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
An unexpected thunderstorm yesterday reminded me of our summer rest hour showers. It’s unusual to have a “frog strangler” in February. Only now, the rain keeps us inside in the office huddled around our space heaters, instead of outside splashing through the puddles with the campers. Earlier this month Gretchen, Dave, and Lindsey loaded up … Continued
Camp Illahee families participated in a Youth Outcomes Study conducted by Clemson University and sponsored by the NCYCA. Illahee was one of nineteen private independent camps included and had the highest participation rate! 55% of our camp families took part in last summer’s survey. (The overall parent response was 24%). Thank you Illahee parents! Your … Continued
Lindsey and I traveled to our two largest camp towns, Atlanta and Charlotte, a few weeks ago. We decided that early January is a great time for camp movies as we had 75 energetic camp girls at each show. It’s fun to see junior counselors and older campers gather on the floor in a living … Continued
Our family’s New Year’s trip to the Grand Canyon jump started my goals for the new year as I had more revelations than resolutions! We joined siblings and cousins to hike into the base of the Grand Canyon and spend two nights at Phantom Ranch . Our group of 11 included 4 fit college students, … Continued
