The song Appetite is featured on a favorite podcast of mine (which I know a few other long-time camp staff members are also listeners), and it’s a good opener: upbeat, fast and good instrumentation. For You is easily one of my favorite songs of all time. It works well in the middle, a little slower, but still great instrumentation and great lyrics which play into the teamwork and family aspects of camp staff. Mine Again was the track picked out for “Bum Rush the Charts,” a day all over the world, which people were encouraged to purchase an indie piece of music, as a way of showing the power of consumers over record labels. Sadly, it was only moderately successful, but the song is beautiful. It rises to a wonderful climax and has a great instrumental break. You may notice a strange “chime” in the middle of the song, while editing the music together, it got added in and I didn’t realize it.
This year opened with the marketing logo for 2008, which was derived from a text messaging theme and a few scenic photos, a trend I would continue. To anyone in my old troop, or who worked at Freedom way back when, you may notice the “unknown Scout” looks a lot like a certain staff member who kept quitting.
Indy opened this year, and one thing I always did, was to make sure I put a picture of the camp director first (:12), and when I could, the program director (:14). This was a safari year (:20), and who doesn’t love dinosaurs? Casey often helped out in the Central Office as well as Indy (:21). And the first showing of the magic pretzels and gatorade (:33)! I was a dining hall manager at Freedom one year, and having a good kitchen crew is essential. It was requested that I put the picture of one of the crews in, and I was happy to oblige, they really can make or break a camper’s week (:52). The staff photo (:56), I always put it in twice so it got extra time in the slideshow.
A technical note, Animoto only allows videos of up to 10 minutes, 300 objects (text, photos, videos) and songs of less than 10 MB. So it’s always a bit of a challenge to get everything in there.
And on to Liberty (:58). I’m still not sure what’s going on here, mostly because I never camped at Liberty (1:10). A favorite photo (1:22). Libby makes an appearance, one of her favorite napping places, the fireplace at Keystone (1:23). Most of what Animoto does, in terms of editing and juxtaposition is random, and it’s just great (1:30). I don’t think it was, but this reminds me of the Buffalo Dance, which Freedom had a strange obsession with in the early 00’s, Tony would be proud (1:38). Hooray for Handicraft (1:44)! Janelle was one of our honorary staff members that year, helping out down at Aquatics (1:57).
And over to Freedom (2:09). It’s always fun to have visitors in the office, except when it’s too crowded to move (2:37). Passing out needs list items is always a fun job, especially when I have my camera (2:39). In all three of the camps, there were special shout-outs to the office staffs, as well as those in Handicraft, I have to celebrate my roots after all (2:54)! And I hate to burst Freedom’s bubble here, but the photographer Photoshopped your staff photo to take out the floating dock (3:05). It’s still a great photo, and in a place never done before.
And on to Central (3:11), which starts with a group photo from when Kevin Left (3:13) and Dan’s hatred of chicken (3:15), a hummingbird we rescued from Keystone (3:15) and then some of my favorite pictures from the office. Even I can say it, who doesn’t remember Tara, the Coke girl (3:27)? Oftentimes meetings would stop when she walked into Keystone, jaws dropped and lots of people offered to help her. The poor woman. More pictures from Kevin’s going away (3:29). I still think Todd does one of the best Kevin impressions, although Dave is up there too (3:32). I purchased the giant beach ball from eBay, it was supposed to chase Indiana Jones during the stage show at Indy, although I don’t think that ever happened (I believe it had a leak) (3:36). Brad could breakdance, although doing it on brick couldn’t have been smart (3:38). That paper cutter is a rusty death trap (3:39), and Mike really, really loves to fish (3:50), but we already knew that. First pic of Michael, looking contemplative at his welcome party (3:53). Speaking of death traps, that old furniture (3:59). Central staff pic, with two Reservation Directors, which I’m not sure has ever happened before or since (4:02).
Mishmash begins this time with no buffer/introduction, sorry about that (4:06). One of the things I always looked for was pictures of staff members from different staffs interacting, emphasizing that we’re all one staff working together. Family, as well, is very important, so this was always my time to get some photos in of the spouses that put up with our shenanagins (4:10). We all signed the back of the plaques for Kevin and Ranger Ken, and Libby even added her paw print (4:12). Pictures from opening and closing are always a popular choice as well (4:18). Some of the animals that Jim fed each night, a number that keeps growing every year (4:30). Mr. Mac is one of my favorite volunteers and his work getting Indy ready each year is out of this world (4:48). The conference table in the Great Room at Keystone (5:04), so hard to see when the sun came in through the upper windows!
Sometimes we tried to be cultured, but then we realized, even at Kentuck Knob, we’re still uncouth (5:20). The tree outside of Keystone that got struck by Lightning (5:35). It was the night we were all convinced we’d have a major emergency because of the severity of the storm, but didn’t, thankfully. I remember we all admitted to sleeping with our radios close by that night. Another picture of the Druids (5:40), which turned out to be too scary for some of the kids. I love this shot of Jeff and Andy, two people I loved with with in 1999 (5:43), and to this day. Fun fact, I was in Chris’ brother’s wedding (5:50), but not Greg (who also worked at Liberty), it was Scott, a classmate from St. Vincent.
Eric was another one I worked with way back when (5:54), and Ted and I, a few years later, had a heart to heart about the harassment we endured growing up, since we both had last names the same as toilet brands (5:58). Kevin relaxed by cutting the grass at Keystone. So of course, once he was gone, Todd continued the tradition in his own way (6:10).
Denny was always hard to get on camera, we may have ambushed him for this one, I’m not sure (7:07). One of the main jobs of the Office Manager is weather. We’re right about the ‘T’ in Morgantown, but cells react strangely when they hit the ridges of mountains that surround us (7:11). Dan would come over to take a look, and he swore that I was part Cherokee as I would always end up sneaking up on hims as he was monitoring the weather (although I swear I didn’t mean to, I’m just a quiet walker I suppose). The strangest weather I remember ever watching on radar was a storm cell that was centered in the Wheeling area, and looped around and hit us three times before finally tuckering out.
Todd made that photo himself (7:15). I believe Victoria was our last International staff member (7:17). I designed the Freeberty Staff logo for week 8 when the camps were combined (7:20). We tried to get shirts ordered, but didn’t have enough time. Robber t-rex (7:34)? Notice that the Freedom Scoutcraft sign is orange (7:38). I’m thinking there was a trip to Caddy Shack, always a fun time (8:01). Notice the yellow shirt (that wasn’t the Indy theme shirt that year) from Troop 90 and one of my favorite shirts ever, the Live the Adventure shirt (8:19). I think this was the introduction of Ladder Golf to camp (8:26). I told them all the time, fishing is a silly sport (8:42), but I’m glad they enjoy it. Ewww (8:48).
This was before Animoto added the shuffle feature, so there’s a lot of the camps together in the last section, that was fixed in later years. And the legendary charter staff shirt (9:29). And finally, we close out on some more scenic shots.
2008’s slideshow had more scenery in it than I used in future years, probably due to a lack of staff photos. It was a good mix of music, and some great memories, even from the pictures I didn’t comment on, I hope you enjoyed it.
Coming up next, 2009, when traditions continue.
