United Nations Day, which has carried the reputation of being one of the most exciting days in camp, was officially held on July 13. Athletic events of all kinds were played throughout the camp area. Every camper and staff member was placed on four teams of equal size, the teams being Colombia, Mexico, Monaco, and Tibet.

U.N. Day is a traditional festivity which has now been observed for a number of years. When the long day of events was finally ended, the scoreboard revealed Colombia as the winner by a mere half point. Monaco finished second, followed by Tibet and finally Mexico.

The competition began with the presentation of songs and cheers by each team. The order of appearance was determined on an alphabetical basis. Each team made it’s own unique entrance; speeches were given by the U.N. leaders and some of the other staff members. The team leaders were as follows: Rick Kagen-Colombia, Ed Fried-Mexico, Bob Heilbronner-Monaco, and Josh Taxman-Tibet. Following the presentation of speeches, the teams sang their songs and cheers. All songs and cheers were original except for the fact some were presented in the same tune as other well known songs. One team, for instance, used the theme from Gilligan’s Island and the University of Wisconsin football cheer in it's presentation, The team of Colombia captured first place in the songs and cheers contest.

United Nations Day 1976 was officially started with the torchlight ceremony and the raising of the flag. The leaders of each team held their torches together to signify friendship among all involved.

The schedule of athletic events started with the marathon run, followed by the first series of events in the morning, and the second and third series in the afternoon. The final event which determined the day was the Tug-O-War. Each event was worth a certain number of points, and the final score was tabulated on a placing basis. The biggest events offered a possible ten points to the winner. However, it was just as important to try for victories in the smaller events as well. In the past many teams have attributed their victories to capturing many of the smaller events.

The ten-point events included the Marathon Run, Softball, Football, Dodgeball, Ultimate Frisbee, European Handball, and Soccer.

Through the first and second series the competition was extremely close as teams switched places on the scoreboard. After the third series concluded, Mexico had faded to a distant fourth while the remaining three teams were still in contention for a victory. The last event, the Tug-O-War and the conclusion of United Nations Day, The proud team of Colombia marched triumphantly off the field.

U.N. Day ‘76 proved to be one of the hardest fought in the history of Camp Timberlane. A mere one point separated the first and third place teams. Colombia, a powerhouse, Tibet. In a dismal showing, Mexico finished several points behind the team of Tibet.

A special day which is very similar to United Nations Day is held near the end of the second session. This day is called Pow Wow Day, and the name implies, teams are derived from the names of Indian tribes. Competition starts with an Indian Leg Wrestling contest instead of the Marathon Run which is held on U.N. Day.

The keen interest and involvement of both campers and staff may well explain why these two days can be appreciated and remembered by all of us at Timberlane.