, please post on our Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/CampDoublecreek
If I can do it, you can do it.  Hey, it’s a free country.


 -- Joe Ray

Here's the link to our Red, White and Blue Week video:  https://vimeo.com/173894066

A Pirate's LIfe for Me!

A Pirate's Life for Me

This week was Pirates’ Week.   Pirates are possibly the most romanticized and misunderstood genres in history.    We often view pirates as a band of scalawags operating outside the law under the command of an iron-fisted dictator with the title of captain.  Actually, pirates usually operated only halfway outside the law.  They had the blessing of one of two countries who happened to be at war and pirate ships operated under a fairly democratic process.

But, since perception is reality, I’m not going to take up your time with the History Channel version of pirates.  The pop culture version is more fun.  What could be better than guys and some girls sailing in warships wearing eye patches, scarves, black hats, and sporting skull and cross bones with an occasional parrot on the shoulder.

What do Doublecreek and pirates have in common?  Both are synonymous with adventure and fun.  Now at Doublecreek we don’t engage in boarding ships and hunting for buried treasure, but we do play “Capture the Flag” and go on scavenger hunts.  Now you can play “Capture the Flag” two ways.  One way is to play in a confined area, the second way is to play in an area which requires orientation skills.  Guess which one we use at Doublecreek?  If you guessed the confined area, then try again.  We call it “Camp Capture the Flag.” When we say, “Camp Capture the Flag,” we mean that only the riding arena, pool, archery and gun safety are off limits.  The flag could be anywhere.  You have campers running and hiding everywhere, employing tactics of stealth and deception which would make Long John Silver proud.  We have all kinds of tag and hide-and-go-seek games like Dynamite and Lava Lake which require stealth and speed.  Dynamite is a game I’ve watched but still haven’t figured out. Lava Lake is a game where campers try to negotiate a field strewn with hula hoops with crazed counselors balancing bean bags on top of swimming noodles. Sounds confusing?  It is.  But campers understand it.

You don’t have to be a pirate on the high seas to find fun and adventure. You just have to be at Doublecreek.

-- Joe Ray

Here's the link to the Pirate Week Video:  https://vimeo.com/173119827

Two Wonderful Worlds

This week is Disney Week.  When I think of Disney, I think of a world of fun, magic, and adventure.  I grew up watching the Wonderful World of Disney.  My favorite movies were Disney movies.  When I was a kid, there was only one theme park, Disneyland in California.  My family visited Disneyland when I was eight years old.  I still remember that trip!

Disney has earned a world-wide reputation.  Doublecreek doesn’t have a world-wide reputation, but we have an impressive local one.  Now, I’m not being presumptuous enough to say Doublecreek is equal to Disney, but there are comparisons to be made!  Disney has Maximus and Sven;  Doublecreek has Magnolia and Noreen!  Disney has Magic Mountain; Doublecreek has a playscape (we’ll name it someday).  Disney has Cinderella’s Castle; Doublecreek has a gazebo!  Disney World has a roller coaster; but Doublecreek has a nine-person slide.  The Magic Kingdom has a jungle cruise; 

Doublecreek has a jungle gym!  Disney has thousands of greeters and performers in elaborate costumes that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars; Doublecreek has several performers who perform in costumes which cost dozens of dollars.  When Disney produces a movie or video, the production values are second to none; but, if you love production values, check out a Doublecreek Pop-Mashup!

Make-believe is a component of Disney, but make-believe is alive and well at Doublecreek!  Doublecreek has male counselors pretending to be Disney princesses during Sing Song, with female counselors pretending to be warriors!  Over the years I’ve seen campers pretending to be on a pink dinosaur hunt.  I’ve also seen campers digging the sand pit convinced that King Tut’s treasures are only a scoop of sand away!

Friday’s Sing Song was the climax of Disney Week!  All the groups performed a song or a scene from a Disney movie!  I couldn’t tell who enjoyed it more, the audience or the performers!  It doesn’t matter.  What matters is everyone enjoyed it.  Never mind if the costumes are mismatched, or if the dancers were not totally in sync.  Campers and counselors were working together and having a good time, which means it has been a fun, magical, and adventurous experience!  Doublecreek is not Disney, but we still generate our own special magic!

n  Joe Ray

Here's the link to Disney Week's Video:  https://vimeo.com/171091253

Western Week (Then and Now)

This week was Western Week at Camp Doublecreek. In 1971, Western Week felt more authentic.  For one thing, in 1971 we were called Doublecreek Farm, not Camp Doublecreek.  To get to Doublecreek “Farm,” you went down Gattis School Road.  Louis Henna Blvd.  didn’t exist.  You passed maybe five houses, then turned on a dirt road which led to the farm.  Honestly, Doublecreek Farm was more suited to covered wagons than buses.

Actually, there wasn’t much difference between Western Week and any other week.  Many counselors wore hats and boots as part of their attire.  Today, the only cowboy hats you’ll find on our campus are in the skit closet, and half our cowboy hats are over-sized foam cowboy novelty hats.

Activities such as fishing and long trail rides were in our weekly schedule.  Yes, we had fishing.  If you caught a fish, you could take it home.  You were lucky to get four bites out of it, but you could still take it home.

Trail rides were a true adventure.  In 1971, Doublecreek Farm had approximately 125 acres and most of it was horseback-friendly.

About once a month, we had a horned-toad race.  Horned-toads were all over the place.  Campers would catch their horned-toad and put a number on its stomach.  Then we would put the horned-toads under a bucket. (That could be the most entertaining part of the race process.)  Uncle Carter would make a circle about 25 feet in diameter, lift up the bucket and off they’d go.  The first toad to cross the line was the winner.

Sometimes when we talk about the good old days, they sound better than they actually were.  We had fun in 1971, but we had maybe two trees, almost no grass and a pool without a sidewalk or diving board.  We traded in the old fishing hole for a playscape, rockwall, water slide (which will be repaired soon), shuffleboard, lasertag, mini-golf, low ropes course, and grass – lots of grass and trees!

No, Western Week isn’t the same as it used to be.  But, we will still have some kind of horse show.  And contrary to history, it’s Sam Bass, not A.W. Grimes, who gets shot.

 -- Joe Ray

Welcome Aboard Season 46!!

Camp Doublecreek Season 46 is fast approaching!  The volume of details to be taken care of to get Doublecreek ready for campers seems to grow, not shrink as the years pass.  Right now you’ll see mowing, painting, filing, and getting everything from buses to water fountains ready for the first day of camp.

This time of year, Saturdays at Doublecreek mean Open House in the morning and counselor interviews in the afternoon.  Becoming a counselor for Season 46 is more complicated than becoming a counselor was for Season 1.  Basically, my interview consisted of Aunt Trudy asking if I wanted a job.  After considering the offer for a nanosecond, I said, “Yes.”

Today the process of hiring a counselor involves a screening process, a telephone interview, then the final step, the board review.  Future counselors answer questions from the Leadership Team.  For many applicants, this is their first job interview.  We try to put them at ease, but for some the room feels like a courthouse and they are on trial.  The applicants are usually nervous and it shows.  However, despite nerves, these applicants show that they care about the campers.  They may say it in different ways, but the common thread among the vast majority of the candidates is a love for children.

Several candidates are past campers, many are or preparing to be school teachers, and quite a few have gone through our Counselor-in-Training (CIT) program.  With these resources to draw from, it is no surprise that year in and year out we are able to put together an exemplary staff.

Our counselors share a common trait.  They’re eager and ready to make a difference by helping campers have the best summer ever!

I’m beginning to view Doublecreek as a constantly growing and expanding tapestry that’s not been woven by one hand, but many.  Everyone involved contributes to the fabric of Doublecreek whether they are campers, parents, counselors, or CITs.

For me, one of the best phrases I get to say at the end of an interview when the candidate breathes a deep sigh of relief.  I really enjoy saying, “Welcome aboard.”

The curtain will soon rise on Season 46 of Camp Doublecreek, and all the staff can’t wait to experience another great season!

--Joe Ray


Here's what some of our counselors say about working at Camp Doublecreek!

https://vimeo.com/161974810