Where has time gone? Summer 2013 at Camp Highlander is finally here! After a tremendous staff orientation, camp is now in full swing and everyone is busy making camp fantastic for another summer!
As I mentioned in my previous post, Courage, Honesty, Integrity and Faith are the four cornerstones of the Camp Highlander creed, and act as the values that direct every aspect of our daily camp life. Each year, we make sure campers and staff members understand our creed and how it pertains to everything we do on the mountain – big or small. From bonding with cabin mates after a busy day of activities, to rafting down the Nantahala River, our creed touches every aspect of the Camp Highlander experience.
The cornerstones of our creed help visitors to Highlander have the best possible camp experience summer after summer. Here’s how:
Courage
To start, it takes a lot of courage to come to camp for the first time. We understand! Everyone must leave their families, friends and home life, and step outside their routine. We applaud our first-time campers and staff for their courage to try something new (and the parents who have allowed their kids to come to Highlander!). Each day at CH also brings exciting activities and challenges that might call for some extra courage – whether it’s jumping off the Blob dock for the very first time or riding on the zip wire in Wilderness camp, we feel that summoning the courage to try new activities builds strength and character to be utilized for a lifetime.
Honesty
There are no two ways about it. The peaceful, natural setting at Camp Highlander leaves very little room for dishonesty. From the fresh, pure air and beautiful rolling green hills, to the crisp water in the Mills River and warm sunshine, the serenity of Old Forge Mountain lays the foundation for an honest, truthful camp experience. We encourage honesty from right within the cabin unit; campers always have the opportunity to speak openly or one-on-one with one of our staff members. Being honest is also encouraged while participating in daily activities, and helps create close bonds that campers and staff cherish for a lifetime.
Integrity
The very basis of a positive camp experience lies in greeting each day with the utmost integrity. Everyone on this mountain comes from somewhere else and has lived through a variety of experiences. But once everyone has arrived, we all share camp as common thread and begin a fresh chapter that allows growth through the exploration of new interests, friendships and activities. By giving 100% effort to the camp experience, committing daily acts of kindness and arriving with an open mind and heart, everyone gets so much more out of the camp experience than they ever imagined.
Faith
Throughout the years, we’ve been lucky to meet and get to know thousands of campers and staff. Although everyone comes to Highlander for a variety of reasons, each visitor to the mountain has taken the same single leap of faith and traveled to camp with eager anticipation of what’s to come. It’s that very faith in Highlander that drives our passion to make every experience the best it can be. Faith also frees up fear-based inhibitions and allows campers to fully enjoy something new. After all, life offers a series of experiences that require faith in the unknown. Having faith in Camp Highlander provides a unique summer of fun and a lifetime of cherished memories.
From the Mountain,
Karl
About Camp Highlander
