Every day at camp is a blast, but today’s excitement stands out! From awesome trips outside of camp to new activities and celebrations on property, the campers had many new opportunities to try new things and make life-long memories. After a delicious breakfast of chicken biscuits, Luke T, Andrew K, Parker J, Neil R, Gaurav P, Andrew I, Wes D, and David F made it to Table Rock Mountain for some amazing views and even better climbing. Noah P, Wilson B, Case M, Ryker R, Henry O, and Kenny C ventured to the Tuckasegee River to kayak down Class II and III rapids. Following the trip, everyone joined in to sing Ryker happy birthday at dinner, and his cabin enjoyed a delicious birthday cookie cake! Campers excelled in activities all day long, enjoying a chilly morning and a much warmer afternoon. On this beautiful day, there were a few activities and campers that really stood out.

Timberlake has many exciting and novel events, but have you ever heard about the Timberlake Adventure Race? This once-in-a-session event is one of the most thrilling challenges our oldest campers get to participate in here at camp. The Adventure Race has been a tradition for a few summers now, and the campers love getting to team up with their friends and compete in challenges that they wouldn’t experience on a typical day at Timberlake. Today, we had twelve brave campers take on this test of grit, strength, and skill. Nate G, Wyatt G, George S, Connal S, Hutton S, Finn S, Mason S, Banks P, Cade D, Edward S, Will C, and Wesley S split up into teams of four and started the race. Today, the four challenges were raft building, basket crafting, orienteering, and an Archery/Riflery shooting competition. In the raft building challenge, campers had to construct a durable, yet buoyant raft out of planks of wood and barrels to cross the lake. In the newest addition to the race, basket crafting, the boys were required to build a basket out of Legos to carry an egg down a mini zip line without letting the egg drop. Next, at orienteering, the campers had to use seemingly-ancient tools, a compass and a map, to find their way. Finally, the teams went head-to-head in a “Top Shot” contest consisting of Archery and Riflery. Although there was only one winner, team Slow Turtles, all teams that complete the race get one mark. What is a mark, you might ask? Well, great question!

One of the oldest and most cherished traditions at Timberlake is Little Chief, a system that urges campers to foster new skills and build character. A Little Chief ceremony is held each week to honor the campers who have invested themselves in camp. At these ceremonies, campers receive promotions and recognition for exemplifying values of courage, humility, grit, and empathy. The promotions encourage campers to become good men and grow in new ways each year that they come to camp. Campers strive to earn marks throughout the session that add up to a rank, a promotion representing a certain number of marks. There are three ways a camper can earn a mark: through activity bars and years, counselor and camper commendations, and elective marks. In nearly every activity, boys work to accomplish bronze, silver, and gold bars. These activity bars each contain a set of goals that campers must achieve, increasing in difficulty and value from bronze to gold. Campers are also awarded a mark for returning to Timberlake each year. Commendations are awarded by a camper’s peers and counselors for showing great leadership qualities. Finally, the boys receive elective marks for completing different challenges around camp, like running the Crooked Mile trail five times in two weeks, building a one-match fire, and, of course, completing the Adventure Race! By celebrating each promotion and accomplishment all the way up to the highest rank of Little Chief, our campers are able to tune into the unique gifts that God has given them and find new areas of growth among peers who love them and counselors who will support them. A final honor awarded tonight at the Little Chief ceremony is the Sons of Timberlake. Every camper at Timberlake is a Son of Timberlake, a part of this amazing camp family. We also like to take the time to honor boys who have been coming to camp for many years. Campers receive this award their first summer, third summer, sixth summer, and tenth summer. Each recipient of the Sons of Timberlake Awards and Promotions are listed below. We are so proud of each and every camper at Timberlake this summer, and we feel so grateful to you, the parents, for sending your son here to grow through friends and adventure!

Sons of Timberlake

1 Year:

Aiden S

Alex P

Alexander J

Alston M

Andrew M

Benjamin J

Blaze C

Burton F

Carson S

Carter K

Charles T

Christopher C

Cody B

Creighton J

Guarav P

Gordon J

Graham E

Grant S

Grant W

Harris L

Hezekiah G

Jack W

James M

John L

John P

Kai J

Kieran S

King M

Leland I

Luke M

Luke R

Mason B

Myer S

Patrick M

Peter S

Porter S

Reznor P

Robert I

Ryan P

Sam S

Thornton H

Trevor S

Trevor T

Wagner D

Wes D

Weston L

William A

Wilson B

3 Year

Sean A

Edward B

Thomas B

Mose C

Loren C

Tucker C

McRae E

Wyatt F

Robert G

Wilson H

Andrew I

Edward I

Parker J

David K

Liam R

Luke R

Rhodes R

Patrick S

Connall S

Carter T

Edward T

Henry V

Graeme W

Kenneth C

6 Year

Barrett C

Harrison C

Cade D

David F

Henry O

Banks P

Jack P

Neil R

Ryker R

Mason S

George S

Hutton S

Mason S

Commendations:

Huckleberry

Camper: Hayes W

Counselor: Hayes W

Finch’s Landing

Camper: Murphy D

Counselor: Walker S

Further Up

Camper: Mose C, Kai J

Counselor: Knox B, Kai J

Further In

Camper: Robert I, King M

Counselor: Myer S, Robert I

Hawksbill:

Camper: Nathan W, Charlie B, Andrew T

Counselor: Nathan W, Charlie B

Turtleback: 

Camper: Carson B, Andrew M

Counselor: Porter S, Wills A

Little Piney

Camper: Ed T, Pace W, James W

Counselor: Ed T, Cody B, William F

Big Piney

Camper: David K, Matthew G, Neil R

Counselor: Jack P, Carter K, MacRae E

Stomper’s Knob

Camper: David F, Tucker L, Stephen J

Counselor: Patrick S, David F, Stephen J

Little Slaty

Camper: Banks P, Henry O, Mason S

Counselor: Mason S, Barrett G

Big Slaty

Camper: Sam C, Barrett C

Counselor: Nate G, Aidan S

Greybeard

Camper: William B

Counselor: HP

Little Chief Promotions:

Scout

Elliot A

Knox B

Charlie B

Thomas B

Murphy D

Holden G

Wilson H

Kai J

Max M

Patterson S

Walker S

Hayes W

Grame W

Guide

Nathan W

Pioneer

Mose C

Tracker

Tucker C

Kenny C

Cade D

Barrett G

Matthew G

Daniel H

Stephen J

Tucker L

Neil R

Liam R

Edward S

Connor T

Hugh W

Hunter

David F

Hutton S

Warrior

Sam C

Pathfinder

HP

Until Next Time!

Claire Haley

Proud Red Wolf

Waterfront Director