CASSADAGA - Campers were excited. Parents, siblings, grandparents and other relatives and friends came to Camp Gross to hear their children perform on the final day of the Day Camp session.
The songs were silly. Youngsters sang the shark song, complete with hand motions. The song moves from baby shark to grandpa shark. Another group developed a variation, the lobster song, using the same melody.
Skits were also silly. Parents (and even grandparents) may remember the skits from their own camping days. The viper (which turns out to be a roll of toilet paper) and the reporter who has people jump so he has a story to tell have been around for decades.
Article Video
Students finish up week of camp at Camp Gross in Cassadaga
Energetic junior counselors who love camp enough to want to come back and help out, sang the Twelve Days of Day Camp, a spoof about the kinds of things that happen every day with kids.
Dunkirk's Youth Coordinator, Larisa Aldrich serves as camp director. During camp, she is known to the campers and staff as Larisa. She's known for her good humor and the stories she makes up.
Larisa used a "microphone" and "amplifier" so that the audience could hear. Even though the equipment was in reality sticks she picked up, miraculously when she turned them up, the audience could hear better. Larisa had each group of campers introduce themselves as a group with their name and their call. Campers also introduced themselves individually.
Article Photos
OBSERVER Photo by Diane Chodan
Larisa Aldrich, camp director, used her 'microphone' (a branch) to introduce each group of campers.
It's fun; it's silly; it's summer. The children don't even realize that they are learning. They just love camp.
The day camp is sponsored by the City of Dunkirk. Camp runs in one-week sessions; the last session begins on Aug. 6. There are a few more performances of songs and silly skits yet to happen this summer.
Comments on this article may be directed to dchodan@observertoday.com
