Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Why is this day like no other day?

Always dedicated to providing a multi-cultural education to our campers, Camp Nick celebrated Cinco de Mayo, the holiday commemorating the victory of Mexican forces led by General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín over French forces in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. The date is observed around the world as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride. This festive day was filled with many wonderful activities at Camp Nickleby.

Early in the morning, flan, the most wonderful of all desserts, was once again the star of the 4th Annual Cinco de Mayo Flan Tossing Contest. Contestants were given a wedge of flan. The object was to throw the quivering flan the farthest. The winner was 10th grader Ricky Hitchens, with a throw of 85 ft. and 9 inches, breaking last year’s record.

Members of the Camp Nickleby Car Club offered a wonderful exhibition of hittin’ the switches. Three students, Humberto, Raul and Skippy showed off their hydraulics-installed cars on the camp’s boat launch. The boys started bouncing their cars, and all was getting very exciting until Skippy’s ’53 Chevy went out of control and fell into Lake Mukasey, immediately sinking to the bottom. Darrell’s towing service was called, but it was too late.

At 2:00 p.m., our Folk Dancing Class provided everyone with a wonderful exhibition of Mexican folk dancing, with the chemical-laden Lake Mukasey in the background.

The most popular of the day’s activities was the game of Where’s Zapata.

Campers in our Home Economics class grilled up a total of eight dozen whole-wheat tortillas over an open flame. The object of the game was to be the first to see the image of Emiliano Zapata in a tortilla. Campers could also win prizes for finding the image of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera (large burrito-size tortillas).

The day ended with the ceremonial burning of a copy of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Campers gathered around a large EPA-approved bonfire, and tossed a Giclee print of the demon document that ended the war between Mexico and the United States in 1848 and lost California to the United States forever.

Most campers, when asked, thought the day was ‘muy bueno’ and can’t wait for next year’s celebration.

4 comments:

Sanders BUT not the COLONEL said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sanders BUT not the COLONEL said...

Ocho De Mayo

I missed the festivities because I was busy setting up the camp's new intercom system so that bulletin and other IMPORTANT information can be screamed at Campers at random times.

Installation in every room is ALMOST complete. Progress was slowed when the camp choral department mistook the string and tin-cans for a direct line to the Disney studios and began hoarding them under their robes…… the search also produced:

• Steve Fossett’s plane
• Several pounds on glitter
• 12 American Idol audition tapes
• Jimmy Hoffa
• A set of campus master keys
• 67 copies of next year’s standardized test
• 4 baby bumps

May 8, 2008 12:33 PM

Anonymous said...

Now you MADE me quote billy Idol..."MORE MORE MORE"

Anonymous said...

Nickleby,
Summer is approaching....It is time for all of the end of the year awards for the Valued Kids of Camp Grenada.....

My kids will be lurking in the wings- a sad dissapointment- coming home award-less. They once again failed to Follow Directions

Their teachers would like to drag them out and put them in the Learning Stockades of Ridicule for everyone to goggle. We all know that nothing promotes a love for education then this.


Perhaps instead cOuld you please suggest alternative activities to do during these painfull times?