Settlers & Trailblazers

Picture a scene from Camp Gray's summer camp. . .

Picture yourself learning how to canoe for the first time. Picture yourself on a stream hike with fresh clay on your face. Picture yourself singing crazy fun graces and doing table cheers after meals. Picture yourself climbing all the way to the top of the climbing tower. Picture yourself making friends and exploring your faith with some awesome counselors and cabin mates. Picture yourself at a Settler or Trailblazer at Camp Gray.

Traditional Camp Program:

The Settler and Trailblazer programs are our traditional summer camp program. Campers stay in a cabin on main camp with their cabin group (of about 8-10 campers) with a counselor and a co-pilot who helps out. Read below for a description of what you'll do in a typical day at Camp Gray. The Settler program is for campers in grades 2-5 (the following Fall) and the Trailblazer program is designed for campers in grades 6-8. To view the dates, pricing, and availability of the Settler and Trailblazer programs please visit our Session Chart >>

Sample Daily Schedule:
(for Settlers, Trailblazers, and Afternoons and Evenings for Pathfinders)

7:30   Wake-up
8:00   Breakfast
8:45   Cabin Clean-up
9:15   Morning Praise
9:45   Program Area #1
10:40 Snack/Program Area Rotation
10:50 Program Area #2
12:00 Free Time (supervised)
12:30 Lunch
1:15   Siesta (aka Rest Hour)
2:15   Afternoon Rotation I:  Swim
3:15   Afternoon Rotation II: Cabin Time
4:15   Afternoon Rotation III: Choice Time
5:15   Free time (supervised)
6:00   Supper
7:15   Evening Program
8:30   Settler Devotions & bedtime routine
9:00   Trailblazer Devotions & bedtime routine

Morning Program Areas:

On check-in day after you meet your counselor and cabin mates, you'll take a tour of camp, then gather at the amphitheatre to see a presentation about each of the program areas listed below.  You'll choose your four favorites, and in the morning you'll find out which two of those you get to attend Monday through Thursday mornings.  On Fridays program areas turn into SUPERCHOICE, and you can try out any program area you think sounds fun!

Here's a list of your choices:

• Archery
• Arts & Crafts 
• Canoeing
• Cooking
• "Going Ballistic"
• Fishing
• Nature
• Outdoor Living Skills
• Performance   
• Swimming
• Mountain Biking (Trailblazers only)
• Tower Climbing (Trailblazers only, extra fee: $40)
• Western Horseback Riding Lessons (Trailblazers only, extra fee: $55)

(click on any of the photos to see them a little bit larger.)

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Afternoon Rotation:

In the afternoons your cabin group will be with the other campers of your same age group (Settlers or Trailblazers.)  You'll spend an hour cooling off in the pool (or you can play sand volleyball or horseshoes during that time), then an hour changing, visiting the canteen store and doing whatever activity you and your cabin wants to do, then an hour of choice time where all of the counselors and program staff for your age group offer a smattering of fun activities.  You get to choose which sounds most fun to you each day.  The choices will differ each day, according to what the staff think will be fun for you.  So. . . if you have something you really want to do, ask your favorite staff member to offer that choice!

A smattering of Choice Time Possibilities:

• Horse Rides (sign up on application or at check-in:  $15 per ride.  Max. 2 rides per week.)
• Dodgeball
• Crazy Camp Gray Salon
• Beaded Bracelet Bonanza
• Raspberry Picking
• Basketball 
• Cloud Creatures
• Bocce
• Soda Bottle Water Rockets
• Cookie Making
• Giant Bubbles
• Puddle Jumping/Mud Sliding
• Silly Slants on Poetry
• Sprinkler Jumping and other wet games
• Magellan Hike
• And the list goes on, and on, and on. . . 

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Evening Programs:

Every evening after supper is an adventure at Camp Gray!  All the campers on main camp (Pioneers, Settlers, Trailblazers, Pathfinders, and sometimes Ranchers) get together for some type of community fun.  Following are examples of what might happen in a typical week of camp, but are subject to change at the whim of a program director. :)

• Sunday: Opening campfire and introduction to our summer theme
• Monday:  All-Camp Craziness!
  • Survivor: Camp Gray
  • beach party
  • hoe-down
  • Camp Gray Olympics
  • water carnival
• Tuesday: Cookouts for supper + Capture-the-Flag (CTF on the AF) overnight campouts under the stars
• Wednesday: Cabin Time Evening Program & Vespers (What's the one special thing you wanted to do this week at camp. . .talk to your counselor and do it with your cabin group for your Wednesday evening program.)
• Thursday: Talent Show (aka "The Camp Gray Gift Extravaganza") & Camp Gray Closing Rituals for all groups

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