Week 1- Team Building
Judged by :Ben Rosenbaum
Guest Judge: Eva Bourne
Ben's Brownie Points
Creativity: You Give Love a Plaid Name
Originality: Toasty Marshmallow Squad
Presentation: Photo-Baumers
Humor: Hickam’s Secret Service
Eva's S'more Points
Creativity: Toasty Marshmallow Squad
Originality: You Give Love a Plaid Name
Presentation: Coal Valley Cuties
Humor: Hickam's Secret Service
Welcome back to camp! After a WCtH season of ups and downs, let's kick back, gather our teams and dig into our creativity! Campers were ready this year and registration went very quickly. Some teams were ready to go weeks ahead of time! I love the enthusiasm this year and some of the teams have even hit to twitter to share their feelings about tasks, sometimes good and sometimes bad! Judging has remained the same as last year. Teams are awarded 1 point for every task they complete. Our judge then awards his own Brownie Points based on certain criteria. If we have a guest judge, they have 4 S'more Points to also give out. The entries will be posted here in the same order every week. The scores will be tallied and posted in a scorecard at the bottom of the blog. So, relax with some treats while I hand it over to our Camp Judge, Ben Rosenbaum! Our Guest Judge this week is Eva Bourne, her comments will be in Purple.
Well done everyone! What a great start to Camp Hearties! You all brought the fun, the creativity, and the camaraderie! I had such a good time looking over all of your collages. Can’t wait to see your entries over the next few weeks!
You Give Love A Plaid Name
Ben: Well this is the whole package. Starting with an awesome name. I sing it as a lyric in my head every time I read it! Your responses are very clever, you have a cohesive overall theme, and it is so very funny. Lots of genuine LOLs looking over your collage. I don’t know why “REO Plaidwagon” tickled me so much, but it really got me. Using song titles from each band/camper nickname to add color and a travel story to 1&2 was a great touch. I like the way you combined different tasks to make a really satisfying whole. You even gave your rockin’ robot mascot “Glen” a plaid nickname and emoji
. I promise to remain impartial from week to week, but You Give Love a Plaid Name set a very high bar this week!
Eva: Way to go guys, this one shouts originality from the roof tops! Love the plaid pants….can we do a clothing swap? ;)
Sergeant's Riders
Ben: What a beautiful team crest! I feel like this could be a unifying crest for all Hearties everywhere. And your locations made a heart on the map, how awesome is that?! I think you could absolutely start a successful “glamping” hotel with campsites like that—I want to go to there! And if only packing really worked the way it does in your collage, I would fit a lot more into a carry-on. And I love that you ended your team cheer with “Let’s go pack!” That made me laugh. Great attention to detail and very nice presentation.
The WagonErs
Ben:I like that you’ve titled your presentation this week! Team Building! Somebody on this team has a whole lotta plaid… which can only mean good things at Camp Hearties! Your campsite looks like the perfect place for a throwback sleepover; very cuddly tent-mates! Nice nicknames, I see that there’s a lot of team unity in the repeating names: Lou Lou, Gi Gi, Kel Kel. I say Cool Cool to that! Your mascot is… Santa on Summer break? That beard is epic, definitely pairs well with the sunnies and shorts.
Lumber Ladies
Ben: Ok Lumber Ladies, you got me. Funny stuff here! Nice tying in your team name as a theme for everything you did: nicknames are all Stix, the traveling log on your map, the trees on your flag, all over your team cheer, and of course… your mascot Log
. Nicely done! “Clickety Stix” made me chuckle, nice choice to Clickety! And way to take your team cheer to the next level by making the first letter of each verse spell LUMBER. Nice touch! You appear very fully packed for camp. And let’s not forget, even for a moment, your mascot Log! I really love Log.
Team Photo-Baumers
Ben:Well, this is another very impressive overall entry. Nice clean presentation, beautifully unified responses to all of your tasks, and a whole lotta BAUM. Great mascot in both physical and illustrated forms! I think you’re the only group to do that? Either way, well done. Your nickname/emoji game is very strong, with particular honors to Beach-Baum and Lip-Baum. It’s nice to know I could visit everybody in just 58 hours! Click-click, click-BOOM!
Hope Valley Fans
Ben:Your nicknames are so fun! I especially like the nicknames that interact, like Techie and No Tech, and the three “ur” sisters: Break ur, Steal ur, and Heal ur. Very cute mascot! Honeybunny and her sweet wheels! And you've got cheers to spare! The thing that seems to tie them all together is an optimistic view of the future, which is wonderful! And the tent at your campsite implies a very optimistic view of everyone’s summer diet 
.
Toasty Marshmallow Squad
Ben: Well, in fact your mascot is just delightful, and looks pretty tasty too! Way to incorporate as many marshmallows as possible, we definitely share that approach to camp! I would absolutely eat that campsite though. Very creative! Your nicknames are so random and fun! Well, I’m sure they aren’t so random to you, but they are hilariously random to me! I like the team motto and your map covered in toasted marshmallows—true to your word!
Eva:I can tell you guys had a lot of fun with this one! Your Mascot! I mean come on. So great. The road trip is ambitious and epic, which I loved! Great team cheer!
Hickam's Secret Service
Ben: There’s a whole lot to love here! I definitely noticed and appreciated the nods to Minnesota: Target Field and a plaid MN! Your nicknames are awesome! Very creative to make all of the HV characters into agents of Hickam’s Secret Service. I do feel like I should take a moment to assure all participants that, in fact,I am not a member of the team, even though Director Handsome is listed on the roster . Your team’s tagline of “Stay Curious” is just great! And your sleuth bear mascot looks like she means business!!!
Eva:Every time I landed on your team I laughed. Rip Bear kills me! The outfit is just golden. Good job guys
Coal Valley Cuties
Ben:I very genuinely enjoyed your team roll-call! I like that everybody got a chance to share a little something about themselves (or their camper character!). Poor “Bluebell” though, why wasn’t she allowed to be named Lizzy?! LOL. Does someone on your team live in Kauai? Or it's just somewhere someone wants to visit? Either way, this judge is very jealous. Lots of contributions to the plaid packing, nice teamwork! Tyrol the Mountie Moose is a great name for your mascot, I’m into it. Nice little campsite! Cat-sized and cat approved!
Eva:Obviously I love what you did with #5…because, cats are the best :) I loved the Map! Well thought out and organized guys!
Koala-ty Watermelon Cookies
(KWC)
Ben: Your team name is very clever! And great team crest! I’m very impressed with how you got all of your elements into one drawing, and perhaps even including Opal the koala? Nice job! Lots of illustrations on this collage, which makes for a nice overall look! All the bright colors say summer fun for sure! Poor “chook,” I can’t tell if your emoji caterpillar is just unhappy about wearing a beret or if she is trying to soothe a headache with a whoopee cushion! Either way thanks for the laugh.
The scores are close, it will be interesting to see how things spread out and change over the next few weeks! Congratulations to all the Plaid Campers!
All the teams did an excellent job this first week! Join us back here next week to see what the teams do with the week theme of TV Crossovers!
Thank you,
Lee's Plaid Pants
Ben: You’ve really highlighted the natural beauty of Hope Valley! Even on those cloud covered misty days it’s still beautiful. Everything about your Logo for Lee is great, I love seeing the before and after, and I love the conversation between the Coulters! So funny! And nice quote pull for the diaper tower with Rosie’s classic question about their contents! That cat with the bandage is hilarious! Looks like a very cooperative patient!
