As the sun rose over the Blue Ridge Mountains of Camp Merri-Mac, campers were awoken by the bugle and began a new day at camp, full of adventures! The sweet sound of friendships forming, and bright laughter filled each cabin as they started their morning chores, in hopes of receiving a high cabin score for the day, all counting towards the coveted “cabin cake,” which is given to the cabin with the highest combined cabin clean-up score!

As we headed to breakfast, the rain started to drizzle, but that didn’t stop our Merri-Mac girls’ spirit! Breakfast was a delicious combo of casserole and blueberry pastries. After finishing our meal, we sang some favorite camp songs including “Darlin’ You Can’t Love One,” and “Chante, Chante.” We sang the announcements song and were on our way to Chapel, except for the Tweedle cabins who stayed behind to sweep (and have an impromptu dance party to Taylor Swift songs). Chapel was led by The Robin counselor Abby B. , who spoke about God being the GPS for our life, and with him, we are never lost or alone.

We had some exciting trips that went out today as well! On the waterskiing trip were campers Gabrielle K., Ava E. W., Campbell W., Layne S., Emily S., and Isa S. On the Backpacking trip was Presley T., Emily M., Amy J., Christine M., Anne M., Anna G., Lydia M., Charlotte Z., Sophia R., Ellen M., Brooke G., and Charlotte W. We are so proud of our girls as they develop their skills out in the world!

As classes began, our girls started to really get into the swing of their activities, and start to master new skills. Our Pottery classes worked on their pinch pots, while Senior Hill campers got to practice throwing on the wheel! DIY worked hard creating their beautiful scrapbook journals, as girls got to explore their creativity in choosing and designing each and every page! Climbing met in the Mike today as girls worked diligently to master the overhang wall. Gymnastics classes continued to impress me as girls practiced their back tucks on the floor, fulls on the trampoline, and began learning basic skills on the bars.

Lunch was a camp favorite—pizza! The girls were in competition to see which cabin ate the most pieces, and the winner was…the TWEEDLES! Evening Activities Director, Kristie G., then announced the winner from last night’s tribal game of Gold Rush! The winner of the game AND spirit points was… (the best tribe) CHOCTAW! The dining hall erupted in a deafening cheer of our Choctaw campers as they celebrated the double win! Kristie then announced evening activity which is…BATTLEBALL!! All of camp will be competing in a giant game of tribal dodgeball in the Mike tonight, as each division of campers competes against one another, finishing with an intense and awesome face-off of Sunnyside cabin versus the staff! We headed to rest hour and then sprinted to Trading Post to get to the front of the line! As the rain picked up, our girls played with their friends, made bracelets, and told stories on the porches of Tweedle Lodge and The Big House. Third and fourth periods brought even more shouts of joy across property, as our campers played with the puppies, learned new tricks on their mountain bikes, and made individualized grilled cheeses in Cooking class, personalized with each camper’s individual preferences, including ham, various cheeses, bacon, and even apple slices!

Dinner was a delicious menu of grilled chicken tortillas and churros for dessert! Cabins stood and proudly sang their cabin songs, each beginning to settle into an individualized identity with the personal flair they each bring. As I write this article, your lovely campers are headed up the hill to the teepee for the first White Feather ceremony of the summer, where many girls will be recognized for their outstanding achievements in their classes and cabins.

Rest assured that your precious girls are happy, healthy, safe, and so very loved. It is a privilege to see their smiling faces and pure joy as they experience the gospel through friends and adventure. We are so proud of who they are, and who they are continuing to become. Merri-Mac girls are truly the best in the world!

 

From this haven,

Anne Dillon L.

Tweedle Dot Counselor

10th summer at Merri-Mac

Proud Choctaw