POWER OF A TEAM

Monday morning I gave the first Reflect of the Rock of the session and talked about teamwork. I compared our cabin unit to a team, and shared how every person in the cabin plays a role in the success of their team this session. I challenged each camper to think about how they wanted to contribute positively to their team, and I went down the alphabet sharing ways they could do so…A-appreciate each member and their unique gifts, B- believe in your ability to achieve more together than apart, C- challenge one another to be your very best, and so on. Little did I know that no one would need that reminder of the power in TEAM more than I did that day.

We woke up to beautiful sunny skies and a glorious sunshine last lasted most of the day. I noticed around 4:00 pm that the clouds were starting to turn gray, and at about 4:45 pm the sky opened up with rain and wind. It was a heavy 30 minute shower, but after it was over the sun came right back out. Unforunately, the wind was so strong that a tree fell on a powerline about 3 miles down South Mills River Road and cut out our power for the evening.

Losing power is always a bummer, but losing power at camp with 450 people is a BIG bummer. My first thought was “What are we going to do about dinner?” I raced upstairs to the kitchen where Chef and Mrs. Kaye assured me that they had it under control. The chicken and potatoes were done, and they were cooking the green beans on the gas grill. They even had dessert made and ready…WOW! Our kitchen staff are amazing!

I continued to hear chatter over the radio as my TEAM jumped right into problem-solving mode:

• Bryan and the maintenance team got the generator going to save the 256 cases of groceries that were delivered by our foodservice provider earlier in the day.
• The leadership team helped me clear the dining hall of all silverware and dishes and swap them out for plastic and paper products, since we had no running water or a dishwasher.
• The wilderness staff brought in propane lanterns, and we hooked up string lights that we plugged into the generator to create a beautiful, soft lit dining hall and what we can only describe as an elegant dining experience.
• The counselors selflessly waited on the campers throughout the meal, so no one had to get up from the table in the dark.
• The EP staff put on a happy playlist (powered by the generator) that had every camper and staff member standing up and singing their hearts out to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing.” And following dinner, they put on a fantastic night of cabin challenge outside for all of camp.

It was an increbile night that I will never forget. I am so grateful for the amazing people who surround me each day to make sure that everything we do is executed with excellence. What could have been a disaster, turned into a wonderful memory. We may have lost electricity, but with a TEAM like ours, we never lose POWER.

Today, we woke up to sunny skies and light! Campers enjoyed another full day of activiites in their cabin groups, and their energy was through the roof. I love the energy that the C session campers have for Highlander. After waiting all summer to get to camp, they embrace every opportunity to enjoy all that the summer camp experience has to offer. We had a really great day today, and there is no better way to end a great day than with a square dance! So much fun!

Favorite Details of the Tuesday

• Reflect at the Rock: Mac shared with us about the powerful flying patterns of geese that teach us about standing by our friends.
• Meals: Breakfast was biscuits, sausage, scrambled eggs and fruit bar. Lunch was copycat chick-fil-a sandwiches, waffle fries and salad bar. Dinner was beef and broccoli with rice, egg rolls and salad bar.
• EP: Square Dance
• Weather: We had beautiful sunshine all day today. It was goregous. Tonight we had a cool breeze that made square dance on the athletic field absolutely wonderful!