I wonder how many decisions a person makes in their life. Think of all the choices you have made that have made you the person you are today. One of the most valuable life skills we practice with our campers here at Camp Highlander is decision-making. Unfortunately, pop culture influences decisions for our children like: what they should wear, how they should talk, what they should eat or drink, what music they should listen to or how they should act to be “cool.” Because of this, often times our children are paralyzed when they have to make decisions - unsure of what is the right thing to do, of doing it wrong or how it might be perceived by others.

The best way for children to learn how to make good decisions is to practice decision-making. We provide the perfect opportunity for this life-skill practice on our Camper’s Choice days, and today was the first of the summer. Every camper gets to choose and sign up for their favorite activities for the entire day and make their own schedule. These are definitely some of the most popular days at camp. Camper’s Choice days promote independence, allow campers to have a voice and give them control of their destiny.

On Camper’s Choice days, we offer different activities that we normally don’t have on a regular day at camp like running, letter writing, friendship bracelet making, zumba and more. Many campers opt for a slower paced day to relax and enjoy the relationships they are building with friends. Some campers opt for adventure and choose canoeing on the Green River, waterfall rappelling or hiking. Campers also have the opportunity to do on-camp activities and work on their progressive skills and achievements towards their Master of the Mills (our highest achievement in a particular activity). Most campers choose to travel to activities with friends, but others will sign up alone in pursuit of their personal goals, growth and interests. So many fun things to do and so many choices.

Favorite Details of the Day:

• Reflect - Gaynell reminded each of us about being unique. God made us all different and special in our own way, and no two people are the same. He encouraged us to celebrate and share our uniqueness with one another at camp “because no one does you better than you.”
• Meals - Breakfast was homemade cinnamon rolls and bacon (Yummy!!). Lunch- Meatball subs, tator tots and salad bar. Dinner - Chicken fajitas with grilled veggies and corn and black beans. Dessert - Cinnamon and Sugar Churros.
• EP - Counselor Hunt!! This is a camper and staff favorite. Imagine a tremendous game of hide and go seek. One counselor from each cabin and the activity counselors get dressed up in camo to hide in the boundaries around camp. Each staff member is worth postive, negative or neutral points. The object of the game is to catch as many staff as you can to tally your points to the highest, but you might get negative points…you don’t know until the finale. And the best staff member that EVERYONE wants is the one who is worth 0 points but guarantees the cabin a trip to Gus’s after EP!
• Weather - The weather has been fantastic. Lots of sun and heat, but today we had a wonderful sprinkle that didn’t slow down the fun but brought the cooler North Carolina mountain temperatures for a good night’s sleep.

There are many times in life that we do not have a choice or things that are out of our control. At Camp Highlander, we teach campers that they always have a choice about their decisions. Their lives will be a result of many decisions that they make. Problem-solving, prioritzing and decision-making are life skills that we want our campers to gain at camp, to help guide their future and the people that they become.

From the smiles I saw on the campers’ faces today, I think there were A LOT of great decisions made!