As the gates opened at 9:00 am for Opening Day, I found myself singing “THIS IS THE GREATEST SHOW!” Have you seen The Greatest Showman? If not, you need to. The movie tells the story of P.T. Barnum’s creation of the Barnum and Bailey Circus and the amazing people who are a part of his show. Like Barnum’s circus, each of our campers and staff members bring their uniqueness, their talents, their hopes, their dreams and their spirit to this mountain and make camp the most fun, most inspiring and most exciting experience a person can have.

As campers jumped out of their cars and headed to the gym, there was a huge school house chalkboard with the words…“Before I leave Camp I…” Campers and staff filled the chalkboard throughout the day with the hopes, dreams, goals and wishes for this session…a camp bucket list so to speak. The black board quickly turned to a rainbow of hope that will stay in the gym all session to remind us that we need to make the most out of every opportunity we have in the next two weeks.

Some of those hopes and dreams included:

• Go on a kayaking trip.
• Have a lot of laughs.
• Get an award.
• Get a chaco tan.
• Make something new.
• Win an HBA game.
• Make new friends.

It has been a fantastic Opening Day! The weather was fabulous this morning and the sun was shining. As old friends reuninted and soon-to-be friends were introduced, everyone was talking about the great two weeks to come. We didn’t waste any time and jumped right into the adventures of camp as soon as the last Suburban left Old Forge Mountain.

Favorite Details of the Day:

• Lunch - Grilled cheese and tomato soup and salad bar (an Opening Day tradition and a camper and staff favorite)
• Afternoon - Activities, swim evaluations and cabin photos (be sure to check summer services on the website for the latest photos of your camper)
• Dinner - Prime rib, roasted potatoes, green beans, mixed green salad and Highlander Mudslide for dessert. YUM!
• EP - Opening campfire! (The rain started just before campfire, so we had it in the gym tonight.)

I love Opening Day because it is filled with the joy and hope of another magical summer at Highlander. I love opening campfire, and all the tradition it brings. I love watching the campers dance to the songs they love and teach their new friends all the right moves. Most of all, on Opening Day I love seeing all our camp families, how all our campers have grown over the year and getting the chance to visit with you, our parents, on different ways that we can serve your children and your family.

Each summer we pick a theme for our staff orientation to demonstrate what our role is here and to inspire greatness. This year our theme is “Come One, Come All to the Greatest Show of them All!” We want to thank you for the privilege of partnering with you on the journey of growing your child. Thank you for making Camp Highlander a part of your summer. We think that this is the Greatest Show on Earth, and we hope you do too!