Good evening from Freedom, and welcome to Day 3.

What a day it was. The forecast threatened rain all week, but the sky clearly didn’t get the memo — we woke up to blue and stayed there. We took full advantage of it by sending half the camp up a mountain.

The morning belonged to the climbers. The Saxons, the TPs, and the Jugglers all laced up and took on Green Mountain together, and by every account it was a brilliant hike — the kind where the views at the top make every switchback worth it. After lunch we sent a fresh wave out the gates, with the Scouts, the Tumblers, and the Scribes heading off to tackle Rattlesnake Mountain. Tired legs, big smiles, and a few new summit stories to bring home.

Back on grounds, the rest of camp was knee-deep in a full slate of activities, making the most of a gorgeous afternoon on the fields, the courts, and the waterfront.

But the best part of the day came after dark. Tonight was the Staff Talent Show, and our team did not hold back — twelve acts in all, ranging from the admin crew throwing on capes for a superhero skit to the waterfront staff bringing the house down dancing to Bad Bunny. Watching the kids cheer for the very grown-ups who look after them all day is one of our favourite traditions, and there’s a real lesson tucked inside the laughter: that getting up on stage, making a bit of a fool of yourself, and simply being yourself is one of the bravest and best things you can do. If the staff can do it, so can the campers — and that’s exactly the point.

A beautiful day, a packed evening, and a camp full of happy, worn-out kids. Sweet dreams from the realm.

I would like to welcome, everyone, to the first week of what promises to be an extraordinary summer. As I look around me, the energy on this camp property right now is electric, fueled by anticipation, new friendships, and the familiar warmth of a place many of us call home. Every year, we gather under this sky and repeat a promise that defines who we are: ‘Come for a summer, stay for a lifetime.’

When you first hear those words, they might sound like just a catchy phrase. But, I want you to understand how deeply real that promise is. This isn’t just a camp; it is a global community, our summer home. To prove that, you only have to look at the incredible lengths people will go to be a part of this family. This year, we have several staff members, some who are returners to the Realm, who traveled over 10,500 miles across oceans, time zones, and continents just to be with us.

Think about that for a moment. Why would someone journey halfway around the world, leaving behind everything familiar, just to spend a few months in these cabins? They did it because they know that what happens here matters. They know that the connections we forge across these campfires, the resilience we build on the courts, and the kindness we practice every single day create an unbreakable bond.

When we say ‘stay for a lifetime,’ we mean that the lessons you learn here, the confidence you discover, and the people you share these moments with will remain a part of your identity forever, no matter where your life takes you. People might only physically be here for a few weeks this summer, but the spirit of this camp, the spirit of Robin Hood,  will travel with them for the rest of their days—spanning miles, decades, and lifetimes whether its only 1 summer or 61 (Chuck!) . Let’s make this summer unforgettable. To them I say: Welcome home.

Good Night From the Realm

To our returning parents, welcome back. And to our new parents, welcome to the Woodchuck, a nightly blog written by a different member of our administration team each evening. I was lucky enough to get the first one: opening day.

As I write this, everyone has arrived safely. The cars have pulled away, the buses have been emptied, and every camper is settled in their bunk, surrounded by friends and group leaders.

It was supposed to rain all day. But Andy Friedman must have been watching over us, because not once did it rain past breakfast, the grounds stayed dry and the welcomes went on without a halt.

Twenty-three days ago, our first round of staff brought the camp population to 25. Tonight, we’re close to 600 and you can feel the energy these kids carry in with them. Watching old friends reunite after ten months apart, and seeing new campers folded into their groups within minutes, reminds me why this place is so special. My favorite moment of the whole day is when campers find out who their group leader is. The excitement on their faces is something else. I’m hoping our camera team caught a few of those.

To our new parents especially…thank you for trusting us with your most prized possession. They are in the safest hands. About 90% of our group leaders are former campers themselves, so they know exactly how it feels to walk in for the first time, and our administrative team has well over 100 years of camp experience between us. I can promise you this: by the end of the day, your child will have a new friend, and by the end of a summer they will have many best friends. 

They say there’s magic in the trees here. Today proved it.

— Daf