UFG! Ultimate Flag Grab tournament!

Here’s another PFC first. Niall, head of Martial Arts, came up with a new tournament. It’s the Ultimate Flag Grab, where one Junior/Inter camper tries to grab the flag on another camper’s belt in a confined circle of play. Kind of like wrestling meets flag football meets Gaga. And it’s one of the most popular games in camp. Niall had each contestant come up with their own UFG Name and the song for their introduction into the ring, just like the WWF.

There are about 50 “Ninjas,” with names like:

Drew, “The Penguin,” intro song, “Thunderstruck.”

Joey, “Black Dragon,” intro song, “Eye of the Tiger”

Max, “Maximus” intro song, “Right Foot Creep,”

Aiden, “Aider Gator,” intro song,  “the Macarena,”

and Jack, “J-Denk coming into the, “Final Countdown.”

And that’s just a sample!

Be nimble, be strong, be silly. It’s the UFG!

Junior boys had another great week. Bunk Orange won the Junior inspection challenge and had a party in Bunk Apple. The highlight of the week was our outing to Costa’s amusement park. The boys enjoyed the water slides, go-karts, mini golf, and of course, the ice cream. Only two weeks left in summer 2022. Let’s make it count.

The Intermediate boys continue to excel in the athletic arena. Football, basketball, and baseball have all been hugely entertaining. Bunk Banana won the inter division inspection challenge and received a party in Bunk Apple. The boys absolutely loved going to Costa’s amusement park this week. The races down the waterslides were epic. Less than two weeks to go in our 2022 summer. Let’s go!

The senior girls had a fantastic fourth week of camp!! Evening activities included cake wars, celebrity scavenger hunt, and all girls swimming with camp songs and s’mores! We have had so much fun learning the game of ultimate frisbee up on Lauri Field. We get competitive while laughing and having fun! The senior girls worked for four weeks on choreography of their mtv night dance! Finally, on July 23rd each bunk performed in front of girls camp! Laurel, Jasmine, Marigold, Zinnia, and Yarrow all were incredible on stage!! Everyone loved checking in with their families on their visiting day Zooms and opening their visiting day boxes!

Don’t even get us started on how amazing Week 5 has been. SENIOR TRIPS!

It used to be called the “knotted tree” because high atop a tall oak tree on the way to the lake there appeared a large bulge, a huge twist at the very top. It was as if some giant, twisted the tree into a knot. For generations, PFC campers  gazed up at that knot in the sky and were amazed. One summer, a mighty storm swept across the mountaintop, with terrible thunder and wind. A bolt of lightning hit the famous knotted tree. It burst into many pieces. Incredibly the knot fell to the ground in one piece. Was it a miracle? Uncle Hughie Black, our founder, thought so and so he brought trucks to drag that enormous knot to the center of camp. He anchored it in the ground and placed a plaque for everyone who had spent 10 summers at PFC.  It became the “old-timers tree.” Today there are over 400 names on that knot.  And they will be there forever.

This year fifteen new names were added to the Old Timer’s tree.

Uncle Hughie thought it was a miracle. It still is.

Sometimes the best ideas come from campers and are totally original.

At PFC, you can come up with an idea for a game or a tournament and counselors/division leaders will make it happen. Blake in bunk Cedar, entering 4^th grader, thought it would be exciting to organize a Gaga tournament. On his own (and with a little help from his counselors)  he conducted sign ups, devised a bracket and built a handmade wooden Gaga trophy (in the shape of a Gaga pit) to give to the winning individual, the last man standing.

There are now 48 participants, and a new PFC tradition has begun. Thank you, Commissioner and creator, Blake!

Junior boys had another great week. The inspection challenge is off and running as each bunk competes for the weekly cleanest bunk award. The winner gets a party in Bunk Apple. The weather continues to be amazing allowing the boys to take advantage of every camp activity. Virtual Visiting Day was a highlight as were the boxes each camper got to open up and share with their buddies. If the last three weeks are anywhere near as enjoyable as the first four, we’re in for a heck of a summer.

The Intermediate boys are proving why they’re as athletically driven as any division in camp. The All-Star game was enjoyed by all. The boys enjoyed hot dogs, popcorn, the annual counselor Home Run Derby contest and the first few innings of the actual game. Shark Tank was an evening activity highlight as each bunk created a product for the counselors to buy shares in. Perhaps the best idea was a lollipop that had an edible stick. Virtual Visiting Day was a blast.

What a morning!

It’s not often that you see Hi-Senior girls up before 6:00 am in the morning, in fact it’s like never.

But today not only were they awake at sunrise,  but they were in bathing suits and soaking wet after a Polar Bear plunge in the waters of Lake Greeley. Congratulations girls! You are now officially members of the Polar Bear Club.

At the same time that our oldest girls were drying off,  our youngest campers were waking up to a cool mountain breeze and the sounds of morning doves as they emerged from an all-Juniors girls overnight in the gymnastics pavilion.   Now it’s down to the bunks to brush our teeth, breakfast and girls line up.

It’s not even 7:00 am and PFC is rockin’ and rollin’. At least the girls are.

Boys? Wake up.

—

Divisional News | Hi-Senior Girls

Inter Boys

Week 3 is in the books! The intermediates are showing off why they’re the best division with
their excitement and positivity. College days was awesome! Wearing jerseys, hairspray, eye
black, and other accessories brought Wake Forest, Penn State, Delaware, and Alabama to
Camp! The inters had an amazing time and showed off all their skills! The boys loved the evening activities this week, whether it was basketball leagues under the lights or jeopardy at center stage. The inters know how to make each activity great! We’re almost halfway there!

Junior Boys

Junior boys had an amazing week in Greeley. Sports leagues are off and running and the evening activities are a nightly highlight. The overnight was a huge success as they all enjoyed the campfire, the treats, and sleeping under the stars. College Days provided the boys with an opportunity to join together with the upper divisions in a day’s long competition. The weather has been ideal so the campers and staff are taking every opportunity to try something new.

Senior Girls

Senior girls had an incredible third week of camp!! We went as an entire division on a hiking trip with Nafis!  College day started and we are full of spirit! We are split into our teams and are having a blast doing track and field, steeple chase, and the swim meet! We’ve had a blast with evening activities such as food factor and a boat relay!

Senior Boys

Week 3 is wrapping up here in Greeley, and things Up Where The Sky Begins are going great! The weather has been perfect, with sunny skies and cool nights all week long. The Senior Boys continued on with their leagues, and on Tuesday night the Senior Boys had a fan-favorite of basketball leagues under the lights. Senior Boys also had their first auction, where they bid on prizes using the points they earned from inspection. The boys won some awesome prizes, including Hi-Senior late sleep for Bunk Maple, double canteen for Bunk Fir, a box of Dunkin’ munchkins for Bunk Redwood, and more! On Thursday night, College Day opening ceremonies kicked off to a blazing start (literally) with the ropeburn, as well as the counselor events and tug of war. This years schools are Wake Forest, Penn State, Alabama, and University of Delaware! We can’t wait for all the exciting activities next week, including Escape from PFC, and of course our visiting day Zoom calls! See you next week!

Hi-Senior Girls

The hi-senior girls had another amazing week here at PFC. The highlight of their week was definitely college days. The teams were Wake Forest, Delaware, Alabama, and Penn State. The winner of college days for the girls was Alabama. Two of their favorite evening activities this week were food factor and space jam. Next up is MTV night on Saturday. They have been working super hard on their MTV night dances! Looking forward to another great week!

Let the Games Begin!

Penn State!  Wake Forest! Delaware! Alabama!

Tonight we held the opening ceremonies for College Day 2022. Campers and their high-energy leaders were decked out in college colors and were hootin’ and hollerin’ as they cheered each other on! First there was the solemn opening ceremony with a flaming Olympic torch and pledge. This was followed by some rousing competition.

It all ended tonight in an intense flaming rope-burning contest on Mitchell Field. Tomorrow it’s an all day track and field competition, swim meets and an all-camp Steeplechase.

Let the college spirit soar! Let the fun and games begin!