Camp Green Lane Blog Post

On this night of sing and friendship, let us reminisce.

That’s a line from one of my favorite camp songs and a tune I’ve been whistling all day. Because today is one of the most special days of the summer here at CGL—tonight is Sing Night, and if you know, then you know.

But if you don’t know, I’ll tell you Sing is a sacred night of summer when Color War comes to a close. It is a night, like the song says, of sing and friendship, when we’ll be neither the Green or the White anymore.

Tonight, we’ll hear a march, razz, friendship and alma mater from each team. Before Color War broke, appointed songwriters, counselors, stayed up late writing songs about our summer home. This week, they taught them to their teams to sing tonight. The winner of Color War will be announced immediately after, and your children will cheer and some will cry, and inevitably, all the chairs will be pushed to the side and everyone will shake hands, hug and kiss. It happens every year.

Earlier in the day, every camper and counselor in camp competed in divisional tugs of war. Big hands and little hands alike pulled a rope with all their might in one last gasp of competition.

Those same hands have dribbled and thrown and hit all week. They’ve drawn and written beautiful works of art and song. They built sets for skits and they solved puzzles and wrote notes on napkins during silent meals. They hammered and chiseled wooden benches. They pulled shoelaces tight. These hands have fought ferociously from the moment that third Boom ripped across camp last week.

Tonight, those hands will wipe away tears.

They will also hold the hands of friends again in a remarkable show of sportsmanship and friendship that connects generations.

It’s the most special moment of the summer when, after all these days and nights of intense competition and rivalry, we come together again as a family.

It has been all hands on deck all week, from the basketball courts to the Spelling Bee arena to the plaques painted in Arts and Crafts, Rope Burn and the pudding and melon. The Amazing Race. It has been a memorable week of competition and spirit.

Color War is a big, giant machine powered by all the hands in camp.

Now the only thing left to do is put those hands together. And sing.

And hug.

And cry.