Today was an extremely special day at Camp Merri-Mac for Girls, Staff Appreciation Day! When reveille rang at 7o’clock sharp this morning, all of our oldest campers in Sunnyside, Big Dipper, and Cloud Nine were dispatched to all of our younger cabins and began to serve a day on staff. They helped clean the cabins and get girls ready for the day while our amazing staff got to sleep in a little extra before breakfast. Then, we all headed over to the Tucker Inn to chow down on a classic breakfast of biscuits, sausage, and eggs. All of our new “counselors” ate with their cabins while the staff got to eat with each other #community. After breakfast, we headed up to chapel where the “counselors” lead worship and Louisa D. gave a message about who God is in our lives.

After chapel, campers headed to activities, also lead by “counselors”. Our amazing oldest girls were able to learn about activities in a whole new way today and were even able to help teach them! It was a beautiful day here in Black Mountain, and girls were out and about popping rolls in kayaking, hitting bullseyes in archery, and learning how to navigate some awesome downhill switchbacks in mountain biking. Staff appreciation is especially fun in activities, because our older campers get to experience teaching skills they have learned throughout the session and their years at camp. Lunch today was southwest chicken wraps, and it was a big afternoon for the winners of last night’s battle ball…. THE GOLDEN EAGLES! The banner is getting nearer, and each evening activity counts towards a tribe’s chance to bring it home. Fly eagles fly! After lunch we headed up to rest hour, led by our “counselors” as our staff got to take some well-deserved naps. Then, the trading post bugle rang and camp was alive again with candy-eating, tetherball-playing campers ready for afternoon activities. Fun was had by all as campers learned new skills from fire-making to learning a new stitch in knitting. Parents, be ready, because your girls are making some of the most beautiful knitting projects I’ve seen. For dinner we had some delicious pork and potatoes with a side of peas, perfect fuel for one of camp’s most thrilling games — inferno. Before the tribal competition, we had one of our last White Feather ceremonies of the summer, where we get to recognize our campers for all their accomplishments from skills in activities to commendations from their fellow campers and their counselors.

From this Haven

Bella Hackett

Black Bear

Merri-Mac Photography

What is White Feather?

More than most camps we know of, Merri-Mac is a camper driven program.  The tribal leaders, honor campers, princess court, Spirits of Good Cheer and Sportsmanship, and even the Princess herself are decided by the campers.  Each of these become opportunities for campers to recognize particular character types and leadership abilities and is an important way of calling to a girl’s attention her own abilities and talents.  

One of the exceptions to this is our Merri-Mac Council where the counselors will award our White Feather promotions.  Here campers who have demonstrated gifts of quiet leadership and an increasing growth in the fruit of the Spirit receive beaded necklaces as they progress through the ranks toward achieving the rank of White Feather.  More important than these promotions, however, are the opportunities Merri-Mac Council provides for recognizing each girl’s unique character and abilities.  Some of our most successful campers, some of our tribal chiefs, and even some of our honor campers may never receive a White Feather promotion because their gifts lie in other areas.  But White Feather is an opportunity to recognize certain character traits that might otherwise go unnoticed.

In the end the most important part of Merri-Mac Council comes after the ceremony is over.  During cabin time on the evenings that we hold council the counselors will go to each camper to describe the gifts and abilities that they have noticed in her.  This is where a girl who may never earn a White Feather Promotion, or a Gold Bar, or be elected to a tribal office, can be told about her own unique gifts and contribution to her camp family.

PROMOTIONS

TUMBLEWEED

WILLA B.

COURTNEY B.

ABIGAIL B.

ARIELLA B.

LILY B.

VIRGINIA C.

MAREN C.

MURPHY D.

MARY REESE D.

ELIZA F.

EMMA BAILEY G.

ELOISE G.

REAGAN H.

VIVIAN H.

CAMILLA H.

FRANCES H.

MARY HAGIN L.

CAROLINE L.

FARRAH M.

SIENNA M.

EVERETT M.

ALEXANDRA N.

PAXTON N.

ABIGAIL R.

LILY R.

DIXIE R.

ROSALIE R.

CHARLOTTE S.

LEILA V.

ROSE W.

CLARA W.

GROUNDHOG

VIVANA B.

CAROLINE E B.

KINSLEY C.

ROSALYNN C.

PRUDENCE C.

MARY G.

SUSANNA G.

FRANCES G.

MARGARET G.

VIVENNE H.

DAKOTA M.

KATHERINE P.

LIBBY R.

ESME S.

EDEN S.

EVIE U.

AMELIA W.

BADGER

AVERY B.

EMELYN C.

CHARLIE J.

LOUSIE K.

COOPER S.

CHARLOTTE S.

ARROW

LUCY A.

CECELIA A.

REAGAN A.

MIA B.

ANNA B.

ZOE B.

VIOLET C.

LEIGHTON D.

ALICE D.G.

PERRY G.

ALEXIS G.

ADDISON H.

MADISON K.

LIBBY K.

VIRGINIA K.

REBA M.

STAV O.

CLAIRE P.

SLOANE P.

CAROLINE R.

ISABELLA R.

EMILY S.

ISABELLE S.

LOUISE S.

ANNE T.

KLARA Y.

CRAZY CREEK

GIOVANNA B.

HALEY H.

ARIA J.

RUNNING DEER

TRUDI B.

AMELIA D.

HARPER D.

TINSLEY D.

LILLIAN F.

JESSIE G.

JANE J.

EMMA M.

SHEA M.

JACQUELYN N.

BELEN P.

TATUM R.

TESS T.

RED TAIL

ISABEL P.

ELIZABETH W.

ELECTIVES

SOLO 13

MARY ELLEN H.

BELEN P.

JACQUELYN N.

ELIZABETH W.

TESS T.

CLEMENTINE F.

RUN TRAIL 5X IN 2 WEEKS

SHEA M.

ALINA J.

CAMPER COMMENDATIONS

TWEEDLE DEE

ROSE W. & REAGAN H.

TWEEDLE DOE

ELOISE G.

TWEEDLE DUM

ZUZU G. & AMELIA W.

TWEEDLE DOT

PAXTON N. & AVERY B.

LAVENDER’S BLUE

EMMA BAILEY G.

JIGGITY JIG

EMMY C. & AVA O.

JIGGITY JOG

KATHERINE P. & EVIE U.

HAPPY HOLLOW

CAROLINE R. & ADELINE G.

UP YONDER

ZOE B. & SAWYER S.

CROSS PATCH

KATHERINE P. & BELLA R.

THE ROBIN

SLOANE B. & PERRY G.

MILKY WAY

MIRIAM L. & VIRGINIA L.

RAINBOW

IZZY S. & CHARLE G.

STARDUST

COBI M. & MIA B.& ANNIE T.

COMET 

JORDAN T. & ALICE M. & NELLIE C.

BLUE HEAVEN

MAGGIE KATE S. & MOLLY B. & KINLEY G.

MOONMIST

MARY MERCER H. & MEME J. & REAGAN G.

SUNDROP

HALEY H. & ARIA J.

SUNSPOT

TINSLEY D. & HARPER D.

DREAMS BEGIN

HARPER G. & KATHERYNE S.

DREAMS END

NORAH J.

BIG DIPPER

ELLIE M. & ALINA J.

CLOUD 9

HASTINGS P. & FRANCES P.

SUNNYSIDE

MAISY B. & LILLY F. & PAYTON C. & LAUREL GREY Y.

COUNSELOR COMMENDATIONS

TWEEDLE DEE

FARRAH M. & CLARA W.

TWEEDLE DOE

CHARLOTTE S.

TWEEDLE DUM

PRUDENCE C. & SCOTTIE G.

TWEEDLE DOT

EVERETT M. & CHARLIE J.

LAVENDER’S BLUE

ROSE C.

JIGGITY JIG

ESME S. & VAN L.

JIGGITY JOG

FRANCIE G. & MAE G.

HAPPY HOLLOW

ISLA G. & MARY F.

UP YONDER

ZOE B. & BRYN C.

CROSS PATCH

SAMANTHA J. & ISLA R.

THE ROBIN

MARABELLA H. & ABBIE S.

MILKYWAY

GIA B. & LEIGHTON D.

RAINBOW

ALEXIS G. & BEATRICE J.

STARDUST

ANNIE T. & VIOLET C. & LILLY B.

COMET

JANE A. & GEORGIA B. & ELLIE R.

BLUE HEAVEN

SUSANNA H. & MOLLY B. & HAZEL K.

MOONMIST

TESS T. & CLEMENTINE F. & LUCY F.

SUNDROP

LUCY F. & GEORGIA M.

SUNSPOT

KATHERINE P. & NORRIE G.

DREAMS BEGIN

KATHRYN D. & EMMA K.

DREAMS END

BELEN P.

BIG DIPPER

JANE J. & SHEA M.

CLOUD 9

HARPER H. & PARKER S.

SUNNYSIDE

AMBROSE C. & AMELIA D. & ELLA S. & EMERSON R.

SILVER BARS

CANOEING

MACY S.

COMPETITIVE SWIMMING

ANNIE J.

KAYAKING

GEORGIA N.

MOUNTAIN BIKING

MACY S.

SWIMMING

TESS T.

GOLD BARS

MOUNTAIN BIKING

MACY S.

SOCCER

SHEA M.

TENNIS 

TRUDY B.

6 YEAR BLANKETS

GIOVANNA B.

AMBROSE C.

LEIGHTON D.

GRAY E.

BELLA F.

ADDISON H.

LIBBY K.

CADENCE L.

HELENA L.

POSEY M

KATHERINE P.

FLORENCE S.

PARISH B.

EMILY B.