We had a wonderful day as cabin groups enjoying activities on and off-camp today. We had campers rafting the Nantahala, a few off-camp day hikes and regular on camp activity periods. With no thunder or lighting today, we were full speed ahead with camp and all the activities were open! It was fantastic! As the sun was shining, campers were soaking up every minute of their time with their cabin, knowing their days as a cabin unit are limited!

With the anticipation of Color War in the air, campers and staff have been on edge for the past two days. Yesterday campers were asking me if “any special songs would be played at campfire,” wink, wink. This morning, everyone was carrying their backpack (break bag) at breakfast and all throughout the day. We ran out of copy paper in the office today and decided to print bunk notes on colored paper until the white paper came in. The color of the paper we happened to have…green! Rumors were flying…did you see what they did…green bunk notes today…it’s today! It has to be today! They were asking green giants who happened to wear a green shirt today…so why are you wearing green? They were ready! They were waiting! And tonight, we made them so happy when Color War broke right at the beginning of Minute to Win It!

Mac and I were competing in the first challenge of the night…girls camp vs. boys camp m&m challenge. The campers and staff were cheering us on, and then the campers and staff started counting down the final seconds 5-4-3-2-1 and BANG…the confetti cannon burst green confetti into the air, while two Green Giants appeared with torches in the ceiling of the gym. Green Giants surrounded the campers, as the music of O Fortuna blared on the speakers. Red and Blue paint was everywhere!! People were jumping up and down!! Campers were screaming for joy….IT’S FINALLY HERE!!

Color War is one of the reasons that C session campers come to camp, or at least why they come to Session C! It is exciting, it is suspenseful, it is competitive and it is intense. Yet, at the same time…it is community, it is encouragement, it is perseverance and it is love.

As each camper and staff member’s name was called tonight, I was reminded why Color War is such a wonderful part of camp…belonging. Every camper was welcomed with open arms and grateful hearts onto their team tonight, loved for just being a member of the team. Every camper has a place on a team and a part to play in the war over the next four days. Every event matters. Every point will count. Every camper will contribute to the end result. Everyone will belong, and this is what makes Color War so important, so special and so cherished by our campers and staff!

We have a busy few days ahead of us full of competition and teamwork, and I am so excited! Stay tuned for the blog with details of the daily events, as well as updates on facebook and Instagram, because COLOR WAR 2024 HAS JUST BEGUN!

Favorite Details of The Day

• Reflect: This morning, Pilar, our Intermediate Girls Division Head, read a poem by Edgar Guest, See it Through. She talked to us about persevering in hard things, never giving up and facing challenges with courage. She finished by saying, you may fail, but you may conquer, no matter what, see it through!
• Meals: For breakfast today we had french toast sticks, scrambled eggs, bacon, oatmeal, grits and a fruit bar. For lunch we had barbacoa or cilantro chicken soft tacos, homemade guacamole, salsa and chips, a sandwich bar and a salad bar. For dinner we had “THE BEST CHICKEN,” which is a deliciously marinated and grilled chicken breast, roasted broccoli, scalloped potatoes with cheese, homemade rolls, a sandwich bar and a salad bar. When the disco ball went off, the dining hall erupted in cheers and we all did the cupid shuffle before enjoying our ice cream sandwiches for dessert.
• Weather: We had a beautiful day of sunshine all day for our activities. We had a brief rain shower right after dinner and before EP began, but it was not bad. Overall, a great day for weather!!
• EP: Tonight’s EP was supposed to be Minute to Win It…but Color War broke! We decided to give out our awards for Honor Camper and Honor Cabin before EP tonight since last night the power went out. I don’t know if it is because they waited an extra day to find out, but the campers and cabins were SO excited about their wins tonight, and these were some very deserving campers of recognition for the amazing week they have had at camp!

HONOR CAMPERS & HONOR CABINS

• Lower Girls: Ella W (Cabin 14)
• Lower Boys: Charles M (Cabin 23)
• Intermediate Girls: Harper Y (Cabin 13)
• Intermediate Boys: Ellis F (Cabin 25)
• Senior Girls: Meri Drake V (Cabin 1)
• Senior Boys: Hudson R (Cabin 33)
• Girls Camp Honor Cabin: Cabin 9
• Boys Camp Honor Cabin: Cabin 33