A great fire is lit in the Mess Hall fireplace. Tables are being set by the K-crew and setters. The floor is swept in preparation for something big... Jazz. Every morning, several counselors head down to the hill to prepare a jazz song just for breakfast. See for yourself!
That's Elliott Keller on the sax, Joe Baumann on bass, Ethan Wegreki on trumpet, Ethan Shafron on drums, Evan Pydych on guitar and Tom Gardner on piano. You can read more about the musical staff on our [staff](https://www.campvoyageur.com/about/leadership) page.
Cabin photos were taken just after inspection. Every morning for about 20 minutes, campers get their bunks cleaned, sweep the floor, and prepare for the day ahead of them. After 20 minutes, a picky inspector will come around to check for hospital corners on every bed, dirt on the floor, and even dust on the light bulb. Campers will get a chance to answer the question of the day, and the cleanest cabin wins. What do they win? Why, it's the greatest prize possible: a day to hang the American flag in their cabin.
As campers find their groove here, they begin to develop interests in what we call "observable skills." Whether it’s improving your basketball shots, or learning to sail for the first time, we’ve got an expert on staff who can work with campers to teach and improve these skills.
A big part of improving observable skills is confidence building. When you give kids the opportunity to meaningfully impact a game, or sail a boat for the first time, they become more confident and willing to try new activities. That’s how we measure our success in-camp.
In the next couple of days, campers will really start to open up to one another. You notice it the most during the conversations at meal time. We eat three hearty meals a day together, and there always seems to be something to talk about… unless of course when the food is so good, we forget to talk for a little while.
