This morning marked the final half-day of Color War 2026, building up to the event campers and staff anticipate — and invest themselves in — more than any other: the Final Program.
The Final Program presents a one-act play written, cast, and directed by the staff and performed by the campers. Everything from the sets and costumes to the props and production is created by both campers and staff in just three short days. And somehow, every year, the magic unfolds. This year’s plays from both teams were absolutely fantastic — creative, thoughtful, funny, and deeply moving. I’m in awe of the talent, imagination, and collaboration that bring these performances to life.
Our Color War theme this year was a quote from Winston Churchill, and it’s a message both teams embraced beautifully:
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.”
I found myself laughing out loud one moment and tearing up the next during today’s performances. So much time and effort went into these plays, and the message was clear in both: have courage.
The Blue Knights performed first with “Back to Normal.” The scene opened with a grandfather telling his grandson a bedtime story — not a traditional one like the Three Little Pigs or Little Red Riding Hood, but one with a deeper meaning. The crowd was quiet and completely locked in. The play was creative and funny, with comedic timing from the actors that landed perfectly. The story followed storybook characters living in a story land who felt dissatisfied with their perfect, simple, repetitive lives. They wanted to be “normal.” When they got their wish, they realized normal wasn’t all it was cracked up to be — it meant being made fun of at school, working a job with no joy in it, and feeling alone. In the end, the characters decided they preferred their not-so-normal lives, and found the courage to stand up for what they knew was right. The result: they changed the world around them, sparking kindness in school, bringing fun into the workplace, and finding friendship in the most unlikely places.
Their plaque carried the storybook theme forward with a wooden storybook design, inspired by both the quote and the play. The staff who built it shared that it made them reflect on how many of the morals and values we learn as kids come from storybooks — many of which carry themes of courage and perseverance despite initial failure. They tied that back to the lessons we learn through Color War. While Color War is fun, it can feel intense and overwhelming when we get too focused on winning. But we can’t always win — and winning or losing matters less than the courage to keep going. Color War is another page in our life story, a reminder that in both success and failure, we learn and grow, building determination, resilience, courage, and faith. The quote inside the Blue Knights’ plaque read: “A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage.” So beautiful.
The Red Dragons’ play, “Trading the Stage,” told the story of a rock star named Preston Churchill. Preston grew up in a small town in Wisconsin but left his simple life behind to become a star. When he returned home for a concert, he tried to avoid his old friends, his family, and the people who once made him feel small. What he discovered instead was that success isn’t much fun without someone to share it with. So he fired his controlling manager and returned to his family — trading the guarantee of a manager-driven career for something far more certain: a future built on the people who loved him most.
The Dragons’ plaque carried a similar theme. Like the rock star who lost his way, we all need a compass sometimes to point us back in the right direction. Unlike a map, which lays out every detail of the journey, a compass simply offers direction. It can’t eliminate obstacles, shorten the path, or guarantee success — but it consistently points us toward true north, helping us find our bearings after every wrong turn, and encouraging us to keep moving forward. We aren’t defined by our successes or our failures, but by the courage to keep going in the right direction. The quote inside the Dragons’ plaque read: “No matter the path, the view gets better the further you go,” a reminder to keep climbing, with the promise of a beautiful view from the top.
I was speechless. Three days — in just three short days, our campers and staff created these powerful, beautiful stories that embody the true spirit of Highlander and Color War. I am so proud of them. They are going to change our world for the better with their big hearts and strong minds. What a privilege it is to play even a small part in the storybook of their lives.
Before I announced the winners of Color War 2026, I congratulated the officers, majors, campers, and staff for the best Color War I’ve seen in my 25 years at camp. I thanked them for the courage they displayed over these four days, for the compassion they shared with teammates and friends, and for the sacrifices they made for their teams. I reminded them that the best part of Color War is that we are all winners, because even when your team loses, your best friend or cabinmate on the other side is celebrating a win, and their joy becomes a reason for you to celebrate too.
After the applause and cheers cleared, I began the Color War poem: “Red and Blue exhaustion… what’s the good of all this work anyway? To strive for excellence… to prove oneself… the winners of Color War 2026… The Blue Knights.”
And that was it. Color War was over. There were sad tears, and mostly happy tears, lots of hugs, photos and so much celebration because we are all winners. In the war of try, persevere, determination, grit, fight and heart…we are ALL winners!
After a two hour rest hour and a relaxing movie in the gym, we were bouncing off the walls during cookout in the dining hall (thanks to the rain) and the energy was insane at square dance tonight. Let’s just say, we’ve moved on from Color War and now we are soaking up every last minute we have with our favorite people in our favorite place.
Please slow down Session C. We love you and just don’t want to let you go!
Favorite Details of the Day
- Weather: We woke up to cloudy skies again. It was a sweatshirt kind of morning, which I love. The humidity my hair can do without, but the cool temperatures and soft breeze were amazing. The rain started during our extended rest hour and continued through this afternoon’s movie.
- Meals: For breakfast we had bagels and cream cheese, scrambled eggs, sausage patties, fresh fruit, yogurt and granola. For lunch we had philly cheese steak, tater tots, a salad and sandwich bar. Dinner was cookout, or cook-in I should say - hamburgers, hot dogs, pasta salad, potato chips, watermelon and chocolate chip cookies. Of course I hate the rain because of all the inconvenience, but the indoor cookout felt just as casual, relaxing and life giving to our campers as it always does. We sang and danced to the fantastic playlist, ate with our friends from different cabins and enjoyed Bryan’s delicious hamburgers. Another great evening of making memories at Highlander!
- Evening Program: Tonight’s EP was square dance, and we had so much fun!
About Melissa Fitzgerald
