I LOVE Sundays at camp! The Sunday schedule is completely different from every other day of the week, but it is always really special. Sundays at camp are full of tradition and offer a slower pace, which is exactly what we need after a fun-filled week at camp. Sunday gives us time to reflect on just how much we have learned, laughed and loved at Camp Highlander.

Campers and staff enjoy sleeping in and slowly make their way down for breakfast at 9:30am. This late wake-up is a gift to the campers and staff after all the hard work they put into their week and to our fantastic EP last night.

After breakfast, cabins gather together and line up for chapel. Chapel is one of the oldest traditions at camp, dating all the way back to 1957. While the format of chapel has changed over the years to stay relevant to our campers, the messages of building character and strong values has remained for over 60 years. This morning the theme of chapel was building and protecting your character. Gaynell read the book You are Special and Karl built a Jenga tower of character. It was a very memorable chapel and message.

After chapel, we have camp clean up and then free-play activities around camp - freeze dance, ultimate frisbee, bracelet making, basketball, volleyball and tetherball. This free-play time is new to Sundays this year, and the campers are loving it!

Following lunch, we have an extended rest hour which most of our campers really love. Some of our younger campers will say “we don’t need to nap,” but typically this is the only day of the week that they actually do since they have the time to fall asleep. Rest is an intentional part of our Sunday routine as it recharges us all for another fantastic week of activities, adventure and fun.

Our afternoon activity has been affectionately called SUNDAY FUNDAY for many years! Today’s Sunday Funday activity was Regatta. Cabins were each given cardboard, duct tape, scissors and one hour to construct a boat for a race on the lake. One counselor from each cabin paddled their boat from the beach to the blob dock. As each boat struggled to get to the dock from taking in so much water, the campers were jumping up and down and cheering from the beach for their masterful construction. The races ended up being a tie between boys camp and girls camp. It was so much fun!

Senior campers had a surprise Sunday Funday…they went bowling and they had a blast! This organized social time is so important for them to build friendships and connect with their peers. Since they are disconnected from technology, they are fully engaged in conversation and play with friends.

Favorite Details of the Day:

• Meals - Breakfast was chicken biscuits and eggs, fruit bar, oatmeal and grits. Lunch was tacos and salad bar. Dinner was roasted turkey, haricot verts, mashed potatoes, homemade rolls and salad bar. Dessert after dinner was carrot cake.
• DJ Sunday - Today’s lunch DJ playlist was sponsored by Cabins 18 and 3! I love music in the dining hall on Sundays at lunch! It brings so much joy and life to the dining hall as we all sing along at the top of our lungs and dance like no one is watching. Check out the conga line the campers started. Camp is just too much fun!
• Sunday Funday - Hawaiian Pirate Regatta for Jr. and Int. Senior Camp Bowling!
• EP - Campfire

After dinner, we head down to campfire to enjoy great music and a recap of the great week. At campfire we announce our Honor Campers and Honor Cabins for week 1 of Session B.

Honor campers are nominated by their counselors for their kind and respectful nature, their selfless attitude in the cabin, their positive attitude about activities and their overall camp spirit. The activity counselors then vote on the campers based on their interaction and observation of those campers throughout the week.

Honor cabins are also voted on by activity counselors for their teamwork, cooperation, selflessness, generosity, joyful attitude and love shown to others. Honor cabins stand out as leaders on camp for their participation in Evening Programs, activities and camp events.

Session B Honor Campers and cabins:

• Junior Camp - Ella Cate C. (Cabin 16) and Caleb M. (Cabin 18)
• Intermediate Camp - Ava M.(Cabin 12) and Michael S. (Cabin 23)
• Senior Camp - Grace F. (Cabin 4) and Granison A. (Cabin 29)
• Girls Honor Cabin - Cabin 11
• Boys Honor Cabin - Cabin 28

And to wrap it all up with a great big bow,we had the perfect ending to a perfect day - warm cookies and milk in the dining hall before everyone went to bed. This is by far everyone’s favorite Sunday tradition!