It was another glorious day here at camp, maybe even the most beautiful day of the summer so far! It started early with the typical Sunday breakfast of cinnamon rolls and chocolate milk — however, it was not a typical day for the men of Greybeard, the eldest campers took their once per session off camp trip. But more about their fun filled day later, for now, let’s get back to that iconic Timberlake Sunday breakfast! In a feat of excellence and pure athletic prowess, the cabin of Little Slaty consumed an astounding 53 cartons of milk among the 14 campers and 2 counselors. After breakfast, the camp marched their way up to the Mark where our fearless leader, John M., lead chapel and worship with some camp classics like “Arise my Soul Arise”, “Isaiah 43”, “Nothing but the Blood,” “Let my Light Shine Bright” and eventually ending with the powerful Camp Hymn. Before the campers were dismissed, we participated in a time honored tradition of voting for the “Ugliest Camper” or the camper with the most tribal spirit as indicated by the amount  of paint left on their face after the final piece of initiation–sleeping in the paint that was lathered on faces the evening before. The camper that was welcomed into this very select and prestigious group of young men was none other than Mason A.—it is truly a badge of honor here at camp!

Afterwards, the campers went to clean their cabin and get prepared for the rest of the day. During first and second period, we had campers excelling in all activities from kayaking in the lake to archery on the ranges, PAWS in the Outback, and cooking in the kitchen! In kayaking, Nick G., Dylan D., and Daniel V. all worked on their hip-snaps and side by side rescues. In archery, Jack W., Gowan J. Tripp C., and John B. all hit tight groupings towards their respective bars. In PAWS, all the campers warmed up with 15 minutes of playing with puppies before getting to work walking the dogs around camp. In cooking, Miles S. and others helped the instructors with make some scrumptious buffalo chicken dip and homemade corn tortilla chips! “These chips remind me of my 3 years in Nicaragua,” said Director John M. This direct quote from our leader truly shows the masterful work done by our campers in the kitchen!

As the we wrapped up morning activities, campers and staff alike began to flood the Tuck in preparation for the day’s next meal — and it was a special one. Here at Timberlake, desert is usually reserved for dinner, but today was a day of exceptions and everyone rejoiced as apple turnovers (a real camp favorite) were brought out to the tables. Chants of: “Lunch dessert! Lunch dessert! ” rattled the frame of the Tuck during the special occasion.

We had a great free swim in the afternoon—Alberto C. had the craziest dive off the tower, and Travis R. had the biggest blob of the day. Directly after free swim, the afternoon activities started up and camp was yet again alive with the smiles of campers as they learned new skills and excelled in their respective activities. Louis F. and Robert B. fell in love yet again with pottery as they applied their final touches to their pieces before being fired and glazed.

As all of this was happening on camp property, our Greybeard campers were having quite the day of their own. They started off the day with a nice drive along the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway to a fun hike boasting a stunning view at Black Balsam. After enjoying the beauty of God’s creation, the men travelled into Asheville to observe America’s pastime—a baseball game, specifically, an Asheville Tourists game. Greybeard ended their trip with a stop at CiCi’s Pizza to consume as much food as humanly possible. Finally, the men came back to join Merri-Mac for games and a fireworks show.

As the afternoon activities came to an end, the campers made their way to Macky’s Green in order to get in line for the famed Timberlake Sunday Cookout! As the food was placed down, the campers formed nine lines along the tables overlooking the mighty spread of burgers, hot dogs, condiments and most importantly, chocolate chip and sugar cookies. While the campers were filling their bellies, unbeknownst to them, the Merri-Mac campers were on their way to join in on the Sunday festivities. Together as two camps like never before, the campers played games including cornhole, spikeball, ladder ball, and frisbee while others just enjoyed time with friends as the sun set over the mountains while listening to music in the background. As the sun began to set and the light began to fade on this glorious camp day, the campers walked to the chapel hill in order to enjoy the symphony of fireworks as the crescendo to this incredible day that is camp. The conductor John M. and his lead chairs Harris C. and Austin S. illuminated the night with a fireworks show. As Merri-Mac drove home, our boys found their way home to their cabins as another great day at camp came to a close.

Big Tuna (Austin Snively) and Hollywood (Harris Cannon)

Proud Iroquois

Proud Senior Staff