Reunion is just around the corner! It will look a bit different this year, but with your help and enthusiasm, we can ensure a fun and safe reunion for everyone.
Use this guide to prepare for a weekend in 21719.
Arrival
All attendees we be required to take a rapid COVID test upon arrival. Details and logistics are included at the bottom of this page.
Volunteering
Want to give back to Circle? We are still looking for help with an important Circle weekend activity. Are you good at leading people in song and interested in leading Campfire Saturday night? Please contact the Reunion committee at LouiseCircleReunion@gmail.com.
Towels, Sheets, Blankets- Oh my!
Participants are responsible for all pillows, linens, blankets, and towels during the weekend. It’s been warm the past few weeks, but it can get cold on the mountain – don’t forget to pack for cold weather! Also, check the forecast and make sure you have rain gear if you’ll need it.
Circle Cookbook
We are still collecting submissions for the Circle Cookbook, and there will be a station at Reunion to submit all your stories, art, pictures and recipes inspired by your time at camp. Please bring your submissions to Reunion! This is an ambitious project that we can only do with YOUR help.
Tote Bags
If you pre-ordered a tote bag, it will be available for pickup at reunion. We will also have a number of totes available for purchase for those who did not order ahead of time. They are $18 each
New Inductees – Shabbat Choir
All new inductees – Circle 2020 and 2021 – are invited to be in the Shabbat Choir on Friday night.
Havdalah Saturday Night
1991 CITs, 2001 CITs, 2011 CITs, and other groups celebrating milestone reunions will be invited to lead us in Havdalah!
Activities
We’ll give you a detailed agenda when you arrive at Reunion, but here’s a quick run-down of the activities you should expect to see at Reunion.
Friday Night
Mask Decorating – You can never have too many masks. Craft supplies and plain white masks will be available in arts & crafts for you to decorate and show off your own unique style.
Shabbat Dinner – Shabbat will start at 6PM, led by our inductee choir. White clothing is optional.
Folkdancing – Camp’s 2021 folkdance department head, Alivia Barton, will be hosting an evening of folkdancing on Field 1.
Oneg – Grab and go treats will be available in Cabana to enjoy while you take a breather from folkdance.
Yo-yo Scavenger Hunt – There will be a number of yo-yos hidden around camp. Find and collect as many as you can throughout the weekend to rack up points and try to win a prize.
Saturday
Early Bird Hike – Meet Jill Rosenthal at the flagpole for a morning hike outside of camp.
Saturday Morning Services – Join us in Solarium for services with Rabbi Elissa Sachs-Kohen
Circle Photo – Meet in Solarium for the annual Circle group photo.
Town Hall Meeting – Join us in Jr. Campfire for the annual town hall to talk about how Circle can better serve its membership – you! Email topics to Reesa Pearlman by Friday, September 17.
Forest Bathing – Toby Bloom will lead you on a gentle walk through the forest, inviting you to get out of your head and into your body through several sensory activities that heighten your internal and external awareness.
Lawn Games – Find your way behind Barnett or to the parking lot to see what’s in store. Cornhole, hopscotch, and so much more. Play your favorite one time or get a group together to plan a tournament.
Jacks Tournament – Ready to show off those skills from your days as a camper? Jill Rosenthal will lead a tournament of the classic game.
Kickball – A playground staple. Grab your sneakers and meet Maggy Kay on field 2 for some healthy competition.
Sing Down – Break into groups and compete in singing as many songs as you can based on a single word, chosen by our host, Lauren Winiker Kaplan.
Havdalah & Campfire – Meet us at Jr. Campfire to say goodbye to Shabbat, roast marshmallows, and sing our favorite camp tunes.
Movie – Come to Jill’s Place for late night snacks and a movie night.
Sunday
Breakfast & Cleanup – Hit the road with a full belly by noon! But before leaving, please help us clean. There are usually tours with prospective families after Circle Reunion, and we want to make sure they don’t find any empty bottles or leftover snacks. Let’s leave camp even cleaner than we found it!
Why is this year different from all other years?
We are so grateful to be gathering together on the mountain after a year away, but some things about reunion may look a bit different than you remember. Just as the world has changed in the past 18 months, so has Circle Reunion. Please keep an open mind, be flexible, and respect the people and the place around you.
Some important items to note:
- As a COVID precaution, we have moved most activities outside. Many things will be in different locations that you’re used to. Group socialization should be held outdoors whenever possible, or at venues with open sides (e.g. White House porch, PicPav, Gazebo, Jill’s Place).
- Wear the name tag you are issued at all times when away from your housing during the weekend. Your name tag should leave no doubt in the minds of other attendees that you have been vaccinated, temperature-checked and recently COVID tested. Also, it’s nice to get to know everyone’s names!
- We are not doing the traditional raffle from past years, so please leave any items you would have donated at home. That said, for those who purchased a raffle ticket for free reunion attendance, we will do the drawing live during the weekend.
- Food and the dining hall:
- Meals are scheduled for one hour. Please clean up after yourself and be out of the dining hall by the end of that hour so that dining hall staff have time and space to clean.
- Disposable tableware will be available at meal service so that meals can be taken to outdoor venues should you prefer to eat outside the Dining Hall.
- The dining hall is a DRY space. If you are over 21, you can drink responsibly in your living space and in other parts of camp, but you may not bring alcohol into the dining hall.
- For everyone’s safety, we ask that no one eat inside a restaurant during the weekend. If you plan on getting food from outside of camp during the weekend, please order delivery to camp or get curbside pickup.
Donate to Circle
As you can imagine, Circle Reunion is one of the largest expenses of the year for Circle. Now’s the time to consider making a gift.
- General Circle Fund – Your donation goes towards year-round activities, Circle Reunion, gifts to camp, and special projects.
- Reunion Scholarship Fund – Give a Circle sibling the opportunity to come to Reunion at a discounted cost.
- License Plates– Show your camp pride on the road.
- Dedication Plaques/Leaves – Leave a legacy in honor or memory of someone special from Circle around Camp.
Registration and COVID Testing will take place entirely from your car!
For those arriving between 3:30pm and 7:00pm on Friday:
- Check in by the Front Gate. Only those individuals who have pre-registered and submitted proof of vaccination in advance will be allowed to enter camp. To facilitate the check-in process, consider putting a sign in your windshield with the name of every person arriving in your car.
- Rapid Test Swab by the Rose Garden. Drive towards the Dining Hall. You will be stopped by the Rose Garden and given instructions on how to swab your nose (5 turns in each nostril) for the rapid antigen COVID test.
- Proceed to the Dining Hall Parking Lot Waiting Zone. After swabbing, continue to the Dining Hall parking lot where cars will wait in 4 lines facing the Dining Hall. Your temperature will be checked, and once your rapid test comes back as negative, you will receive your name badge and housing assignment. If anyone in your car has a positive rapid COVID test result or fever of 100.4 F or higher, for the safety of our Circle community, you will be asked to leave and receive a refund.
- Drive towards the Pool and Exit out the Back Gate. Turn right out of the back gate and down the gravel road, then turn right on Pen Mar Road to come back towards camp and park in the outside lot. If your housing is located on the “pool” side of camp, you may drive to your housing and unload before exiting camp. If your housing is located on the “White House” side of camp, you can re-enter camp through the front gate and drive to your housing to unload. If you requested permission to park in camp, we will give you your parking pass and direct you to a spot in the dining hall parking lot. Do not block any part of the “registration route” when unloading.
For those arriving after 7:00pm on Friday and any time on Saturday:
When you arrive, pull in to the gravel lot by the Security Shack. Call Shiller at 443-632-5122 for further instructions on the check-in process. (If you can’t get through on this number, call Lesley Levin 240-888-3019).
