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Wednesday, January 11th, 2012 | 0 Comments
Your son is counting on you. The relationship between a father and a son is like no other. Dads have a God-given role to protect and provide for their families, and to teach their sons the life skills necessary to grow into honorable men. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to share in a fun, action-packed weekend with your son in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina. Besides great activities like riflery, canoeing, and horseback riding, you will also share teachable, bonding moments with your son that will shape his life, and change your relationship forever.
Father and son: $475
Each additional son: $150
Sign-up deadline is March 30th
Space for this event is limited. For more information please call (828)-891-7721.
Click here to register: Father Son 2012 Application.pdf
Please fax completed registrations to 828-891-1960, or email them to
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Wednesday, December 14th, 2011 | 0 Comments
The 2012 Camp Highlander Annual Reunion is coming up soon!
Sunday, January 8, 2012 from 1:30-3:30 pm
Pavilion 2 & 3 at Sugar Sands Park, Boca Raton, FL
We look forward to seeing you all there!
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Thursday, December 1st, 2011 | 0 Comments
Winter is here on the mountain at Camp Highlander! We had our first dusting of snow last night, and it is really cold here at camp! Although I have to say, it is definitely not enough snow for a snowball fight because I threw one at Mac and it exploded mid air. This is also not the kind of snow that we cancel school for, so this snow is not popular with kids (ie Charlie and Carter); they find it pointless. However, I find this snow exciting! Do you want to know why? Snow is a sign that winter is here.
Winter is not the prettiest time of year at camp. The trees don’t have their leaves. The buildings are empty. The lake freezes. Even the horses grow an extra coat of hair to keep them warm so they look different. Everything around here is not quite the same. But with each snow, I know that winter is going and we are getting closer to spring, then summer, then CAMP! So I say…BRING ON THE SNOW!
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Wednesday, October 19th, 2011 | 0 Comments
Thanks to Tom and Beth Donner for a wonderful night of Lousiana food and friends. We were able to meet several great families, and got to catch up with veteran campers Alex and Jack Donner, Winston Ardoin, and former campers and current counselors Trey and Genna Larose.
Thanks to all who came out and made us feel at home in Houma:
Tom and Beth Donner (Alex and Jack)
Anne Marie Ardoin (Winston)
Barbara Duverney (Ayden)
Donald Bourgeois (Rachel)
Brenda Riviere (Michelle)
Henry Peltier (Judith Grace and William)
Chester and Monica Weimer
Caroline Marcello
Trey and Genna Larose
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Tuesday, October 11th, 2011 | 0 Comments
While on his way to join the Crowe/Marcello families for a show in Meridian Mississippi, Karl met up with the Gladstone family for breakfast at his favorite fine eatery.
Highlander campers (Ryan, Ben and Kyla) and mom Barbara earned the reward for “Most effort by a family to join Karl for breakfast” while on his worldwide camp movie tour.
Ryan also broke the record for most expensive meal at a “Hole in the wall” restaurant by a member of the Camp Highlander family. Ryan’s Waffle House breakfast bill eclipsed the $20 mark which shattered former Highlander staff member Taylor Teeple’s mexican meal of a few years ago. Way to go Ryan…the gastrointestinal specialist will see you now. :-)
Of course Karl told Ryan he needed to “clean up and get a haircut”, but a great time was still had by all.
On to Mississippi!
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Monday, October 10th, 2011 | 0 Comments
What a wonderful night in Birmingham! A great dinner, great questions about Camp Highlander, and a great time had by all. Special thanks to Trip and Ashley Umbach for hosting us at their home in Mountain Brook and for William and Laura Louise Perkinson for their help in making this one of the best shows of the fall.
We tell our story about the “Magic” of Camp Highlander one family at a time, and we are excited about all of the great people we are meeting this fall.
Thanks to all who were part of this special night:
Trip and Ashley Umbach (Swede, Warren and Dow)
William and Laura Louise Perkinson (Elizabeth-EP, James and Hannah-Louse)
David and Shannon Jernigon (Cole and Raines)
Frank and Claire Tynes (Helen and Wilson)
Shannon and Anne Cowin (Chip)
Mae Mae Kracke (Margaret and Caroline)
Houston and Stephanie Smith (Isabel)
Betsy Grinstead (Knoxye)
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Wednesday, October 5th, 2011 | 0 Comments
Karl and Shelley were glowing about the wedding of their youngest of five daughters, Cate Walker Gutter, over Labor Day weekend at our very own Camp Highlander. It was a fairy tale event that every little girl dreams of… lights twinkling above you as the fire pit roared outside the gym. Guests enjoyed roasting marshmallow, making smores, dancing to their favorite tunes, fabulous food from Louisiana and North Carolina and of course Gus’ place was open which made this camp wedding like no other. What do you expect? This is Camp Highlander,“A Place Like No Other.”
Check out the blog at the amazing Jill Schwarzkopf with Realities Photography website and see Karl kicking up his heels and the Gillespie Gymnasium looking its best.
http://www.realitiesphotography.com/blog/2011/09/cate-emerich-a-gorgeous-southern-wedding/
Congratulations Cate and Emerich from your Camp Highlander family! We love you and wish you a lifetime of happiness!
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Monday, September 12th, 2011 | 0 Comments
The 6th Annual Camp Highlander Alumni Reunion was a huge success! Many thanks to all the alumni who made their way back to Old Forge Mountain – it was a fun-filled weekend spent with great friends and family.
The festivities began on Friday, September 9. Alumni arrived in the afternoon and enjoyed the camp scenery and fresh mountain air. Later that evening, the group shared many stories and laughs over a delicious dinner at Neo Cantina in Asheville. This dinner was a very special one and not just because of all the alumni but for another reason. Over the years Gaynell has given out countless cakes to campers and staff for their birthdays. On this night we were fortunate to celebrate Gaynell’s first birthday ever to happen at camp. Upon returning to camp, Greg Galloway treated alumni to a sneak peek, pre-campfire show.
On Saturday, alumni took a trip into Hendersonville and had coffee at Black Bear and, of course, decadent pastries from McFarland’s Bakery. After returning to camp, alumni enjoyed lunch in the dining hall, followed by an invigorating tubing trip down the (chilly) Mills River. After a quick defrost, the group made their way to the woodshop to create great keepsakes to take home.
The activities continued well into the evening. After a tasty BBQ dinner, alumni made their way to the gym for a lively square dance. Shortly into the dance, the lights went out. A familiar, Session C-song came on and Gaynell donned his famous green robe – Color War had broken! An intense game of Rock, Paper, Scissors ensued, and the alumni White Knights came out victorious!
After a stop at Gus’s Place for ice cream treats and drinks, alumni walked together to the campfire area to hear Greg Galloway and Beth Jeu De Vine sing familiar favorites. The group roasted marshmallows and made s’mores, and the night was capped off with singing, laughing and even an occasional tear.
Sunday started with a terrific brunch in the dining hall, followed by shopping in the camp store and exploring every corner of camp. It truly was an action-packed weekend! We were sad to see the festivities end, but we look forward to seeing many of our fantastic alumni in the future!
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Wednesday, August 10th, 2011 | 0 Comments
Greetings Highlander Alumni!
Please join us for the 6th Annual Campfire Society Alumni Reunion on September 9-11, 2011.
The cost is $225 per person and includes the following:
- Lodging (linens will be provided)
- Friday night dinner, Saturday breakfast, lunch, dinner, cocktails and Sunday Brunch.
Here is the registration form. Please complete and return as soon as possible.
We look forward to seeing you all!
From the Mountain,
Karl & Shelley Alexander
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Friday, April 29th, 2011 | 2 Comments
Many of you will remember our wonderful Archery Instructor, Counselor, and friend, Terry Varnadore for his big smile and even bigger heart that radiated the mountain at Camp Highlander. Terry made a huge impact in the lives of our campers and in the lives of everyone he spent time with. He took great pride in all that he did at Camp Highlander, and he put archery “on the map” at camp. We often said, campers went to archery not as much to shoot targets as to see Terry. He made them smile, he made them laugh and they just wanted to be with him.
It is with great sadness that we share that Terry was killed in a helicopter crash on Saturday, April 23 in Afghanistan while he was proudly serving our country in Operation Enduring Freedom for the United States Army.
Terry was always known for his love for people and his caring heart. He was a great teacher, and he cared so much about our campers and sharing his passion for archery with each camper that came to see him for camper choice and 6th period. I know many of you will remember the time you spent with him, and many of you would refer to Terry as one of your Highlander Heroes. He was that to so many. He touched so many lives and his legacy will live on in our hearts forever.
Terry’s life will be remembered as a great one. He was a true hero in every sense of the word. He was passionate about everything he was involved in…camp, the military, and most of all his family. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those that he loved the most, his family, his wonderful parents, his lovely wife Casey, his sweet little girl and the precious child on the way.
In memory of our Highlander Hero, Terry Lee Varnadore II, Camp Highlander will establish a scholarship in his name. We love you Terry. Your legacy will live on and your life will continue to impact the lives of campers.
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