Last week, our younger camps celebrated a very special day here at Camp while older campers were out on their Big Trips. What was it? It was Nell Day!
Nell Day is a color day, which means everyone scoured their trunks and the drama closet to find garments to display their team colors!
Nell Day began as a commemoration of the woman who previously owned a sheep ranch on the Johns Island property where camp is now located. Nell Robinson was a remarkable woman who shaped the history of Johns Island and left a lasting impression upon all who knew her. Nell Day pays tribute to her and allows us as a camp community to reflect on our connection to the past and to the land. While we celebrate Nell and her legacy, we also acknowledge with gratitude that Johns Island is part of the ancestral lands of the Coast Salish peoples, who still live and travel through this region today.
Teams worked together to solve puzzles and challenges posed to them by staff at various stations across the property.
Color teams, face painting, kooky skits, watermelons, and a scavenger hunt are all hallmarks of our Nell Day celebration. Campers from the Forester and Voyageur units were selected as color team captains, and they led their orange, pink, green, purple, and yellow teams of younger campers with pride and pageantry. Teams traversed the island searching for clues and solving puzzles to complete the afternoon scavenger hunt and uncover the hidden watermelon prizes. Orange Team won the day in the end, but the best prize of all was enjoying the freshly-cut watermelon slices alongside great teammates!
Everyone got to enjoy fresh watermelon slices after the treasure hunt.
From selecting their “Nell Day Specials” (like constructing and flying kites on Mission Point and playing a rare daytime session of Capture the Flag) to performing their own silly color-themed campfire skits, campers participated in special activities from morning until evening. Nell Day is a favorite among many of our campers and staff, and we’re so grateful for the opportunity to celebrate it again this summer!
Orange Team was victorious this Nell Day!