After our rendition of “Fire’s Buring” the crowd erupted into a noisy round of applause. Shawn took the ‘stage’ again as our master of ceremonies. 

“OK! Thanks to Bobbo for teaching us an old classic. Next up we have Caroline who is going to lead us in another fun activty!”

“The Anishinaabe Tribe of Indians, who used to live on this here soil, are known to have danced a Rain Dance. Now this dance was supposed to call upon the spirits to ask the Creator to send rain down upon their lands. Tonight we are going to bring the rain to Camp Acorn with our own special kind of rain dance. Are you ready?”

“Yah!” the crowd of campers roared!

“Most excellent! OK. Everyone has to be really really quiet and just repeat what I am doing as I walk past you.”

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Caroline started walking slowly around the circle rubbing her hands together. We all copied her as she passed by. The sound started to pick up as the kids started to rub their hands together. It began to sound like the beginnings of a rain storm! My girls were super excited as they realized what was happening. On the next lap Caroline started to snap her fingers and it sounded exactly like rain drops falling. The clouds really started to blow in as she had us lightly clap our hands, then slap our thighs. Then the storm hit in full force when we stomped the ground with our feet. I looked over at my kids and they were beaming with delight as they stomped their feet onto the beach and pummeled the sand. Gradually the storm passed as we went back to slapping our thighs, clapping, snapping and back to rubbing our hands. On the last lap Caroline put her finger to her lips and the campers gradually stopped rubbing their hands together and then silence finally ensued as the storm slipped away. She stopped. We all sat quietly and watched her. She waited for a couple of seconds and then clapped her hands over her head, cheering! The campers whooped and cheered along with her.

“Great job everyone! Our Rain Dance was a success!” Caroline cheered and then she stepped out of the circle. 

Shawn stepped back into the light of the fire.

“Thanks Caroline! That was wicked. Now I am super stoked to introduce some of  the LIT 1’s who have a short skit for you.”

Eight of the LITs stepped into the circle and spread themselves around the fire and stood with their hands behind their backs. 

“For the next ten seconds we will be conducting a test of the emergency broadcast system. This is only a test.” Jake said in a very business-like manner and then raised his hand in the air.

“Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep” The annoying high pitched sound of the eight LIT’s lasted for what seemed to be longer than ten seconds. Campers were cringing and covering their ears. Then, finally, Jake dropped his hand and the ‘beeping’ abruptly stopped. 

“Thank you,” Jake said, “This concludes the test of the emergency broadcast system. This was only a test. Had this been an actual real emergency, you would have heard…” and with that the eight LITs yelled, screamed and squealed as they ran around the camp fire in a panic, bumping into each other and running off into the blackness surrounding us. The audience howled with laughter. 

Shawn stepped back into the circle as the last few LITs left, stumbling over each other and slapping each other on the back in congratulations.

Here’s one version!

“We are going to start serving hot chocolate with marshmallows to everyone and while we are doing that we have another song for you and I don’t know about you…but I am super psyched! Please give a big warm Camp Acorn welcome to Aaaaaaaanita!” Anita stepped into the circle and got a big cheer from my three kids especially.

“I’m going to be performing the ‘Baby shark’ song everyone!”

As we happily sipped out steaming hot chocolate, Anita started this goofy song with hilarious actions and had the whole audience giggling at her antics. It was no wonder my kids loved her in her role as ‘childcare’, cuz she was totally entertaining. 

“That was wunnerful Anita. Just wunnderful. Tank you. Tank you.” Shawn was attempting a Lawrence Welk impression and doing a bang up job of it! “Next up we have the LIT 2’s! They are totally gonna rock your world with another awesome skit!”

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Paul escorted an LIT who had his head covered by a small blanket. He was guided into the circle and stood there. 

“Step right up, step right up! Only 25 cents to see the world’s ugliest man! Who among you is brave enough to gaze upon his face?” Paul shouted.

Tom popped out of the darkness and stepped into the circle. He gave Paul a quarter.

“I’ll do it. I can handle it. I can withstand anything!” Tom said as he stood with his hands on his hips. Paul waved him over to the blanketed ‘ugliest man in the world’. Tom gently pulled up the blanket and put his head under it. Tom screeched from under the blanket and he stumbled backward, hand on his heart, face contorted. He threw his hand to head and dropped to the ground and lay still. The campers giggled.

“Step right up, step right up! Only 25 cents to see the world’s ugliest man! Not for the weak of heart, I tell you. Who has the fortitude?” Paul shouted out again.

Charles stepped forward. He slapped a quarter into Paul’s outstretched hand.

“Me sir! I can do it. Why…I will not even flinch!” Charles ducked under the blanket and promptly gave a girlish squeal and came out running. He dropped on top of Tom. 

“Who’s the next victim…ahem…I mean customer?” Paul shouted.

Justin was next. He handed over and quarter, peeked under and then came out rubbing his eyes dramatically screeching “I cannot unsee what I have seen! My eyes! They bleed! Aaaaaaah!” and then he, or course, plopped dead on top of the other two who groaned as he dropped. 

This continued until we had six ‘dead’ dudes piled on top of each other. Of course, Tom, on the bottom, was totally being squished and this was the source of much laughter, especially since the last ‘victim’, Dougie, was the size of a full grown NHL defense man. When he stepped out of the darkness the audience went wild! It also prompted groans from the pile of ‘dead dudes’….which in itself was hysterical!  

“Anyone else? Anyone?” Paul called out into the audience shielding his eyes against the glare of the camp fire after Dougie had dropped. A voice came from afar.

“I have someone I think will be up to your challenge!”

“Bring him forward then please!” Paul called out toward the voice.

Angus came forward pushing Fr. Brian by the shoulders. Campers and counselors cheered for him as he was pushed towards the ‘ugliest man alive’. It was obvious that Fr. Brian had no idea what was going on. Angus put his quarter into Paul’s hand.

“Go ahead brave brave sir!” Paul said to Fr. Brian and gently pushed the blanketed individual forward. He shrugged and gingerly pulled the blanket up and put it over his head. A horrified, painful wail echoed from under the blanket and ‘the world’s ugliest man’ ran away, arms and legs flailing as he left Fr. Brian under the blanket. The kids fell over in hysterical laughter as Fr. Brian pulled the blanket off his head and laughingly took some bows. 

“I’ve been called worse!” he said as he left the circle. And then very quietly he could be heard to say, “Angus….you’re fired!”

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