Tuesday, April 25, 2017

My Favorite Camp Song

As it would happen, at camp we sing a ton of songs. Here are a few of my favorites! They have hand gestures and dances to go along. Short songs eat up time while waiting, but are easy for the children to remember. At our alumni picnic, people have come after 30-50 years of not being at camp,and have sent their grandkids for their first summer at camp. The strongest memories seem to be the camp songs- they have broken out in harmony, reminding us of long forgotten melodies! Songs travel from camp to camp, too, so often one camp sings a song slightly different from another. Songs shape the culture of a camp alongside everything else. Everyone remembers their favorite song from vespers, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, their favorite hiking song, and the secret songs that the counselors told you not to sing, but the CIT's sang and kept alive! These are my most popular songs, and the ones I've brought from camp to camp.

The Moose Song

This is a Repeat-After-Me Song! This is a Do-As-I-Do Song!

There was a great big moose!
He liked to drink a lot of juice
There was a great big moo-ose
He liked to drink a lot of juice
*Chorus
Singing whoa-oh-oh-oh!
Way-o, way-o, way-o, way-o!
Way-e-oh, way-e-oh!
Way-o, way-o, way-o, way-o!
The moose’s name was Fred
he liked to drink his juice in bed
the moose’s name was Fre-ed
he liked to drink his juice in bed
*Chorus
He drank his juice with care
But he spilt some on his hair
He drank his juice with care
But he spilt some on his hair
*Chorus
Now he’s a sticky moose
He’s all covered in juice
Now he’s a sticky moo-ose
He’s all covered in juice
*Chorus

He’s a moose
Full of juice
On the Lo-oooo-ose

The Beaver Song

This is a Do-As-I-Do Song!

Beavers one and beavers all, let’s all do the beaver call!
CH-CH-CH, CH-CH-CH, CH-CH CH-CH CH-CH CH!
Beavers two and beavers three, let’s all climb the beaver tree!
CH-CH-CH, CH-CH-CH, CH-CH CH-CH CH-CH CH!
Beavers four and beavers five, let’s all do the beaver jive!
CH-CH-CH, CH-CH-CH, CH-CH CH-CH CH-CH CH!
Beavers six and beavers seven, let’s all go to beaver heaven!
CH-CH-CH, CH-CH-CH, CH-CH CH-CH CH-CH CH!
Beavers eight and beavers nine, STOP! It’s Beaver Time.
CH-CH-CH, CH-CH-CH, CH-CH CH-CH CH-CH CH!

Alive, Awake, Alert, Enthusiastic!

This is a Do-As-I-Do Song!

I’m A-live Awake Alert Enthusiastic
I’m Alive Awake Alert Enthusiastic
I’m alive awake alert, I’m alert awake alive, I’m alive awake alert enthusiastic!