“1, 2, 3!” The kayaking class rolled entirely upside down until they were fully submerged in the water. CIT Biscuit and lifeguard/lake director Lee B stood by to facilitate the game. The kayakers were competing to see who could hold their breath the longest while upside down in the lake. 15 seconds passed by and the first campers pulled their skirts for a wet exit. By the 30-second mark all campers had pulled their skirts for a breath of fresh air. One kayak remained. Mary Grace B, the kayaking teacher, had remained under not only to push herself but also to inspire her students. The lone kayak began to attract attention. All that could be seen was the bottom of her kayak and two hands calmly holding the side. Finally at the 55-second mark MGB whipped up in a roll and took her first breath. Stories like this are not uncommon. Merri-Mac strives to push the girls past their limits. We do this by not only encouragement, but by inspiration.
The day started with the delicious biscuits with eggs and hash browns breakfast, but following that Emily K. led a canoeing trip that was her last requirement for receiving a gold bar. As the day proceeded, Gracie Rae H. worked hard to not only receive a gold in dance, but also to receive a gold in Emergency Water Safety (EWS). Golds are not easy bars to accomplish. These are only earned by deep commitment to the activity at hand and we wish to honor these girls for their love and passion.
The rest of the day was filled with fun laughing and smiles. The knitting class took an excursion to the shelter by Trading Post and had class there. And the backpacking class switched up their environment by spending the day on the high rope swings. The cooking class also surprised staff with homemade key lime pies. If that wasn’t good enough many girls went ecstatic when they learned that mini corndogs and mac & cheese was for lunch. By the time activities were in full swing, the setter’s bell for dinner rung. The girls had jambalaya with corn bread and baked beans. The rest of the day was rapped up in an intense tribal game of Inferno. This challenging game rewards campers with water or logs for completing an activity. The girls can use the water to either put out another tribe’s fire or a log to kindle their fire. Whichever tribe maintains their fire the longest wins the game. When or lose, though we all wrapped up the day as sisters. Some of us took deep breaths as we pushed our selves in our activities or some of us just took deep breaths from putting ourselves out there in social situations. Win or lose, we had each other.
Sincerest love,

Micah