CAMP JAKE :: Lessons learned, part 4

Casey holding FreeBird

CAMP JAKE / JULY 2012 :: After countless exhausting hours running from place to place during the first session, the Camp Jake team put a set of walkie talkies at the top of our wish list for the July camp. Thankfully, a few weeks before our departure, a gift of 16 walkie talkies arrived at our doorstep compliments of Kathleen in California. These handy devices were put to good use, saving 1,000s of steps, but will be remembered as the source of much laughter.

The first hours following the counselors' walkie talkie training session were hilarious! We wanted to make sure everyone understood how to use the devices and encouraged practicing, which took a very comical turn. Everyone was coming up with code names for one another and using every movie or TV cliché that referenced a radio of any sort. Hearing "10-4 good buddy" and "Roger, Roger. What's our vector, Victor?" was a common occurance. (Can you site the sources?)

As camp progressed, more permanent code names were adopted for some campers and counselors, including:

• Tom (Camp Director) AKA "Toma"
• DeeDee AKA "Cooter"
• Jake (physical therapist) AKA "GI Jake"
• Ana (from Columbia) AKA "Columbia" 
• Markenson, Elisme, Evans (blind) AKA "The Three Amigos"
• Elisme AKA "Monsieur Oui"

FreeBird sporting his new tattoo

And of course, there was Oxilus, a rambunctious 6 year old deaf child who ran circles around us every day of camp. He was the most challenging to keep track of and was appropriately dubbed "FreeBird". 

Common phrases heard at any given time over the walkies:

"Has there been a FreeBird sighting?"

"I've got a visual on FreeBird!"