THE Y FOR

April 08, 2012

Surf Tiki Award

by Nat Corrall

The Tiki award at YMCA Camp Surf is not just a honor table award, but a statement about teamwork and respect.

At every breakfast and dinner we honor a hard working cabin group with the Tiki award. They proudly stand up, sing their cabin cheer, and place the hand-carved, one of a kind, award at their table. There the tiki remains until awarded to another cabin at the next meal.

So what's hard work on the dining deck?

First.... cabinmates must work together as a team to eat family style. Someone is elected to be the "Hopper" (the one who gets the food for everyone else). There's always plenty to eat, so throughout the meal your encouraged to make healthy choices and take your time. Try not to waste, as while we respect ourselves and our friends, we also want to look after the environment too. When the music begins and it's time to clean up, the "Super Spatula" leads the cabin in a clean-up routine that is inclusive and a whole lot of fun. Counselors are always watching to see which group can complete the meal while being respectful of one another, following directions, etc!

Would it be easier to eat every meal buffet style? Absolutely...but we take the extra time and make the extra effort to make sure everyone shares, eats and gets to learn more about each other. We're at camp! It's time to slow down and enjoy some quality time with our friends.

So campers lets eat, be healthy, clean up, compost and be awarded the Surf Tiki award together this summer!