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• Dear Madison,

  Today at camp we got to sleep in! I woke up at 7:30 and my counselors said I could go back to sleep because the whole camp was sleeping in an extra hour! When it was time to get up, we got breakfast in bed- Krispee Kreme donuts! Then we went to chapel and sang one of my favorite songs “How He Loves” and I was kind of sad because it was the last chapel of the summer. Afterwards, I went up to my cabin and sat on my friend Chelsea’s bed and played cards for a little while. Then I went to Swimming, my first class. At the lake we had a lot of fun. They played music on the dock, as usual, but today we had “free swim” about halfway into class. I got to go on the blob! Julie, I really hope you can come to camp next year because I want to blob you! You’ll go flying into the air. After that I went to Camp Craft, and we roasted marshmallows and went on the low ropes course. It looks easy, but it’s actually kind of hard! I made it all the way across though. After class, I played tetherball with two girls in my tribe (Seminole, the best one!) and then I went to lunch. For lunch we ate Philly cheese steak and curly fries! YUM! For dessert, we had brownies. Double yum! Then we had rest time, and I fell asleep for about 20 minutes, probably because I’ve had a lot of sugar today. Then we had free time, so I played more tetherball. I went to cooking for third period and we made ice cream sundaes with hot fudge and caramel. Then for fourth period we got to trail ride around the camp in horseback riding.
  Then we had dinner.

  After dinner we met up with our tribes. Seminoles gathered by Milkyway cabin, and we were all handed candles and plates for Lakeside.
  At Lakeside there was a bonfire on the fire dock in the middle of the lake! I sat next to my two best friends in my tribe and we sang a bunch of camp songs. The tribe leaders did a ceremony where they canoed around the bonfire with big torches as we sang some more beautiful songs. Then we all floated our candles in the water. This night will probably be one of my favorite memories. The lake looked so beautiful! Afterwards, we all hugged each other and began to say our goodbyes, because we know that in the morning we’ll be leaving. I’m very excited for tomorrow though because we find out which tribe won the banner! I have a feeling it will be the Seminoles, because we are the best tribe! I can’t wait to come back next summer. I’m going to try to convince my parents to let me stay for 4 weeks, because that’s how long Chelsea stays. I’ll see you soon!

  Your friend,
  Zoey

  Girls who went on trips today:

  Waterskiing trip:
  Briggette N., Julia B., Elizabeth O., Grace R., Nora C., Lydia H.
  
  Drama trip:
  Elizabeth P., Laura L., Lizzy H., Maddie L., Lindsey H., Riley W.
  
  Written by:
  Kelly Jeffries and Rebecca Haynie; Comet counselors

It was great day to be a Merri-Mac girl today. Sunnyside slept out at the Mark last night and returned in time for breakfast and to lead the camp in morning songs, which included “I Won’t Grow Up.”

Many girls saw their hard work pay off and achieved bars today! In Drama: Sophia S., Grace R., Margaret R., Corinna G., and Tess S. all got their bronze, while Elizabeth P. got her diamond. In Fitness Margaret P. got her bronze. In Tennis Lindsay A. and Abigail J. got their silver. In Swimming Caroline K. got her gold and Katie G. got her platinum. In Archery Hanna S. got her gold. In Camp Craft Taylor T. got her bronze and Anabell M. got her gold. In Riflery Margaret Anne W. got her bronze. In Fencing Isabel R., Oriana T., and Sarah C. got their gold and Cara K. got her platinum. In Gymnastics these girls got their bronze: Carolyn C., Ingerid E., Copeland R., Gretchen N., Kathryn G., Cassidy W., Kate H., and Payton S.

At lunch we also found out who won Swimfest and Field Day: Seminoles! The Iroquois won spirit points for their great cheering, while the Choctaw won Sock War! During free time there was a staff vs. Sunnyside volleyball game. There were some great rallies, but the staff pulled through and won.

There were several trips out today. On the rafting trip was Olivia F., Cassidy H., Katherine H., Emily K., Ellie P., Caroline S., Katie S., Morgan G., Caroline H., Hamilton I., Chloe M., Katherine W., Katie P., Elizabeth S., Allie W., Katherine W., Ryan S., Kathleen O., Maddie M., Kinnon W., Caroline K., and Sarah Grace E. Girls who went waterskiing this morning were Brigitte W., Wheaton S., Gracie Rae H., Nora C., Josie L., and Kathryn Y. Girls who went waterskiing this afternoon were Annabell M., Sarah L., Julia V.D.B., Julia M., Sara W., and Caroline Y. There was also a climbing trip out today with Anna Y., Maddie Y., Leah G., Ally S., Grace B., and Cynthia W.

Tonight at White Feather, the following girls got promotions. For Junior camp, these girls got their first promotion to Tumbleweed: Abby F., Kate H., Riley P., Suzanne W., Elizabeth W., Janie C., Mary H., and Amelia L. Promoted to Groundhog were Aurora M., Josephine V., Lydia W., Isabella S.P.C., Gretchen N., and Riley E. And promoted to Bear was Elizabeth H. In Intermediate and Senior camp, the following girls were promoted to the first rank of Arrow: Josie L., Lauren U., Sarah Katherine E., Holly H., Margaret Anne W., Bree P., Margaret R., Natalee-Ann T., Josefina B., Karis P., Grace B., Bailey B., and Cassidy H. Promoted to Crazy Creek were Alice M., Julia B., Kate Howell, Caroline C., Kate Hemm, Michelle U., and Hattie W. To Long Bow were Sydney H., Caroline W., Kristie G., and Marquesa C. To Running Deer were Sarah C., Frazier R., Abigail J., and Abby T. To Red Tail was Hanna S. And to the highest rank a girl can receive, White Feather, five girls were promoted: Libby R., Sara W., Sydney D., Julianna H., and Madi S.

With only a few days left at camp, stories were shared as final campfire brought out both laughter and tears. We hope that the last few days at Camp Merri-Mac this summer will be filled with even more memories and adventures.

Bex Wise

Sunnyside Counselor

Choctaw

Today, your wonderful daughters celebrated the staff here at Camp Merri-Mac; we call today Staff Appreciation Day! The 15- and 16-year old campers woke up extra early to sport borrowed staff shirts and wake up the campers of their assigned cabin for the day. We, the staff, sat at their normal tables during meals while they ate with their younger cabin and “taught” all of our activities for us (with guidance, of course)! This day not only gives us a break, but it also enables the older girls to get a taste of life on staff and take responsibility as leaders in cabins and classes.

Breakfast burritos and blueberry tarts filled our bellies this morning before embarking on a truly busy day! After another “true story” from Camp Director Adam Boyd this morning in chapel, activities were in full swing with girls earning bars left to right! In Climbing today, Ava M., Ali S., Riley E., and Alice M. all earned their Bronze bars! A little rain in the afternoon did not stop them from perfecting their knots and giving the Grotto, a bouldering kind of rock wall we have here at camp, a shot! In Archery, Sophia S. earned her Bronze, and Hannah M. accomplished her bar chords to earn her Silver in Guitar! Other girls in Guitar practiced for tonight’s evening activity, Fine Arts Night.

The “staff” leaders of each activity also showed their prowess in their respective classes. Sundrop camper Cara K. demonstrated her skills in Fencing and Riflery today. She helped younger girls in Fencing with their form and basic technique and allowed them to help officiate. Elizabeth O’D. worked very hard and earned her Silver bar in Fencing. Abigail J., Emily D., and Hamilton I. assisted their Tennis classes with earning bars and playing games like Jail and Queen of the Court. These girls received their Bronze bar in Tennis today: Kathleen O’G., Stephany T., Bree P., Margaret Anne W., and Copeland R.. Cynthia R. earned her Silver in Tennis today! Just up the hill, Hanna S. worked hard to receive her Silver bar in Archery!

In Drama, girls played improvisation games and Lizzie H., Cynthia W., Lydia W., Molly K., and Riley E. got their Bronze bars! Dance classes played So You Think You Can Dance, and Art students made charcoal drawings. My stomach and I were both delighted by the girls making s’mores in Camp Craft and banana bread in Cooking! The recipes in Cooking are absolutely delectable, and I might have taken about 4 pieces of banana bread throughout my wanderings today … I strongly suggest enlisting your daughters to help with meals after their time in Cooking class here.

Life on the dock of Lake Doris today was cut short by some afternoon thunderstorms, but this morning, Ryan S., Ashley A., Katherine G., and Marianna S. all received their Bronze bars in Canoeing! I came by the lake later, closer to dinner, when the sun was shining, and experienced capable older campers Libby R. leading Swimming class and Beatrix E. teaching Kayaking.

Hungry from such an accomplished day, the girls gobbled down soft tacos tonight in anticipation of Fine Arts Night! The theme for tonight’s wardrobe choices and for the emcees’ entertainment was NASCAR! The evening started off with an incredible trampoline routine by Sunnysider Madi S., followed by the older girls’ Chorus class’s performance of “What Is This Feeling?” from Wicked. Birthday girl Marquesa C. really showed off her singing and theatre chops in that song! A group of girls from Moonmist performed an acoustic version of a Jessie J tune, and after a fantastic bars routine, the other Chorus class sang a touching rendition of  “Lean on Me.” The advanced Dance class really moved around on the dance floor with some modern dance, and Elizabeth P. wrote an awesome play performed by Rachel S., Cara K., Sophia S., Kristie G., and CIT Sophie H., complete with a One Direction music interlude and a surprise appearance of soda on camp! Lindsay H. wrote a precious song on her ukulele dedicated to camp, and the famous Ibbeken-M. cousins made the entire Mike laugh with their dorky dance. Both Elizabeth P. and Abby T. dedicated songs to Sunnyside, the cabin with the oldest girls in camp. Tears were definitely abound during those songs.

I so enjoyed experiencing your daughters’ gifts in the realms of gymnastics, dance, theatre, and music this evening. Fine Arts Night has always been one of my favorite evening activities because it allows campers and staff to encounter different gifts of their peers and campers.

Now, I can hear squeals from your wonderful girls as they have a blast with their cabins before heading off to bed. They’ll awake in the morning ready for another incredible day here at Camp Merri-Mac. Thank you SO much for sending your girls here; it’s truly a pleasure.

Maddy Mallory

Counselor-In-Training

8 year Merri-Mac Girl

Spirited Seminole 

Good afternoon, and welcome to Camp Merri-Mac’s coverage of the Olympics, or as we call them here, Tribe Fest! This morning dawned beautifully, and the busy yet happy girls of Merri-Mac skipped down to breakfast donned in their tribe jerseys. In Tucker Inn, they gobbled down French toast sticks and bacon to charge their bodies for the active day ahead.

Next, we’ll move on to our lakeside chapel, where the mist rose over Lake Doris as Sunspot counselor Lauren Britt described Jesus Christ as “the way” as listed in John 14:6. The girls listened intently and quietly to Lauren’s analogy to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

The sun glittered over the girls as they painted their faces and bodies in preparation for the first Tribe Fest event of the day: Swim Fest. This began with a salute to the American flag and the singing of the National Anthem in true spirit of the Olympics occurring in Londonat this very moment. Our lovely LakeDoris, almost as lovely as the Olympic Village, was the scene of dozens of swim races for girls of all ages, including a Tweedle Life Vest Relay and a Staff Relay, which featured lovable Trip Staff member Red. The girls decorated signs and made up clever swimming-related cheers for their tribe, such as “Swim, baby swim, Seminole’s gonna win!” ChoctawHamilton I. says of swimming for her tribe during Swim Fest: “It was tiring but worth it.” Moonmist camper and swimming superstar Sarah C. says enthusiastically, “The best part was everyone cheering you on and you knew while swimming, you were doing something for your tribe.” She made the Seminole tribe proud today.

After laughing at the tribal leaders’ funny relays that included eating a donut off of a string, we move our cameras to a bird’s-eye view of camp to watch the girls search for trash during Tribal Trash Pick-Up. This is a great way to keep our Olympic Village looking great while simultaneously earning points for our tribe! Zooming in on the lake, we can see girls lined up at the diving boards working on their bars for Diving. Marquesa C. earned her Bronze bar in Diving today, and after years of hard work, Sunnysider and Iroquois chief Madi S. earned her Silver bar in Diving!

Today’s lunch of sub sandwiches and carrots were welcomed into the girls’ hungry bellies, and the full hour of rest hour, usually reserved for Sundays, was happily used for napping. The skies had begun to darken at this point, and some showers fell this afternoon and evening, but our Olympians were not fazed one bit. Sock War continued on this afternoon as the athletes battled to tag the other team with socks and attempt to capture their own tribe jersey on the opposite side. Comet camper Holly H. succeeded in doing this for her tribe, the Seminoles!

Now, our news team rests as the proud and spirited athletes of Camp Merri-Mac prepare for tonight’s dinner and evening activity of Field Day, where more points will be awarded towards the Banner-winning tribe. In the meantime, we thank you for sending your gifted and lovely girls to Camp Merri-Mac. They are having a wonderful time and will see you in a few short days!

Maddy Mallory

Counselor-In-Training

Passionate Seminole

P.S  Maddy also took all the beautiful  Merri-Mac photos for today… she is a great photographer!  ~Wendy

Campers of Merri-Mac woke up this morning knowing that this was no ordinary Saturday. A buzz was in the air and talk of Camp Rockmont could be heard everywhere throughout the cabins. “Is this the day that we go to Camp Rockmont??? What should I where? “

Breakfast came, and it left. Counselor E.P. gave a superb message on Who is Man? at chapel. Then, the first period of activities came. Still, no word on the night’s evening activity.

Soon, every camper was absorbed into their activities, and talk of Rockmont ceased, at least for the time being. Campers enjoyed shooting their arrows and bullets towards their targets, while others rocked the morning away knitting. Cooking class, which has been a favorite class this year, was busy making delicious chicken. Riders rode their horses around the ring and swimmers and divers were in Lake Dorris. So many fun activities occupied the minds of those at Camp Merri-Mac.

Lunch brought with it meatball sandwiches and S’MORE POCKETS, a favorite amongst campers and staff alike. Chowing down on dessert, the dining hall bell was rung, and a hush fell over the crowd. In the hands of Adam Boyd was a scroll. “What does it say?” the campers asked excitedly.

Adam unrolled the scroll, and within the scroll read the long awaited invitation from Rockmont to the Rockmont Dance. Cheers erupted from every camper as their suspicions were confirmed. At that point, all the campers got the feeling that…Tonight’s going to be a good night, that tonight’s going to be a good, good night.

The day rolled on as girls got ready to head to Rockmont. Hair straighteners, dresses, and nice shoes were all around as the last moments of preparation came. Campers could hardly sit still at dinner, and soon the time to load the buses came. All the girls looked fabulous in their dressy clothes as they loaded the buses and awaited the night before them.

Meanwhile, the Tweedles, Stardust, and Comet started their own fun evening activity at camp. Tweedles headed for the slip-and-slide, and Stardust and Comet headed to the lake for swimming, blobbing, and sliding down the slide.

Laughing, smiling, and fun abounded at Camp Rockmont and Camp Merri-Mac, and memories were made that would last the whole year through. Those at Camp Rockmont ended the night with an amazing fireworks show, while those at camp ended the night with a splash.

Today was an all-around awesome day, and Merri-Mac ROCKed the MONT!

Stephanie Bennett

Rainbow Cabin

Archery Instructor

Iroquois Tribe (Woot!Woot!)

It’s a beautiful day at camp with a slight mist coating the mountains.  The girls came running down the hill after cabin clean up to a breakfast of French Toast, sausage links, and the breakfast songs cannibal king, be kind, and rattlin’ bog.  The mist lifted off the Blue Ridge Mountains as the girls came around Lake Doris, my partner in crime Merri and me on the way to chapel.  The sun shined over the surface of the lake as Adam taught the campers about how as broken sinners, we try to earn our way to heaven with our actions but our Heavenly Father sent His son to pay the price for our faults.

Before our classes began on the lake, some campers went off of camp to try their skills outside of our waters.  Gracie T., Kristie G., and Katie G. got up before the sun rose over the ridge to climb a multi-pitch rock face called Table Rock a little while away from camp.  Ellie P., Olivia C., Catherine T., Lindsey A., Sarah T., and Nora C. took their talents to Lake James with Fallon for a waterskiing trip.  Finally Emily J., Ashlyn T., Mattie Y., and Anna M., paddled the waters of the French Broad instead of my dear Lake Doris.  We missed all of our adventurers when they left us but know that they tried new things and pushed limits makes their absence bearable.

Classes started off with a bang as Merri and I watched Abigail J. get her roll in kayaking, Anabell M. get her silver in Emergency Water Safety, Katie B., and Margaret R., got their bronzes in swimming, and Brigitte N. and Frazier R. get their bronzes in Diving! Watching these girls improve in their skills and achieve their bars makes my job hanging out with Doris and Merri in the sun all the more rewarding.

A lunch of chicken wraps and loud tribe songs was a nice marker in the day and got the campers ready for rest hour.  But a strange thing happened at lunch, as the campers in Dreams End and Dreams Begin dressed up for lunch as boys.  The other campers looked confused until the Sunnyside, Sunspot and Sundrop campers began to ask the Dreams girls to Sunny-Dreams prom, Sadie-Hawkins style.  So the “girls”, or sunnysiders, asked the “guys”, or Dreams girls, to an event that is a camp tradition in which the two oldest cabin groups have a dance in the Mike with a theme.  The Dreams girls were excited to finally go through their right of passage and the sunnysiders were sad that this would be their last Sunny-Dreams prom as campers.

After the songs, announcements and other clever prom asking events, the rest of the camp broke it down to hear the evening activity for that day and to learn the victor from the previous night.  The mighty Iroquois won spirit points and the game of Gold Rush but the games never end, as tonight the girls will play a spoof on the Hunger games, Merri-Mac style.  With Sunnyside and Dreams End as the tributes, the campers will participate in a glorified game of hide-and-go-seek complete with a cornucopia of camouflage items, tarps, and paint, and with the staff members dressing up as the member of the Capitol.  This fun, new, and lighthearted tribal activity is one of the camper’s favorites with opportunities to earn points for their tribe through tasks at different activity areas such as fitness, swimming and climbing in addition to the search for the other tribes’ tributes.  The victor of this game and that of spirit points will be announced at lunch tomorrow, let’s hope for my sake that the odds are in the Seminoles favor

In afternoon classes, Doris Merri and I watched more girls earn their bars, this time in the Mike and not the lake.  Brigitte N., Katherine M., and Olivia F. earned their bronze bars in gymnastics.  Something exciting also happened in Archery today that Merri and I heard through the camp grapevine; Katie W., or “K-Dubs” as her Dreams End cabin makes call her, shot a bullseye that went completely through the target, can we say Katniss Everdeen for the Choctaw?

After a dinner of lasagna and corn dip, many girls were given White Feather promotions to recognize and encourage their growth in the fruits of the spirit.  In the Junior Camp there are four ranks; tumbleweed, groundhog, badger, and bear. Tonight Claire D., Temple G., Aurora M., Nataleigh P., Hadley S., Evy V., Josephine V., Lydia W., Austin B., Avery B., Isabella S., Austin T., Susan W., Ava Caroline W., Carolyn C., Caroline K., and Riley E., received their first promotions to Tumbleweed in the Junior camp and Claire H., received a promotion to Groundhog.  In the Senior Camp there are seven promotions; arrow, crazy creek, longbow, running deer, red tail, junior feather and white feather.  Tonight Mary Katherine F., Molly H., Caroline H., Erika R., Caroline C., Stephanie T., Sara-Grace E., Jessica W., Olivia C., Katie G., Mary Ellen H., Caroline S., and Marie C. received their first promotions to arrow.  Also, Berkleigh H., Gracie Ray H., Sofia S., Ellie P., Alex V., Marquesa C., and Cara K., received crazy creek.  Linsdey H., was promoted to long bow, Ashlynn T., Hanna S., and Julia M. were promoted to running deer.  Hamilton I., Libby R., Sara W., Sydney D., Julianna H., and Madi S., were the six special girls were promoted to junior feather tonight.

After a long day of bars, promotions and games, Merri, Doris and I are ready to rest.  As we watch the campers file up to their cabins, we know that we can rest easy because our girls had a day full of fun and fellowship.

Lee Bolton

Dreams End Counselor

11^th Summer

Proud Seminole until the day I die.

Every minute at camp is full of smiles, laughter and memories but there is something so special about the mornings with breakfast, chapel and, of course, tribe meetings. All of Merri-Mac was awoken this morning to a sweet blanket of fog that had settled all around camp—that’s the mountains for you.  As the girls rolled out of bed, quite literally in some cases, into the crisp cool morning air and the fog gave way to cool breeze and sunshine, a delicious breakfast of coffee cake and a special breakfast casserole was waiting for them down in Tucker Inn! Our oldest girls at camp, the “Sunny-siders,”—residents of Sundrop, Sunspot, and Sunnyside—got a special surprise this morning! They got to sleep in and get some much-needed rest from their duties as Tribe Leaders and their counselors brought them breakfast in bed! A great way to start of the day, I’d say.

As the cool mountain breezes gave way to heavy amounts of sunshine, Merri-Mac began its daily activities. Because there was no rain today every activity was in full swing and Lake Doris was constantly full of delighted and giggly campers. In fact, in kayaking today, Beatrix E. got her onside and offside roll and Morgan G. demonstrated “one of the strongest rolls seen all summer,” says her instructor Mary Paige B. In canoeing, Abigail J., Savannah S., Julianna H., and Sarah L. triumphed over their opponents in a canoeing race of epic and hilarious proportions—much giggling ensued when this was announced in the dining hall due to the fact that the losers of the race also wanted to be announced. Lake Doris was full of accomplishment today: Sadie T. achieved her Silver in competitive swimming and the rest of the girls gained much headway on their own bars whilst enjoyed the cool refreshment that Doris brought them this beautiful but hot day at camp! Outside of camp, Claire H., Kate H., Savannah L., Gretchen N., Ansleigh S., Austin T., Sarah L., Anabell M., Mary Laci M., Hamilton I., Beatrix E., Ingerid E., and Copeland R. also enjoyed a day of fun in the sun out at Lake James for waterskiing with their beloved instructor, Falon D. Also, a few brave women—Erin A., Caroline D., Caroline S., Vivian G., Caroline K., Anna M., and Marquesa C. —took on Section 4 of the French Broad River late this afternoon. Trips are a special part of Camp Merri-Mac and provide the girls with a chance to really grasp and practice the skills they are being taught in class (not to mention the van rides to the destinations are always a hoot).

Around 12:30 the ever-familiar bugle to end class begins, the girls of Merri-Mac rush to partake in their day-to-day between activity activities. For some girls, like Everly H. the place they like to spend their time is on the tetherball court making friends and getting “tether.” For other girls the new Patti-O across from the Big House is a spot of relaxation and retreat from the sun where they can sit and those rocking chairs and knit their best friend an adorable headband to rock during tribal events. Other girls hang around the back green anxiously anticipating what delicious great they might receive for lunch. What will it be? Will it be? Could it really be what it smells like? IT IS! IT’S TACO IN A BAG! If anything could’ve made today a better day that was it. The sweetness of success permeated from Tucker Inn into afternoon activities today as Corrina M. got her bronze in Dance and Kat M., and Katherine G. received their bronze in climbing! Around 4 pm, camp proudly waved goodbye to Patterson G., Healey M., Cassidy W., Bree P., Remi K., Nataleeanne T., and Hannah M., as they, along with fearless leaders, Sammi Eubanks and Stephanie Bennett, headed out for Turkey Pen Gap for what is sure to be an exciting and adventurous overnight!

As day turned to evening, girls rushed out of their last classes of the day to change into their proud Red, Blue or Black for evening activity tonight…Gold Rush. The girls love this activity because not only do they get to run rampant around camp searching for the strangest of gold items, from gravel to counselors, they also get to use their active imaginations in a test of wit and humor as they attempt to prove to the “judges” who deserves the piece of gold better, the counselor that tagged them or themselves. The intricate and hilarious tales that these girls weave is just another one of the many joys of being a camp counselor.

It’s 8 o’clock now and Gold Rush has just ended, tribe spirit lingers in the air as the girls head up to their respective cabins for possible raids of the delicious and highly trafficked Trading Post, fires and friendships as smores are burnt to a golden crisp over campfires, “free swims” and bonding at the legendary “Blob” and cabin devotions that leave each and every girl feeling peaceful and loved both by their Savior and their camp family at the end of a another very exciting day at Merri-Mac. What a rush!

Genevieve Parshley

The evening rain from last night made for a cool morning at Merri-Mac. We were happy to welcome Katherine H., Stephanie T., Vivian G., Savannah S., Julianna H., Abby T., Marquisa C. and Julia V. out of hiding from their back packing trip at Greybeard Falls.

Merri-Mac sent out another trip today. Hamilton I., Anabelle M., Mari Laci M., Abigail J., Beatrix E., Hanna S., Julia M., Sara W., and Isabel R. went to Alton Park for a tennis trip. The girls returned in time of their last two activities. As the weather grew warmer, most campers were hiding in the shade, but the girls in water activities were thankful to jump in the water to cool off. At dinner, we proudly announced that Mari Laci M. and Beatix E. both received their gold bars the have been seeking. We’re so glad they could accomplish their last bar while on the tennis trip. We love to recognize their hard work by asking them to stand on their benches (hiding is not an option) as everyone cheers for their achievement. It is always a joy to watch girls celebrate each other’s hard work and talent in activities.

This evening we played Counselor Hunt–an intense game of hide-and-seek. Our staff has many talents. One of them is finding in Counselor Hund. Although we’re good at hiding, there is something that our campers are even better at doing, and that is the art of seeking. The game is extremely fun because once a camper has the victory of finding a counselor, they get to bring down whoever they found to Lake Doris and push them in.

Another great day at Camp Merri-Mac is coming to an end and everyone is now seeking a shower. Soon, we’ll all be hiding under our covers. We can’t wait to seek out more fun tomorrow.

Lauren Britt

Sunspot Counselor

Head of Archery

Swanky Iroquois

“Merri-Mac” is more than just the name that adorns the sign on Montreat Road greeting people to camp. It symbolizes years of history, tradition, and thousands of campers who have come, who will come and who are here today. “Merri-Mac” is the name we use to represent a camp that stands above the rest, one that sets the precedent for excellence. It can be hard to put into words what this camp means to so many, so I will let the voices of our campers echo the essence of what “Merri-Mac” truly means to them.

“My favorite part about camp is meeting new friends!” Mary Katherine F. shared as she overlooked a game of teatherball during free time.

“Emily is having a fantabulous time at camp!”  Emily K. said as she munched on treats during Trading Post.

“Readying ourselves for fall with snazzy scarves” said Emily D. as she admired her handiwork in knitting.

“Right now I’m getting the best massage of my life” sighed Caroline H. as she received some TLC from Tweedle Dee camper Evy V.

“Iroquois is number one, and don’t you forget!” exclaimed Moonmist counselor Rachel Bishop. Both the counselors and campers exude tribe spirit the whole day long. Tonight the three tribes will meet in a game of Base Jumping.

“Most of my best friends I met at camp Merri-Mac!” smiled Sofia S.

“Amazing food can be had at breakfast, lunch and dinner!” said a satisfied Kate B.

“Camp is the best part of summer!” shouted Elizabeth O’D. as she soaked up the sun this afternoon.

Eight short quotes cannot entirely encompass the nature of camp, but they can speak volumes to how much joy one girl can experience in a single day at camp. Several girls had great success after working hard in their activities today, including Sarah L. who got her Silver in canoeing! In addition, the sweet sound of Hannah S., Lindsey H., Marie C., Caroline F., and Emily D. showing what they know and getting their Bronze in Ukulele could be heard up on the porch of Little Dipper. Tonight, Katherine H., Stephanie T., Vivian G., Savannah S., Julianna H., Abby T., Marquesa C., and Julia V. are out on a backpacking trip, led by their fearless leaders Sammi Eubanks and Mary Brooke Seale. And the day could not have been more perfect for the waterskiing trip that Caroline C., Sara Grace E., Courtney J., Karis P., Elizabeth W., and Claire H. went on today.

There is never any doubt that campers create special and long-lasting relationships with their counselors. Proof of that could be seen today when one of the Water Polo teams in Swimming class affectionately named themselves “The Tibbys” in honor of the beloved Moonmist counselor. Consequently, “The Tibbys” were victorious over their rivals, “The Lightning Fish” in today’s match.

I hope that you are able to see more than just words on a screen as you read this and are able to hear the laughter, shouting, singing and clapping that could be heard today. I hope you can smell the war paint as the girls support their tribes and the chocolate cupcakes prepared and enjoyed by the cooking class. I hope you can feel the joy that is unavoidable when spending any amount of time here at Merri-Mac. Because it is more than just a name… its home.

Ellie Simpson

Tweedle Dee counselor

Chorus Teacher

Choctaw till the day I die.