Happy Friday Camp Timberlake! Today was another fun filled and action packed day at Camp Timberlake.  We started things off with a big breakfast of bacon, eggs, hashbrowns and coffee cake. Delicious! After a rousing rendition of the morning yell and another true story in chapel it was off to clean those cabins. Today we had a lot of clean cabins which was exciting, but the big news was that the cabin of Tomahawk achieved cleanliness immortality with a perfect 10. Way to go boys.

We also sent a group of intrepid adventures out for a day of rock climbing at instinct boulders. Angelo G, Arnold A, Sam S, Owen L, Andrew B, Sam S, Brooks M and Grant H had an awesome day climbing and enjoying the great outdoors.

We feasted on meatball subs and french fries and grapes for lunch and then enjoyed something a bit unusual for this month, a sunny afternoon! For most of the month we have had sunny mornings followed by a rain shower in the afternoon, but today it was gorgeous and sunny all day long. Tonight was a particularly special night as it was our first Little Chief cermony of session 1B.

For all our first year camp parents, Little Chief is a ceremony we hold once a week as an entire camp community to recognize some of the amazing things going on here at Timberlake.

We strongly believe that all of our campers are not only having a lot of fun and making friends at Timberlake, but that they are also building skills, leadership and character that will serve them well all year long. We see this growth happening in each of them in a variety of areas throughout the week here at camp. We believe, however, that it is also extremely important that we stop, name, and celebrate the great things the guys are doing too. The Little Chief ceremony takes place at our council ring and is broken down into several parts. First, all our activity instructors call out the names of campers who have earned bronze, silver or gold bars in their activities. Activity instructors also call out any campers who have earned elective marks. An elective mark is an extra challenge a camper can choose to take on here at camp. These optional challenges are things like: going on three out of camp trips, catching a frog that’s at least 8 dots long, starting a fire with only one match, do a solo night in the woods and much more. 

Then, cabin counselors recognize the campers who have earned counselor and camper commendations for the week. Each camper votes for peers in his cabin who they believe have demonstrated the four qualities of servant leadership we seek to encourage here at Timberlake: Courage, Humility, Empathy, and Grit. Each team of cabin counselors comes together to then do the same thing. 

We then recognize the campers who have reached the next level as a Son of Timberlake. We believe we are a family here at camp, and as such, we are all Sons of Timberlake. We have certain years that we mark in particular with a recognition and a small gift at our Little Chief ceremony. Campers who are in their 1st, 3rd, 6th or 10th summer this year all got the chance to stand up and be recognized and receive their gift: a leather skin for 1st years, a gold pin for 3rd years, a custom silver arrowhead pendant necklace for 6 years and a individualized mini canoe paddle and custom Timberlake belt for our 10 years. It’s a really special moment for each of the guys. 

The final part of the ceremony is where we recognize campers who have earned promotions towards Little Chief. Promotions essentially take into account all of the part of the ceremony (Bars in activities, elective marks, commendations, years spent at camp) and all these elements add up to give campers marks which progress them towards their next promotion. 

If that sounds like a lot, it is! But for us as directors we feel strongly that slowing down to take the time to publicly recognize and celebrate these great things is important. And my favorite part of Little Chief night doesn’t even happen at the ceremony. In the evening as boys wind down for bed, the cabin counselors speak with each boy in their cabin to tell them just a few things they are proud of from the week. It was one of my most cherished times when I was both a camper and when I got to give them encouragement as a counselor and it’s still my favorite part now. 

Below are some of the awards we gave out tonight. Please note that we had two campers achieve the rank of Little Chief. They were the first two guys to receive this award, the highest one we give here at camp, for summer 2025 and we are so proud of them!

Until Tomorrow,

John

Director, Camp Timberlake

Former Big Piney Counselor

Little Chief

Proud Golden Eagle. 

Commendations

Huckleberry

Counselor: Beau David H and Wesley S

Camper: Cruz D and Harris W

Finch’s Landing

Counselor: Owen L and Elliott S

Camper: Sam S and Will R

Further Up

Counselor: Samuel B and Knox D

Camper: Burns N and Thomas B

Tiger Tooth

Counselor: Patrick T and Fred T

Camper: Emmett C and Patrick T

Hawksbill

Counselor: Hill W and Henry H

Camper: Hill W and Charlie H

Turtleback

Counselor: Alex D, Grant F and, JB S

Camper: William B, William L, and Palmer E

Tomahawk

Counselor: Sawyer S and Thomas H

Camper: Haile S and William Q

Little Piney

Counselor: Eric H, Drew R, and Logan D

Camper: Eric H, Charles L, and Ellis W

Big Piney

Counselor: Jackson R and Quay B

Camper: Jackson R and George de B

Stomper’s Knob

Counselor: Griffin W, Pace W, and William F

Camper: Luke T, Shep R, and Robbie G

Little Slaty

Counselor: Matthew D, Seb C, and Owen M

Camper: Lewis J, Bronson P, and Churchill C

Big Slaty

Counselor: Kenny C, JD A, and Wills W

Camper: Henry L, David F, and Kenny C

Greybeard

Counselor: Edward S and Barrett G

Camper: Edward S and Barrett G

Son of Timberlake Recognitions

1 Year

Brooks A, Arnold A, Samuel B, Sullivan B, Wyatt B, Grayson B, Andrew B, Sebastian C,

Maxwell C, Robert D, Charles D, Benton D, Knox D, Cruz D, Parker F, Grant H, Beau H,

Cruz H, Jaxon L, Teddy L, Ford M, James M, Pace M, Ward M, Brooks M, Wyatt M,

Marshall M, Matthew M, Brayden M, Wilson R, Wesley S, Elliot S, Arthur S, Miller S, and

Ellis T

3 Years

Michael C, Palmer E, Clarke F, Angelo G, Ben L, Burns N, Charlie O, Will R, James S,

Patrick T, Charlie T, Hill W, Ellis W, Quay B, Henry C, Logan D, Matthew D, Hammond F,

Landon F, Charles H, Reid M, Shep R, Kieran S, and Anderson V

6 Years

Elliot G, Peter K, Charlie A, London A, Elliot C, George de B, Sam J, Haile S, Cullen S,

Whit T, and Wills W

Promotions

Scout:

Thomas B, William B, William C, Palmer E, Clarke F, Angelo G, Harri J, Owen L, Samuel S,

and Harris W

Guide:

Griggs C, Holden G, Henry H, Burns N, Charlie O, Will R, James S, Henry T, Charlie T, and

Hill W

Pioneer:

Emmett C, Alexander D, Patrick T, and Jude V

Ranger:

William L and Will M

Tracker:

Charles B, Michael C, Elliot G, Eric H, Peter K, Bubba L, Ben L, Carter M, Drew R, Ellis W,

and Will S

Hunter:

Nathaniel H, Fox S, and Churchill C

Warrior:

William F and CJ R

Pathfinder:

Edward S

Little Chief:

Banks P and Mason S