Staff reunion is a wonderful time to catch up with great friends, reminiscence on memories from this past summer, and look ahead at the memories to come! This year instead of our normal white elephant gift exchange we read ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas. Every time the word “Left” was said we passed our presents to the left, and every time the word “Right” was said we passed our presents to the right. Once the poem was finished, that was the present you ended up with!

Here is the camp version, written by John Menendez.

‘Twas the night right before Christmas, when all through the camp,
Not a tweedle was stirring, as Ann turned out the lamps;
The sock war socks were left hanging in the cabins with care,
In hopes that St. Adam would soon be right there.

The children were nestled right up in their bunks,
While visions of Patti-O danced right on their trunks;
And I in my beanie and Cath in her hat,
Had just settled right down on those old wrestlings mats.

When out on the back green there arose such a clatter,
I left the Mark and ran right down to see what was the matter.
Left past the Mike, I flew like a flash,
Tripped right over a Tomahawker, and landed with a crash.

The wails of crying campers I’d left in my wake.
Echoed off of the mountains, right down past the lake.
Then right behind Bobby’s bushes there came with a bustle
A little black golf cart, pulled by eight tiny Jack Russells!

With a little old drive, just smiling right at ‘em,
I knew in a moment, it must be St. Adam.
Like tweedles to trading post, his coursers they came
Veered left past the Wishing Well, and he called them by name:

Now, Terrance, now Terrance, now Terrance and Terrance!
On Terrance! On Terrance! On Terrance and Terrance!
Right over the tepee, right up to the hill,
The boys won’t be left out, he had presents for them still.

As dry leaves that before Bryan’s blower fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, fly right up to the sky.
Then up onto the Lodge, the coursers they flew,
With a sleigh full of Trading Post, and St. Adam too.

Then, left in the silence, I heard after a pause,
The scratching and clawing of Terrence’s little paws.
I looked left, then right, then left as my head spun ‘round,
Then right down the chimney, St. Adam came with a bound!

He was dressed all in Khaki, from his head to his foot,
With that sweet MK logo and approach shoes to boot.
A sack of biners and ropes, he’d flung right on his back,
Left him looking like Ryan Carlson, just opening his pack.

His eyes how they twinkled! His dimples how merry!
His cheeks red like choctaws, his nose like a cherry!
A smile went right ‘cross his face, that was far from diabolical,
Was there a beard on his chin? No! Not one hair follicle.

The shreds of a trip form, he held right tight in his teeth,
His pen left behind his ear, still dripping bits of ink.
The Noah arrived, stepping right onto the scene.
“St. Adam I must tell you. Rainbow’s been flooded with feces!”

He said I’ve got just the thing, no, not a lump of coal,
But a shining gold plunger, for each toilet bowl.
A wink of his right eye and a twist right of his head,
Soon left me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, tossing gifts right through the air,
A plunger for Winston, and a Poff for Claire.
And laying his finger to the left of his nose,
With a wink and a nod, right up the chimney he rose.

He sprang right to his cart, to his Terrences gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove right out of sight.
HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOODNIGHT.