Tonight begins the carefully choreographed set of closing activities that leads us to Friday morning’s pick-up. It has been a whirlwind of a session…in some respects looking back at the images flashing across the big screen tonight, opening day seems a world away. A lot has transpired since then. Girls have grown in “camp time” (a … Continued
Browsing through my favorite bookstore, Highland Books in downtown Brevard, I stumbled on the latest Images of America, Summer Camps Around Asheville and Hendersonville by Melanie English. Illahee is prominently featured on pages 24 to 34. Earlier that day I had shared some of Illahee’s history with the older campers, the Sparks. We read letters … Continued
As a counselor, there is nothing more exciting to me than helping a camper overcome a challenge. Camp is such an incredible place to push our physical boundaries. We want to carefully and thoughtfully encourage our campers to stretch their comfort zones. By doing this, campers start to recognize their potential for growth. As they … Continued
Our Woodland Chapel is one of my favorite places on camp. It’s neck and neck with our campfire ring…and we gather in both as a full camp each Sunday…the Woodland Chapel for worship, and the campfire ring to bring each week to a close as a community. I like campfire because it’s nestled in a natural bowl a … Continued
There have been plenty of predictions over the years of the demise of summer camp. It is a uniquely American tradition after all, and lots of things have come up over those same years to compete for a child’s time. I remember attending a conference in the late eighties where some of my peers actually felt threatened by the … Continued
Long time camper and counselor, Ann, shares her feelings about camp opening for the summer Each year we kick off staff orientation by watching the previous summer’s highlight video. The video shows campers dancing at County Fair, swinging from the Tarzan rope into the lake, smashing volleys on the tennis courts and hugging their counselors, … Continued
Happy Memorial Day! Illahee’s season has begun! It’s “opening day” -the start of staff orientation. There is a buzz of energy and a few butterflies as new and returning counselors drive into camp. Our week will be spent with team building, moving into cabins, activity training and even evening programs. (Yes, we will go to … Continued
Illahee families have a helpful new resource for planning their trip to camp. Laurie Strayhorn met recently with local Brevard Chamber representatives and a few area camp directors to give input for a new section to the Visit Waterfalls website. The result is the Camp Family page designed especially for campers and parents. It is … Continued
Camp is fresh and green with the azalea and dogwood in full bloom. Newton has begun his summer rounds and is now wet most of the day. Sensing camp around the corner, he has a spring in his 12-year-old step! I love this time of year and seeing our counselor team come together. We have … Continued
It is a TRADITION at Camp Illahee to offer something NEW. Each year we evaluate the needs and interests of campers. Recent seasons have seen the addition of a Trips Hiking program along with Faith and Fellowship for 8th graders and up. The Hannah Ford Farm activity at Illahee’s nearby 65 acre outpost on the … Continued
