Divisional Sing is one of those camp special events where we often find ourselves thinking: If only we could bottle this night. There is something electric in the air. A mix of jitters, camp spirit, enthusiasm, and earnestness. Counselors are just as “in it” as their campers. Groups come together and unify, huddling up and cheering their hearts out, before they take the stage. Performances are that perfect mix of silly and serious. Moments of pure campy joy and goofy energy, and others of quiet reflection.
For those who do not know, Divisional Sing is (as the title suggests) a song competition between the divisions. Girls and Boys Side do theirs separately, and each has their own time-honored spin on the event.
On Girls Side, divisions have “themes” that are a play on words of the divisional name. This year we had: Junior Prom, Walking in a Jinter Wonderland, Intside Out, Wild Wild Cents, Deb MD, Pirates of the Suben Seas, and 00Seniors (like 007). Campers are dressed in homemade “costumes” that incorporate nods to the theme (eg. prom sashes for the Juniors; silver Scatico belt buckles made of tinfoil for the Centers; spray painted T-shirts for many), and the homespun quality feels very on-the-nose Scatico. Each group performs an "entrance” (a somewhat new-er tradition, in which there is some kind of mini skit or elaborate way of taking the stage) and then a medley of popular songs to which their counselors have rewritten the lyrics. This “fun song” is a combination of references to the theme plus stories from the group’s summer, and general “poking fun” of camp life. The “fun song” is performed on the Social Hall stage, accompanied by an impressively elaborate mix of choreography. After the “fun song” comes the folk song, in which the tone shifts. Girls sit on the two steps leading up to the stage, hand in hand with their bunkmates, and perform a cover of a real folk song (or folk-adjacent song, if we’re being honest).
On Boys Side, there are no themes, and each division also performs one “fun song” and one “real song” (a slow, folk-ish song). The fun song is not a medley, but a popular song in its entirety that counselors have rewritten lyrics to— these lyrics focusing on the kids’ summer, big events, impending Color War, and shoutouts to campers and staff. There is usually a mix of “inside jokes” (that camp as a whole is largely in on), and songs always end with a burst of appreciation for camp and a look to next summer. Boys perform in their Social Hall (an indoor basketball court), standing in two rows barefoot. The performance has a few rituals: counselors and campers huddle on the side porch of the Social Hall before filing into the main performance area; each camper slaps their counselors’ hands as they file into their rows; two campers from each division are selected to announce and introduce each of the song performances.
There are three Sing Judges for each Divisional Sing. While they step outside to deliberate, Kerri and Mark (for their girls and boys sing, respecitvely) hand out 5, 10, and 3-year (for staff who were never Scatico campers) jackets! The “jacket ceremony” is always a special, milestone moment, and one campers and staff have been looking forward to year-round. It is a celebration of years of memories, friendships, and growth at Scatico, and an opportunity to be recognized in front of the entire camp. Campers and staff are called up to the stage to receive their jacket one-by-one, as the entirety of boys and girls camp applauds. As Mark shared in his opening speech, “There are not many things in our lives that we can say we have done, or been a part of consistently, for 5 and especially 10 years. It is a testament to the power and meaning of camp in our lives, and how it is a place and community that is a constant, always there for us even as we grow and change.” Beyond the 3, 5, and 10 years we had a few even longer Scatico career honors: a 20 year jacket for camp doctor Greg Mazarin; a 25 year for Girls Head Counselor Kerri (!); and a 40 (!) year for current Head of Filmmaking John Hickey.
With jackets distributed, and a few tears of celebration shed, the judges return to announce the winners. On Girls Side it was: 3rd place Debs, 2nd place Inters, 1st place Subs. On Boys Side: lower hill winner was the Sub-Juniors, and upper hill winner the Upper Seniors. As you can imagine— an eruption of cheers ensues. In fact, in the 2024 off-season March Madness bracket, the “sound of cheers in the Social Hall after a sing wing” was voted as a top Scatico sound! The moment of pure pride and jubilation at hearing your division’s name said aloud by a judge… it’s a piece of camp we carry with us year round.
Subs are announced 1st place
This week before Color War and the end of camp brings another special event… Big Trips! After 5-weeks in the “Scatico bubble” (more or less, barring some day trips and tournaments), the Big Trip can feel extra special, and a bit like a journey into the unknown. A quick rundown of each division’s outing, which always ends with dinner out and a trip to the movies:
Junior boys ready for ziplining
Junior girls: Howe Caverns
Jinter girls: Bounce Sports and Entertainment Center (a trampoline park pivot, after the water park was cancelled due to lightening… see you in 2025 Zoom Flume!)
Inter girls: Catamount Mountain Resort for ziplining
Center girls: Catamount Mountain Resort for ziplining
Deb girls: Bounce Sports and Entertainment Center
Sub girls: Co-ed white water rafting at Sacandaga
Freshman boys: Howe Caverns
Sophomore boys: Zoom Flume water park
Sub Junior boys: Minor League baseball game (including press conference and BBQ behind the center field fence) with the Hudson Valley Renegades
Junior boys: Catamount Mountain resort for ziplining
Inter boys: Splash Down water park
Sub Senior boys: Co-ed white water rafting at Sacandaga
More updates from the 12523 to come! As always…. the summer flies.