SmokeSignals Blog

You guys are missing it.  Middle to late October at camp is probably the most beautiful time of the entire year and all of you aren’t even here to witness this.  Maybe one day you will join the crowds of sightseers who pass through Black Mountain during leaf season but until then I guess you are going to have to rely on my blog postings with pictures from around camp!

That is right!  We are hitting the road to see you guys.  Especially during the months of October and November Adam, Anne and Dan travel around the country to show the video to potential camp families, answer any camp questions, and provide a venue for you to remember how cool your summer is at camp!  It is kind of like a little camp reunion in your own hometown!

We would love to see you at one of these so here is a list of where we will be during our Fall travel season:

Oct. 4th-Salisbury, NC at the Dees home 6:30pm
Oct. 5th-Lexington, SC at the Johnson’s 6pm
Oct. 7th-Ocala, FL at the Cope’s 6pm
Oct. 8th-Miami, FL at the Dominguez home 4pm
Oct.9th-Boca Raton, FL at the Marano home 3pm
Oct. 10-Naples, FL at the Chur home 6:30pm
Oct. 11- Naples, FL at the Vedder home 6pm
Oct. 13-Tampa, FL at the Skidmore home 6:30pm
Oct. 14th-St. Pete, FL at the Burtch home 6pm
Oct. 14th-Charlotte, NC at the Marks home 6pm
Oct. 15th-Tampa, FL at the Columbus home 4:30pm
Oct. 16th-Acworth, GA at the Sullivan home 4pm
Oct. 17th-Canton, GA at the Murphy home 6pm
Oct. 17th-Melbourne, FL at the Jameson home 6pm
Oct. 18th-UGA staff visit
Oct. 18th-Raleigh, NC at the Carr home 6pm
Oct. 19th-Cary, NC at the Ban home 6:30pm
Oct. 23rd-Dublin, GA at the Gay home 4pm
Oct. 24th-Valdosta, GA at the Tillman home 7pm
Oct. 25th-Columbia, SC at the Mathews 6:30pm
Oct. 27th-Atlanta, GA at the Spicher home 6:30pm
Oct. 28th-Jacksonville, FL at the Huntley home 6pm
Oct. 30th-Asheville, NC at the Vickery home 2pm
Nov. 1st-Cary, NC at the Soeder home 6pm
Nov. 2nd-Atlanta, GA at the Drury home 6:30pm
Nov. 3rd-Durham, NC at the Hight home 6pm
Nov. 3rd-Birmingham, AL at the Garrison home 6pm
Nov. 4th-Birmingham, AL at the Culver home 6:30pm
Nov. 5th-New Orleans, LA at the Rigby home 3pm
Nov. 6th-Nashville, TN at the Hale home 4pm
Nov. 7th-Jackson, MS at the Morse home 6pm
Nov. 7th-Spartanburg, SC at the Ellis home 6:30pm
Nov. 8th-Ridgeland, MS at the Burrow home 6pm
Nov. 8th-St. Louis, MO at the Baur home 6pm
Nov. 8th-Nashville, TN at the Ayers home 6:30pm
Nov. 10th-Jackson, MS at the Lange home 6pm
Nov. 10th-Princeton, KY at the Englebright home 6pm
Nov. 13th-Oxford, MS at the Best home 4pm
Nov.14th-Hickory, NC at the Holtzman home 6:30pm

If you see your town on this list then please give us a call if you want directions to attend.  We would love to see you!

Happy Camping!

Director Dan

Black Mountain Expeditions is quite a versatile organization!  Obviously, it is great at leading kids through the wilderness and providing that unique experience.  But it has also begun working with schools here on camp to provide some wonderful team building, service oriented, skill development in a camp setting rather than out on the trail.  So far this year we have hosted two excellent Asheville area schools, Carolina Day School and Veritas Christian Academy.

During this time the school’s faculty works with BME director, Ryan Carlson, to give these students a true camp experience.  They do team building exercises, learn archery, climbing, play battleball, etc. (the Sultan of fun even showed up one evening to lead Sock War!).  But then they have integrated in their own curriculum that supports what they have been learning back at school.  Needless to say, this is pretty cool stuff.

If you are ever interested in having your school come to camp for this sort of thing please have someone from your school give Ryan a call.  We would love to work with you!

Happy Camping!

Director Dan

It’s 7:30 pm and I’m in my office catching up on email with parents.  But I’m not getting much done because I keep stopping to listen.  Right now the mountain is vibrating with tribe cheers.  It’s Tribe Fest (a big day at camp!) and right now we are finishing it off with Field Day.   I have been to a lot of field days at camp, and I have been to a lot of field days at my children’s schools, and there’s a big difference.  Schools just do not make this much noise.   I think there are three reasons.

First, girls are different when there are no boys in the room.  They get very loud, they laugh more, they are not afraid to look silly, and they are not afraid to be athletic, or leaders, or followers.  Our girls are made to engage the world around them and when it is just girls they have the freedom to do this without any concern what any boy might think about it.  An all-girl’s camp is a safe place for our campers to figure out who God has made them to be.

Next, living together is completely different than being dropped off at 8:00 and picked up at 3:00.   When children live together they develop a sense of empathy that is difficult to find in other places.  The result is they find themselves cheering for friends and family, not just randomly selected teams.  Even when they do not win, they are proud of each other.

Finally, and we are made to be challenged, grow and succeed.  When a girl has the freedom to fail without anyone laughing about it, she has the freedom to try new things, and when she does this she is not afraid of challenges.  Of course growth and success are then just right around the corner.  When they see their friends grow and succeed, they begin cheering…very loudly.  It’s very loud here.

Adam (is now further behind in office work)

As Session 2A closes, lots of memories with many laughs, smiles, and tears were shared amongst campers. As the two weeks were ending, the girls were reminded of the strong friendships formed here at Merri-Mac! Each girl had tears in her eyes, but the smiles never faded, as we knew one thing…these friendships made, were true friendships. Saying goodbye is always hard, but we took comfort in the fact that we would always have each other.

Last nights evening activity was White Feather and Fine Arts Night! After dinner, the girls headed up to the Teepee to sit around the campfire for our White Feather Ceremony! Many girls were promoted last night! In Junior Camp: Kate A., Rachel H., Jarrett B., and Molly H. were promoted to the rank of Tumbleweed. Lizzie H. and Ava D. were promoted to the rank of Groundhog. In Senior Camp: Berkleigh H. Elenor P., Natalie S., Julia M., Lawton N., Sydney B., Sydney H., Gracie Rae H., Leah B., Colombe H., Laura B., Colombe H., Laura L., Olivia K., Carleigh W., Melanie G., Millie M., and Marit S. were promoted to the rank of Arrow. Alex L., Katherine O., Anna B., Courtney B., Sophia H., Taylor T., Yamille G., Alice C., and Kirstie H. were promoted to Crazy Creek. Vanessa D., Mary Laci M., Ameila G., Emma J., Becca M., Katie S., Maggie S., Anna Sutton W., Anna B., Shawn C., and Sophie H. were promoted to Long Bow. Anabel M. was promoted to Running Deer. Hamilton I., Sarah L., Sara W., and Meredith S. were promoted to Red Tail.

In Fine Arts Night many girls performed and showed off their talents! Some of our cheerleading, guitar, and dance classes perfumed! Margaret C. and Heather M. performed monologues! The chorus classes performed routines to Wicked’s “Popular” and Hairspray’s “Good Morning Baltimore”. Some of the dance routines included songs: “Angel”, “When It Don’t Come Easy”, “Jai Ho”, and “Proud Mary”! Even some girls did a fencing routine with a choreographed dance! We enjoyed each act! The girls all did a fabulous job and we are proud of each one of them!

This Morning we woke up with mixed feelings about the day to come! Although each girl was excited to see her friends and family, this meant leaving our friends behind in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains!

This morning started with a breakfast of delicious Coffee Cake and Breakfast Burritos!  After breakfast, the girls headed outside to “Friendship Circle” on the back green! In this ceremony the girls all stood in a circle and held hands, singing songs which described memories, friendships, and finally goodbye! “mmhm, I want to linger… mmhm, a little longer… mmhm, a little longer here with you.” Campers and Staff alike dread singing these songs because they know that means one thing…goodbye is near! Each girl hugged her cabin-mates, and new friends, which marked the beginning of a day filled with hugs, pictures, and exchanging of addresses and phone numbers! They “lingered” on the Green as long as they could as if staying there would mean goodbye would never come.

The girls headed up to their cabins to prepare for classes, all the while listening for her name to be called to run down the hill and meet her family at the front porch!

While in classes today, Fitness went to the lake and went synchronized swimming. In Riflery, the girls played a game of Taboo with Climbing third period today! In Drama the girls played dress up and performed a skit for Victoria Y., the drama instructor. Anabel M. got her gold in canoeing!  In Archery the girls shot the targets and worked towards their bars!

For lunch today the girls ate a camp favorite meal of Chicken Nuggets and French Fries! The girls ate Cookies for dessert!

During 4^th period the girls headed to Lake Dorris for a free swim filled with blobbing, diving, kayaking, and sunbathing! It was a lot of fun to have everyone swimming and sharing time together at our newly beautifully updated Lake Dorris!

The girls headed down the hill to dinner, where we ate pasta, broccoli, and bread sticks! For dessert we had another camp favorite—fudge bars!

After dinner, each girl headed up the hill to change into her swim suit and grab a towel to head back to Lake Dorris for a camp free swim! After free swim, they returned to their cabins and prepared for another great day at camp tomorrow!

To all of our parents: thank you for offering us this wonderful experience at camp! We cannot wait to tell you all about it! Every friendship and memory created here are only possible because of YOU! We love you all very much and are thinking of and praying for you always!

Although we are sad to see so many smiling faces go, we look forward to sharing another great two weeks with your daughters!

“Best Friends Forever means never apart, maybe in distance, but never in heart!”

We LOVE you Merri-Mac beauties!

“And as the years go by, ill think of you inside, this is goodnight and not goodbye!”

Maddy Cristina

Stardust Camper 2003 and Counselor 2011

Cheerleading Instructor

PROUD Seminole!

Photography by Wendy Perry