Summer Ends with Wacky-Os
Winning teams could “pie” a staff member of their choice…
After days on the trail, climbing mountains, and canoeing down rivers, you would think that the kids at the Manice Education Center wouldn’t have any energy on the last day of camp. Yet, on Friday, August 22nd, the forests rang with the sound of laughter and shrieks as Session Four students competed against each other with all the strength they had left in the “Wacky Os.” The Wacky O's, short for Wacky Olympics, is a Manice tradition where teams compete against each other on the last day of every summer session. This year, the staff had prepared something a little different for the final session of the summer…
Kids help their blindfolded teammates put together a tent.
A race across the pond and back.
A few weeks earlier, staff had discovered an old binder full of games of Wacky Os from generations past. They decided to bring back some of the games that had not been played since the mid-1990s. Among them was the hilarious task of putting together a tent while blindfolded, with your teammates (not blind folded), who coached with directions. This challenge showed students how teamwork and good communication could lead to swift results and, in this case, victory!
Tug-of-war battle!
Victory is in their grasp!
The next challenge took advantage of the hot summer weather, with students racing to swim across the pond and back while pushing their teammates in a floatie. And, what would a test of mettle be without a tug-of-war? This competition proved contentious as in the first several rounds, the slope of the hill was working in favor of one of the teams. With the location adjusted and corrected, both parties were on even ground, and it was a battle of pure strength. The war culminated in a kids vs. staff face-off, with the kids emerging victorious.
Two runners sprinting up the legendary hill.
The triumphant team!
The most exciting event was the relay race, starting with a three-legged race, followed by a sprint up and down the hill by two different runners. The kids whooshing up and down the hill made for an exciting sight as their footsteps and the whoops from onlookers filled the air. The most exciting was the end when a tumble and a fumble from both teams ensued, leading to a win on technicality. The day had all the excitement of any spectator sport, and was a high note to end Manice’s 44th year on.
In true Wacky O tradition, the closing ceremony was a slip and slide down the hill but not before all the staff jumped in the pond!
