December

I took a few pictures walking around camp today...

Because of Camp

I was recently watching the "Because of Camp" PSA that the American Camp Association made...


So I started thinking about my "because of camp"...

Because of camp... I've gained self-confidence. I've developed my leadership skills. I've learned to think on my feet and solve problems creatively. I've met amazing campers, staff members, and friends--and my life has been changed by knowing them. I've had the opportunity to work with people from various countries. I've learned time management skills and group management skills. I've had the opportunity to try things outside of my comfort zone and expand my skill set.

The first summer I worked at camp, I was a very shy, very easily intimidated, 16 year old. Outside of my cabin, I barely talked. Fast forward a few summers, and I was supervising the girls side of camp. I led campers and counselors in cheers and songs, planned staff training, dealt with issues ranging from homesickness to discipline to counselors not getting along to parent complaints, evaluated staff, and made decisions with confidence. Without camp and the experiences I've had there, I would be much more shy and much less confident today. Because of camp, I was able to get hands-on leadership experience that served me really well throughout college, and has prepared me for the future.

Because of camp, I've been able to spend amazing summer after amazing summer playing outside, building relationships with peers and campers, learning about myself and others. I've been exposed to people and ideas I otherwise wouldn't have encountered. I have developed an interest and passion in the way nature affects development in children, and our quality of life.

Because of camp, I have become the person I am today.

Staff Training, Parent Training...

I was recently chatting with a parent who was dropping her child off for a mini-camp, and she asked if we ever did trainings open to parents. I'm used to getting all kinds of questions from parents, but this was the first time I'd ever gotten that one, so I asked her to elaborate a little.

She told me that she has been so impressed by our camp staff--they are not only professional and friendly, but are also full of ideas for entertaining and engaging children, and best of all, when they return her kids to her--they are more confident, responsible, and respectful. The reason she decided to send her kids to camp didn't really have much to do with any of that: she was just looking for something to keep the kids busy for a while, but was thrilled to find that camp was so much more. "I had no idea that camp would teach my kids to be more confident... they are great kids, but weren't that confident in themselves.. but after camp, there was a huge change in them" was one of the things she mentioned.

It is always wonderful to hear parents say positive things about their kids experience at camp, but I thought this mom gave us an incredible compliment. Not only did her kids have a great time at camp, she was so impressed by their experience and what they learned, she wants us to share what we know with her!

Embracing the Freedom of Camp

I was on a bus with some of our staff trainees the other day, and something one of the girls said caught my attention. They were talking about camp, and how they don't have time to think about putting on makeup or what outfit to wear, and one of the girls said "but you know, it's actually really great to not have to worry about any of that stuff at camp."

Now, I'm somewhat of a girly-girl. My favorite color is pink, and while I don't wear makeup very often, you are much more likely to see me in a skirt or dress than jeans. I love to shop, and thoroughly enjoy a reason to get dressed up. But I am a huge fan of the fact that camp is a place where girls don't have to worry about what they are wearing or whether or not to wear makeup. In fact, when I was a counselor, every Monday we would let our campers (the youngest girls) do what we called "Makeover Monday." It isn't your typical makeover--the campers have free rein with giving the counselors makeovers, and it usually resulted in me looking something like this:

Then we let the girls show off our makeovers at lunch. I even occasionally had to make a trip to Target with lipstick on my cheeks, eyeliner on my forehead, and eyeshadow in various colors covering my entire face. I have plenty of pictures tagged on Facebook with me either covered in ridiculous makeup, wearing a ridiculous outfit (the '80s outfits are my personal favorites), or covered in some concoction from messy games--chocolate syrup, sprinkles, who knows what else. I am definitely a huge fan of the fact that camp is a place where girls can have fun, be ridiculous and silly, and not worry about what they look like--and despite my usual girliness, I fully embrace that aspect of camp!

Normally once girls get to camp, they also embrace that aspect--whether they are staff, trainees or campers. But I thought it was really cool to hear a 15 or 16 year old girl reflecting on that in the middle of winter. Right in the middle of school, when what you wear and how you look is a really big deal. Right at that age when what everyone else thinks of you can make or break your day. Sitting there with her makeup on and her straightened hair, talking about how she likes that camp gives her the freedom to be herself and not worry about any of that stuff.

I'm not against the wearing of makeup. But I'm for the idea that camp is a place of freedom where "cool" can be redefined, and society's standards aren't the end all and be all. Wear eyeliner on your nose. Or don't wear it at all. Wear old clothes. Wear crazy outfits. Rock out the one piece bathing suit and crazy tan lines. Figure out who you are, and have the freedom to embrace it!

Camp and Technology

The other day, @CampLeadership started a discussion on twitter about whether or not summer camps should allow campers to use cell phones to text and tweet from camp. My immediate reaction was "absolutely not", but I try not to dismiss new ideas before thinking them all the way through. It's been on my mind ever since, and yesterday I read a blog post that he had written (http://campleadership.wordpress.com/2009/12/12/texting-is-good-for-camp/) about the same subject. After I read the post, I was driving to meet some friends, and just couldn't get this whole camp-technology thing out of my head.

There are plenty of reasons I was immediately against it--the logistics of it, the potential for parents to get overly involved in camp, the fact that camp promotes re-connecting with nature and that can be easier to do with limited technology, the fact that phones can get lost or broken... the list could go on and on. There are a lot of really good reasons to leave your phone at home when you head to camp. But then it struck me--THE reason I am so adamantly against camps letting their campers bring cell phones/tweet/etc.

In my opinion, THE reason to keep campers separated from their technology for a camp session is the culture of camp. Part of what makes camp what it is, is that camp is literally "its own little world". Camp has its own traditions, its own slang, its own culture, a different pace of life, and I think that is appealing. When you are at camp you are only with those people. You have limited distractions to keep you from fully enjoying the moment. There is a magic to camp, that is in part its separation from the rest of the world.

Some campers are experiencing their first time away from their parents--the first time they get to make their own choices. How empowering for them to know that they can choose what activity to go to, and can be responsible to get themselves there. For that camper who is SO homesick at the beginning of the week, but their counselor works through it with them, and at the closing campfire, they are sobbing because they don't want to go home--give them their cell phone, and they are going to be working through it with mom or dad instead of their counselor, and they'll miss out on the triumph of knowing they made it on their own for the first time. Separation from parents for a week, two or three, can give campers the chance to discover more about who they are, and what they are interested in, without pressure to try mom's favorite activity or be the best at dad's favorite sport.

Now--I definitely think camps should embrace social media and technology. Post some pictures for parents to see what is going on, use twitter, facebook and blogs to share what might be happening at camp. Do whatever works for your camp as far as social media--but keep that separation for the campers. Let your full-time staff handle the communication and help parents feel comfortable with the fact that they aren't able to just send their kids a text. Camps have to change with the times just like everyone else, but for 150 years summer camp has been about reconnecting with nature and disconnecting with the outside world. Should we change one of the core aspects of camp just for the sake of convenience?

If you are running a good camp, your campers are already marketing for you through social media. The minute they get home, they are posting their camp pictures on facebook, setting their status as "I miss camp", joining groups and fan pages about your camp, and if you are doing a really good job, whatever social media tools they use will reflect their love of camp all year long. I think the fact that they are talking about camp six months after the fact is more valuable than in the moment. There is a "I can't even really describe it to you, its something that you have to experience for yourself" feel to the stories and pictures they share throughout the year, and that is powerful.

Technology is great, and I love social media, but in the case of camp, part of its allure for campers is the separation from the rest of the world during those summer sessions. Give them their cell phones, and I think you are decreasing the value of the camping experience.

*This article from the Boston Globe gives an insight to what campers are saying about the lack of technology at camp http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/articles/2009/08/01/unplugged_at_summer_camp/?page=2

Best Christmas present ever?

Earlier this week, a mom called the office asking for some camp DVDs to be sent to her--she wanted to wrap them up and give them to her kids for Christmas, so they could see what she was really getting them: a week at camp. The more I thought about that, the more I decided it very well might be one of the best Christmas presents ever. I don't remember a whole lot of specific Christmas gifts from my childhood, but I do clearly remember and cherish my camp experiences growing up.

It's easy for Christmas to turn into another giant spending occasion. Kids love getting toys and presents. But toys break, they grow out of clothes, and things go out of style. While through the years, there are memorable gifts here and there, I love the idea of giving an experience for Christmas.

Giving a session of camp gives the recipient something to look forward to beyond Christmas. Watching the camp DVD, looking at the website and brochures gives them something tangible to plan for and anticipate. It gives the opportunity to try new things, make new friends, build their character, and spend time learning and growing. It's more than just something to add to your collection of stuff--it is a memory to be made!

It's the little things

We've been re-doing our office at camp, and as new walls have been going up and bathrooms are being reconstructed, we've been coming up with all kinds of little things to make the office look even better. New pictures on the walls, clipboards with our logo, reorganizing the space--lots of little details that are quickly adding up to make it look like a whole new office!

Every time someone comes up with another idea for a detail we can tweak to make it just that much better, I get so excited to see how everything is coming together. So I've been thinking a lot about the details. It's great--and important--to have the big picture in place. You have to know what you are about, and why you are doing what you do. But it is the details that separate an average experience from a great experience.

When I was a kid, I went to three other camps before ending up where I am now. I had fun at all of them, but when I got to Kanata, there was no doubt in my mind that this was the place for me. From the outside, all of the camps appeared relatively similar: all co-ed, around the same size, facilities pretty comparable, the same general activities were offered. But at Kanata, the counselors had an energy that the other camps didn't have. The staff appeared to be a lot closer. When you got to camp, there was a poster on the outside of your cabin with your name on it. You didn't have to buy a camp t-shirt at the store--you were given one as soon as you got there. The counselors made a point of going around to each bed and saying "goodnight" to each camper individually. Cheering in the dining hall was a lot more fun because everyone was so excited about it. There was a song that we all sang together before going to campfire (that's where the name of my blog came from!). On Saturday when you left, you were sent home with a picture of your cabin.

At the time, I had no idea that all of these details were what added up to make my camp experience at Kanata so much more memorable than at other camps, but more and more I realize that it's the little things that can make a really big difference.

Personality of a Cabin

I've been working on getting together an alumni newsletter to send out to our staff alumni--this is the first one that has been done in years, so I've been trying to figure out what to include, how it should look, and all of that. I've been thinking about what camp news is of interest to alumni; while I'm sure that some will be interested to hear what is happening around camp these days, it seems like what will be of most interest is what their friends from camp are up to.

So, I've been emailing a few alumni recently to see which of them and their friends from camp have had big life events recently they want to share with other alumni. One sent me a picture from his wedding and in identifying the people in the picture, he also told me which cabin they had been a counselor in.

It's been about 10 years since they were on staff, and yet, it was so easy for him to remember what cabin they were all in. It made me think about how each cabin or unit takes on its own personality.

I was always a Cabin 7 counselor (a daisy cabin)--the youngest campers, with counselors that were typically pretty girly and preppy, decorating the cabin with pink and ribbons and daisies.

Cabin 7 was perfect for me--it matched my personality well, and I loved every second of it. Over the years, its been fun to see other Cabin 7 counselors, and the similarities between us that make Cabin 7 that perfect fit. And the same goes for each cabin--there is a certain personality to each cabin, and finding the staff to both fit the cabin and complement each other can be tricky. But when you make that match--that cabin really can become an identifying characteristic for someone. Hearing that someone was a counselor in a particular cabin gives me a pretty good idea of what their personality might be like--another element of that language specific to camp!

Perspectives

Today, I received a facebook message from one of the international staff that I worked at camp with 6 or 7 summers ago. The last line of the message said "I might have only been in Kanata for a summer but the camp has changed my perspective in many things and the camp has a special position in my heart."

I often hear people talk about the life-changing aspect of camp, but I rarely think about the way that camp has changed my perspective on things. Because camp has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, I tend to think about the specific experiences I have had, the things I have learned, or the ways I have grown. I often forget about the fact that, had I not spent my summers at camp, there are many things I would not have been exposed to that do have an impact on the way I view the world and my perspective on things.

Having the opportunity to spend a summer working with international staff, or as a camper, have international counselors, gave me an opportunity to get a glimpse into cultures I most likely never would have experienced otherwise. Through camp I've known staff from England, Russia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Scotland, France, Israel... and probably a few other places I've forgotten at the moment.

I've worked with people that I have absolutely nothing in common with--except for our love of camp. There is little chance I ever would have interacted with them outside of camp, but I am so thankful that camp has given me the opportunity to find friendships in unexpected places.

I have learned quite a bit about celiac disease, between having a co-counselor with it, and the gluten-free week we've hosted at camp for the past several years. A camper with cystic fibrosis compelled me to learn more about that. Panic attacks, eating disorders, and diabetes--all things I am a little more familiar with because of camp.

My perspective on the importance of kids experiencing nature, on our educational systems, and on leadership have all been heavily influenced by my camp experiences. My views on so many topics have been either been expanded or developed because of camp. The variety of people I have interacted with through camp--whether staff, campers, or parents--has forced me to give serious thought to topics and issues I probably would have never given a second thought to, if not for camp.

Camp has given me a broader filter to run my life experiences through, and for that I am grateful.

Culture

The other day, a few friends and I were sitting around, trying to decide where to go to dinner. Once we had made a decision, we continued to sit; being hungry, I decided to start moving towards the car. So I stood up, and said "LDT". My friends looked at me like I was speaking another language, and I realized that I was using camp slang from almost 5 years ago. In the summer of 2005, "LDT" was a frequently used abbreviation for "Let's do this", said before doing almost anything. That summer there was almost another language being spoken at camp... someone who didn't know our staff at all would have been very puzzled trying to decipher the "birthday cakes", "LDTs", and many other words and abbreviations that took the place of anything resembling a typical sentence.

Around camp, however, the typical conversation involved a whole lot of nonsensical sentences that made perfect sense to all of us. As I was thinking about how easy it was for camp slang from years ago to still make an appearance, I started thinking about the culture of camp.

Every camp has its own unique culture. There are things that tend to be similar, of course, from camp to camp, but each camp has its own trends, slang, and social norms. While what is going on in the "real world" has an effect on the culture of a camp, because you are mostly disconnected from anything outside of camp, obscure things become trends. What is "cool" at camp isn't necessarily what is going to be cool outside of camp, and I think this is part of the appeal of camp.

While ultimately the culture of a camp is set by the director and leadership staff, the staff and the campers at a camp have far more ability to influence culture and trends than they do at school, or other places outside of camp. In the "outside world", culture is going to be heavily influenced by TV, celebrities, and what is #1 on the charts. Camp is different, and sometimes that change is just what you need.

Indian Princesses

It's that time of year again, when every weekend at camp involves dads and their kids coming out to Kanata for their Fall Outing with the Y-Guides and Princesses program. As we were discussing some of the details of these weekends in the office today, I started thinking back to when I was in Indian Princesses (the name has been changed from Indian Princesses to Y-Princesses since I was a kid).

I have a picture of my tribe (the Sunshine tribe) in all of our vests, headbands, and necklaces standing in front of the office at camp--the girls and our dads. I must have been 6 or 7 in the picture, and sometimes I look at it, and think about how crazy it is that 15 or so years later, my full time job is in that very office. I didn't come to Kanata as a camper until 5 or 6 years after my first experiences here with Indian Princesses, but I have so many great memories of my time here with my dad and the rest of our tribe. Of course getting to do all the camp activities--shooting a gun, bows and arrows, arts and crafts were all high on my priority list as a child, but when I think back to those weekends now, I think the campfires were my favorite times.

Walking down to the lake through a line of torches, sitting at the campfire and hearing stories, participating in all the traditions--it really was a magical experience, and one that has stayed with me for many years. Even now, when I meet campers in the summer who say they've come to camp with Y-Princesses, I love to exchange a "How How" and find out their Indian name. (My Indian name was Butterfly, my dad Red Cloud).

My very first camping experiences came through the Indian Princesses program, and I could not be more grateful. I'm so glad that as a little girl, I got the opportunity to participate in that program with my dad, and to start a life of loving camp!

Legends

As I sit here, staring out the window at the gray sky and the rain falling around camp, I've been thinking about the legends of camp and the rite of passage storytelling can be. Earlier today, several of us were sitting around talking about various aspects of camp, as we so often do, and we started thinking about our legends and stories, and the way they are passed down. Often camp lore changes a bit from summer to summer, as someone different tells the stories and adds a little bit of their personality to each story or legend. But regardless of the small changes that happen over time, camp legends remain an important part of the culture of camp. We have one particular story, "Old Man Tyson" that is more a rite of passage for our older campers than just another legend. The details of the story aren't what is important... it is the experience of going to Tyson's chimney, hearing the story with your fellow campers, and knowing you have gone through that rite of passage. I think that in some ways, the entire camp experience is very similar to that. It doesn't necessarily matter what the details of your activites are or which cabin you are in; it is about getting that camp experience, alongside your fellow campers, and feeling like you belong here. From summer to summer, the details might change, and different people might add a bit of a different personality, but it all adds up to be a part of that life-changing camp experience.

Loss

I've been working on writing a letter to everyone I was on staff with in 2003--my first summer as a counselor. In a month and a half or so, we have a 5k coming up at camp, and the 5k is done through a foundation set up by the parents of a counselor that was killed in a car wreck during the summer of 2003, which is why I've been working on a letter to that summer's staff. As I've been thinking about what to say in this letter, I've been thinking about that first summer I was on staff.

In some respects, it seems so long ago. When I think back to that time in my life, nothing else stands out with the clarity of that summer. High school is kind of a distant blur of a lot of similar memories--classes, football games, off-campus lunch, and the thrill of finally being able to drive, but the clarity of my memories from that summer of camp still surprises me.

That morning, the staff being instructed to send the campers on to breakfast, while we stayed at chapel. Hearing that there had been an accident. Nights sitting around wondering what would happen. The weekend the hospital was packed with camp staff. The staff meeting where we learned that he was gone. Old counselors and other YMCA staff coming to watch our campers for an afternoon so we could go to the funeral. Riding to the funeral on a YMCA bus in our staff uniforms. The campers who kept asking where he'd gone. Spreading his ashes into the lake.

It was a tough end to summer, and it was tough to keep being a cheerful camp counselor when you've suddenly lost one of your fellow staff members. But when I think back to that summer, I can't think of a place I'd rather be in a tough situation like that. Because we all went through it together, and we all supported each other. We dealt with it in different ways, but I think it was an incredible example of the community that camp is.

A few months later, a similar situation happened at my school. In this case, I didn't really know the guy, but my best friend did, and watching her go through the process of dealing with it, I realized what a blessing that camp community was. Being in a tight-knit community where we were all dealing with the same thing made such a difference. Knowing that we were all hurting, understanding what everyone else was going through, and being able to see each other in those most vulnerable first stages of grief tightened that community and inspired us to do our best at our jobs, because one of us no longer could.

Scholarships

This past week, we had our kickoff for our scholarship campaign to raise money for kids who otherwise wouldn't be able to attend camp. As I was driving home after the event, I started thinking about how unique it was to be in a room of people that have experienced camp from so many different perspectives, but are all passionate about providing that camp experience to todays campers.

Of course our current full-time staff were there, but there were also summer staff, current campers, parents of staff and campers, parents of former staff, former staff members, board members, other Y employees, and people in the community that have interacted with camp in some way, and have become excited about our mission and vision.

I spent some time listening to the dad of a counselor I remember from my days as a camper telling stories, a few former staff members tossing around the names of other former staff they'd love to reconnect with, and parents of campers talking about how camp has changed their child's life.

Everyone who was there, regardless of their connection to camp, understood the power of camp and what it offers to kids. The energy of being in a group that is willing to invest both their time and money in order to offer an experience that valuable to children not their own is incredible.

School vs. Summer

After Obama's idea of extending the school year (and school day, and school week) was announced, conversation has begun about the possible effects of that plan. Clearly there is a lot to consider when discussing this possibility--this change would cost money in addition to potentially hurting the economy, and there is no guarantee that it would change much of anything in regards to learning.

As I've read blog posts and articles about this, I've been thinking about it from two different perspectives. The first is as someone who works in the camp industry. The school year changing would have a very direct effect on my life, as it would affect my job.

The second perspective I've been thinking about it from is as someone who was a student not too long ago. Being only a year out of college, my school days are still pretty fresh on my mind and I definitely have an opinion on the education system.

From both perspectives--I am completely opposed to the idea of the school year being extended. I believe in learning, and think it is an incredibly important thing, but I don't think that the possible contributions of the school year being extended are worth the things that it would take away.

Summer camp is an 150 year old tradition in America, and generations of kids have grown up with summer camp as an important and valuable part of their education. Camp teaches so much more than just the activities that kids participate in. Camp allows kids to learn by doing, to experience the world in a very different capacity than in a classroom. Campers learn valuable social and life skills, in addition to broadening their horizons by doing all kinds of things they wouldn't otherwise be able to experience.

I was lucky enough to attend a liberal arts university that highly valued experiential education, and the two experiences I learned the most from during my college years were my internship--done at summer camp, and a month long study abroad program where we traveled through Europe and studied cathedrals. But not many schools, especially before the college level, have the resources to offer those kinds of experiences to their students, and the extension of the school year could take away the opportunity for children to participate in all kind of experiential learning opportunities outside of school--whether it be summer camp, traveling, summer enrichment programs, or just playing outside.

As I think back to my childhood, summers filled with days at the pool, weeks at camp, playing in the creek, and exploring the woods by my neighborhood are what fill my memory. Those experiences shaped me and taught me just as much, if not more, than the countless hours I spent sitting in a classroom, and I hate to think that today's kids might think back to summer and it be just more of the same... sitting in a classroom, staring at a clock, waiting for the bell to ring.

Music & Memories

Last night, I was driving to the beach with some camp friends and we were shuffling through the iPod to find some appropriate road trip music. Before too long we settled on a camp playlist. As the songs played through, I was amazed once again at the connection that music can have with our memories. "Build me up, Buttercup" took me back to years of standing on the benches of the dining hall, trying to sing louder than the boys side. "I Think We're Alone Now" immediately brought back a dance my campers had done to the song for a "Battle of the Bands" type event, a good 5 or 6 years ago. "Welcome to the Jungle" signifies blockstacking every morning after breakfast. "Since U Been Gone" is a instant transport to Wednesday night camp dances, and "Breakfast at Tiffany's" makes me feel like I should be waiting in the dining hall for all the campers to come in so we can eat. "The Cha-Cha Slide" reminded me of the summer of 2002 when some friends got so annoyed with the frequency the song was played, that they formed ACE--the Anti Cha-Cha Establisment, and sat in the middle of the floor in protest every time the song came on. Taking me way back to my days as a camper was "I Want it That Way", and Miley's "See You Again" brought back some more recent memories.

There are hundreds of other songs that trigger camp in my brain. Some take me to dances, others to Friday night campfires, more to the dining hall, and some are more specific to certain summers or events, but regardless of where at camp a song may take me, I always enjoy finding a little bit of camp when I'm not expecting it.

The Magic of Camp

Last night, I was chatting with a good friend, who also works for the Y. We started talking about work, as we often do, and ended up having a long conversation about the Y programs we are most passionate about. She started in day camp, but works with after school now, and is incredibly passionate about what after school can do. I started in resident camp, and have done various other programs--day camp, after school, Youth & Government, and have enjoyed all of them, but resident camp will always be where my heart is.

As I was trying to explain to her just why resident camp is such a unique and important experience, I began thinking about the issue of Perspective: Journal of the Association of YMCA Professionals (http://www.aypymca.org/perspective.htm) that I had received that day. It was titled "The Legends of Camping" and included the stories of 8 different YMCA camps. Some I knew of and some I didn't, but as I read through the issue, it was story after story of lives being changed because of camp. Each camp was unique, each camp has its own story and traditions, but the common thread throughout the stories was the power of camp.

It is more than the fact that camp allows today's children to experience nature in a manner that is quickly falling by the wayside; it is more than the fact that camp builds communities and relationships. There is more to it than kids learning responsibility, sharing, independence, decision-making, and life-skills. All of these things (plus so much more) are incredibly important outcomes and elements of camp, but the way camp ties it all together in a package of excitement, energy, and belonging and the way camp creates a unique world with its own trends, slang, and traditions make camp incomparable to any other experience. There is a magic in resident camping, and once it gets ahold of you, it never lets go.

Recently, one of our staff alumni from the 70's has been posting pictures from his time at camp on Facebook, and while looking at the pictures has been fun, the best part has been reading the comments that other staff alumni have been making. 30 years has passed since they were at camp, but they still remember the stories, the traditions, the magic... and that is the power of camp.

The Carefree Summers of Childhood?

I recently read an excerpt from Lenore Skenazy's book "Free Range Kids" (http://tinyurl.com/oxr7qc).  Skenazy was dubbed "America's Worst Mom" by the media after she let her child ride the subway home alone, but she argues that kids are more responsible and capable than we give them credit for.  Generations and generations of American kids grew up playing unsupervised outside, and turned out fine.  

It has been less than 15 years since I was in elementary school, and I remember many spring and summer days playing in the creek or the woods by my neighborhood, or walking to the pool a few neighborhoods over, with my only instructions being to be home by dinner.  But now I frequently talk to parents who are shocked and concerned that we don't allow kids to bring their cell phones to camp.  

It seems like people are starting to realize that our world of excessive technology and obsessive amounts of time spent indoors may prove to be detrimental to future generations.  Richard Louv's book "Last Child in the Woods" (www.richardlouv.com) looks at what it might mean that this generation of America's kids are growing up indoors.  

In this world of being always plugged in, institutions like summer camp are more important than ever.  Summer camp gives kids the chance to play outside, enjoy nature, and be creative in ways that most kids just don't get to do these days.  Splashing in the lake, surviving summer nights without air conditioning, and playing in the woods are activities that were once standard for American kids, but seem to be going by the wayside.  Summer camp gives today's generation of kids at least a piece of that oh-so-important piece of childhood: a carefree summer existence that is slowly disappearing with the overbooked calendars so common among today's youth.

The Language of Camp

I am always amazed at what a conversation starter camp can be.  I think it is to be expected that among friends who have worked at camp--whether the same camp or different camps--that it would be a popular topic of conversation, as people who work at camp usually like to talk about it, and non-camp friends quickly get sick of camp stories.  Until this year, however, I've never found camp as a major connection point with complete strangers.  I think this might be due to the fact that I was in school, and so when introducing myself to people, I told them my name and that I went to Elon.  Now, the thing that comes after my name is that I work at a summer camp, and I have discovered that there are two types of people:  those who have some connection to camp, and those who don't.  

Those who have no connection to camp typically ask "so what do you do when it isn't summer?"  Those who have some kind of camp experience immediately share it.  Whether they worked at a camp, or just have fond memories of being a camper, they light up a little, and tell me about it.  It seems that camp is a kind of universal language--anytime I run into someone with a camp background, there is an instant connection, and it tends to be an enjoyable conversation.  Every time this happens, I am reminded of the incredible communities that camp builds, and amazed at how, even outside of summer, and outside of any particular place, camp keeps doing what it is best at:  building relationships.  

30 years ago...

I was on the phone today with a dad who was interested in sending his daughter to camp for the first time.  While talking with him about availability and such, he mentioned that he had been a Kanata camper himself 30 years ago, and we ended up having a great conversation about his time at camp and how he is looking forward to sending his daughter for her first time. Right before I started talking to him, I was flipping through old newspapers looking at articles and pictures of years past at Kanata, and it was so great to have a piece of our past find us.  It is amazing the connection that comes from camp--this man was a camper almost 10 years before I was even born, but simply because of the fact that we both had Kanata in common, we were able to share stories--him about our past, and me about our present.  

In the course of our conversation, he mentioned that he actually was holding some pictures from the first time he went to camp--him standing in front of Cabin 13, getting ready for his first week at camp.  After hanging up the phone, I started thinking about what a great thing it is that this dad had such a good experience at Kanata 30 years ago, that, regardless of the fact that he lives several states away now, and hasn't been back to the area recently, he wants his daughter to have her first camp experience at Kanata.  I hope that 30 years from now, she'll be calling the camp office to find out about sending her child for their first summer!

Some things never change!

This afternoon, I found the last few names to complete the list of Kanata directors.  Just filling in those empty years with names makes me feel like we have a better hold on our history.  Looking through old annual reports today to find those names, I found all kinds of other fascinating information.  In 1956, the daily camp schedule was incredibly similar to how our schedule is now, over 50 years later.  Many of the camp activities were the same activities we offer now.  

While there are clearly many differences in camp from the 1950s til now, I think it is amazing that there are some things that have remained just the same.  We have been changing lives in much the same fashion for over 50 years, and I think that is something we can be very proud of.  We talk all the time both about the community of camp, and the importance of being involved in the community around us, and today I read a newspaper article from 1954 that said:  "The camp became a community effort when businessmen joined hands with construction leaders, laborers and others to complete the project, including a nine-acre lake and 13 buildings."  A 1957 article called Kanata a "civic miracle".  

How great that from the very beginning, community was such an integral part of Kanata.  I love the fact that the community joined together to help us get started, and I love the fact that 55 years later, community is still a main focus of ours.  It is a tradition to be proud of.  

The Story of Kanata

Recently, I've started trying to uncover the history of Kanata.  I realized a while back that we don't seem to know a lot of our history, and to me, it seems like knowing our history is an important part of being able to tell our story.   We don't even have a complete list of our directors for the past 55 years, and so that seemed like a good place to start.

For the past few weeks, I've been flipping through a few old brochures I had around, filling in the blanks I knew, and thinking about ways to find the information.  Today, I got a box of old newspaper clippings and old annual reports and other such things from the Durham Y, and I couldn't wait to dig into it and see what I could find.  

A few hours, and lots of yellowing newspapers later, I've only made a bit of a dent in the box, but I am amazed at what I've already found, and I feel like I know so much more about the story of camp.  

My list of directors is growing, and I think I may have even found the first director (H.C. Raiford), but I'm hoping one of the next few articles will confirm it.  I've learned about the Durham Y's history of camping, which started 34 years before Kanata.  In 1921, the Rotary Club, the Kiwanis Club, and the Y started Camp Rota-Ki-Y.  

A change of name to Camp Sacarusa (named after a local Indian Chief), a fire, a change in location, and an infantile paralysis epidemic later, the land for Kanata was purchased in 1946.  

I'd always heard that Kanata was built in about three weeks, with a whole lot of help and money from local civic organizations, but I had no idea that 85 acres of the land for camp had been purchased eight years before Kanata's first summer of campers.  In 1947, the first plans for Kanata were drawn up, but the Y didn't have the money at the time, so a trust fund was started to raise the money to build camp.  

Learning the life story of Kanata will probably be a long process, but I'm fascinated by it.  Every time I get to fill in a space on the list of directors, or come across an interesting picture from 30 or 40 years ago, I am thrilled.  For almost half my life, Kanata has been a huge part of who I am, and I am so excited to have the opportunity to explore how Kanata has become what it is today.  

More than just activities...

Yesterday was YMCA Healthy Kids Day, and I spent the morning sitting outside chatting with people who walked by my table, and had some kind of interest in camp.  I talked to a few parents who had fond memories of their own camp days, and couldn't wait until their child was old enough to attend, and other parents who had children well old enough, but couldn't imagine sending their child away for a week.  While talking to all of these families, I noticed that one of the more common questions asked of me was "what kind of activities do you offer?".  This is one of the easier questions to answer:  I can rattle off a list of camp activities in my sleep.

A list of activities gives an insight into how we fill the days at camp, but it is only a few brushstrokes when trying to paint the picture of the value of camp.  Camp is a place where the rules are simple:  try and live by the character traits of honesty, respect, responsibility and caring, and have fun while you do so.  Kids tend to pick up quickly on things like independence, sharing, confidence, and trying new things.  No one complains about having to make their bed every morning because they want a high score on cabin inspection.

Most of all, camp is a place where everyone belongs.  It is a place where making friends is easy, and everyone has something in common.  Camp is a unique place that strikes the balance of allowing people to simultaneously grow up, while allowing them the chance to really enjoy childhood.  It is an experience that every child should have the opportunity to try.

Anticipation

Every year at around this time, I find myself getting ridiculously excited about the fact that camp is in the near future.  Every year since I can remember, I've had a countdown going for the days til I got to go to camp or once on staff, the days til campers arrived.  This year is no exception--despite the fact that I am at camp every day, I have a countdown in my calendar so I know just how many days it is until our campers arrive (58, in case you were wondering).  

Right now, camp is beautiful with the arrival of spring.  I love looking out my window at work and seeing what a gorgeous place I work at.  But I cannot wait for that first day campers come, with all of their energy and excitement.  I can't wait to walk around camp and hear cheers and songs from all directions.  I can't wait to hear splashing in the lake, and shouts of laughter in the pool.  I can't wait to see the empty cabins fill back up and take on the personality that the counselors bring to them.  I can't wait to eat in a dining hall where, after dinner, standing on your bench to sing is a common activity.  I can't wait for Friday night campfires, seeing old friends, and making new ones.  

I love this time of anticipation, waiting for summer to start.  I love remembering all the things I love about camp, I love planning and preparing for camp to start, and I love looking at staff and camper lists to see who is coming back.  I love dreaming of the possibilities the summer holds, and I love getting just a bit more excited every day as camp gets closer and closer.

  

What a privilege...

One of the things that has been so great about staying around camp for a number of years is that I have had the privilege of watching a lot of our campers grow up.  There are kids that were in my cabin when I was a staff trainee that have been on staff for several summers now and campers that are in our staff trainee program that I have known since they were six.  

Most of the kids I think of as "my" campers are kids I had in my cabin when they were six or seven and are in middle school now.  Every summer, I half-expect to see kids that look exactly the same as they did the summer before, but every year, I am shocked to see how grown up they have gotten over the past year.  On one hand, it makes me feel a little bit old, but on the other hand, it is really such a privilege to watch these campers grow and change from year to year.

There is one particular group of girls that I had in my cabin for two summers, who are always a highlight of my summer.  These girls are just the ideal campers--they love camp, are well-behaved, are excited about every activity, and despite the fact that they always come in a group, they are so inclusive of other girls.

This past summer, they were in a cabin with a two girls who were only able to attend camp through the outreach program at one of our YMCAs.  These two girls didn't speak great English, didn't have all the brand name clothes, and really just came from a different world than the rest of their cabin.  Middle school girls are famous for ostracizing others and making life difficult for those who don't quite fit in, so, being that age, there was definite potential for disaster.

I have never been more proud of a group of girls than I was this summer when I saw how inclusive and friendly my girls were with these two girls who so easily could have been outsiders.  All week long, their cabin traveled in a pack.  Where you found one of them, you found them all, and they were all having a blast.  They were the most inclusive and compassionate group of girls I have ever known, and consistently amazed me with their concern for others, as well as their excitement for every aspect of camp.

Watching these girls grow up over the past five years has been such a privilege, and I can't wait to see what they are like five years down the road!

Patchwork

Every summer, on the last night of camp, it is a tradition for our staff to paint a block in arts and crafts.  It is one of my favorite places at camp, because in that one building at camp, there is so much history.  I can look around and see names of counselors from when I was a camper, names of past co-workers, and even names from before I was born. Each summer, as a new group of staff searches for a place to paint their name, and the returning counselors add another few numbers next to their name, arts and crafts reflects the changing story of camp.  It is always being added to and each summer, a little bit of each staff member's personality is added to the walls.  

I love looking around arts and crafts, and seeing all of the different personalities of our staff come out.  Different blocks remind me of different summers and different friends, but when I look at the patchwork of painting on the wall, I am mostly reminded of how camp brings together so many different people.  Many people who have influenced my life in huge ways are people that I am sure I never would have interacted with outside of camp, but I am so grateful that whether I knew them for a summer or more, they are a piece of the patchwork that makes up my life. 

It's a beautiful thing

During the summers I spent as a cabin counselor, I was always in the youngest girls cabin.  As you would imagine, in a cabin with kids as young as six, homesickness was a frequent problem.  Many of my campers had never been away from home before, and this often inspired a round of tears on Sunday evening around bedtime.  Often this homesickness is contagious, but in most cases it was an easy fix.  Magic mints, special stuffed animals, and a little bit of individual attention can go a long way.  Occasionally though, there was a camper that would have a little bit of a harder time adjusting, and they might spend not only Sunday night, but also some of Monday, breaking out into sobs.  

My absolute favorite thing about being a counselor was when these kids who had the more intense cases of homesickness at the beginning of the week would come up to me after Friday night campfire, when everyone was saying their goodbyes, with tears streaming down their faces.  Sobbing, they would inform me that they wanted to stay all summer, and that they were absolutely not ready to go home the next morning.  While I never like seeing campers cry, these particular tears were a bit of a triumph for me.

Seeing a camper who starts out the week adamant that they want to go home become the camper who can't stop crying because they have to leave in the morning might be one of the single most rewarding experiences of my life.  In that moment, you know that one of your campers has experienced the magic that is the reason you work at camp, and you have been a part of that magic.  It's a beautiful thing.

Camp Friends

A few days ago, one of my childhood best friends asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding.  Laura is the first of the girls I grew up with to get engaged, and so of course, her engagement has caused me to reminisce about all of our childhood adventures.  Laura and I met at church when we were three, and grew up going on church trips and playing handbells together.  We also went to elementary school together for a few years, but I think most importantly, we went to camp together.  From the time I was seven to seventeen, we were constantly recounting stories from our last camp experience, or planning for the next summer.

In the almost twenty years Laura and I have been friends, we have shared many experiences, but some of the most vivid in my mind are our summers at camp.  There was a camp that was a little more rustic than our tastes (outhouses and a hose tied to a tree for brushing our teeth), and there was a camp where we had a slightly traumatizing canoe experience.  There were counselors we didn't really like, and counselors we adored; there was a sailboat we managed to capsize in approximately three feet of water, countless inside jokes, camp songs and cheers that we sang year round.  There were new friends we didn't want to leave, a lot of tears on the last night of camp, and our first real experience with tragedy the summer one of of our fellow staff members was killed in a car wreck.  

I think that camp is one of the main reasons our friendship has continued over the years;  camp is an environment that fosters friendship in a way that school or other activities just can't.  The friends you make at camp are friends that see you in an environment where the rules are different;  it is a world of it's own, complete with unique trends and slang, and because it is a different world, the friendships you make there are different from those you make elsewhere.  

Yappoi

Every Friday night during the summer, we close the camp session with a campfire.  After dinner, all of camp gathers by the flagpole, and forms a giant chain of people, holding hands.  Our staff start everyone off in a song that begins "yappoi a tai tai aei a..." and the line snakes its way down the hill towards the lake, where we have our closing campfire.  I don't know that anyone knows exactly what the song means, or where it came from.  When I was a camper, I was told that it was an old Indian song, and when I became a counselor, I passed that down to my campers;  but like many camp legends, the truth of that is questionable.  

Regardless of my lack of knowledge of the origins of "yappoi" or the true meaning of it, every Friday night when I hear 250+ campers and counselors join together in singing as they make their way to campfire, I am reminded of just what camp means to me.  In my summers at camp, I have learned a multitude of things.  As a camper, I learned independence, how to interact with and live with people I barely knew, and had the ability to try all kinds of new activities.  As a counselor, I learned about responsibility, creativity and thinking on my feet, and how to deal with discipline and homesickness.  As a head counselor, I learned about supervising staff, dealing with difficult campers and parents, and working on a team.  In all of my years at camp, regardless of my role, two constant themes have been building friendships and personal growth.

My experiences at camp have had an incredible amount of influence on my life, on the person I am today, and on what is important to me.  When I hear "yappoi" it always makes me take a minute to stop and think about how camp has molded my life, and how grateful I am to be a part of a camp community.  For some, camp is just a week or two of summer, but for me camp is a way of life, and that little song of questionable origin always reminds me why camp is such an integral part of my life.

Passion

I frequently hear people talk about how important it is to find your passion.  Do what you love. Life is too short to waste your time doing something you don't care about.  I also frequently talk to people about how lucky I am to have found my passion at such a young age.  As a recent college graduate in this economy, I am so fortunate to be able to go to work every day, and even more, to go to a job and a place I love.  

After I graduated from college in May of 2008, I spent my fifteenth summer at camp.  At the end of the summer, I had all intentions of spending a year doing community service work in New Orleans, but with less than a week til my flight was scheduled to leave, I realized that camp wasn't something I was ready to leave, even if for just a year.  So I did an abrupt about face, and was lucky enough that the camp I had been at for the past ten summers was about to begin interviews for an office position.  A few weeks later, I found myself settling into my first "real" job instead of into the inner city as planned.  

While at the moment, a lot of what I do doesn't sound very exciting:  filing papers and processing registrations and answering phone calls, I enjoy what I do immensely.  Ever since I was six years old, and I went to camp for the first time, I have been in love with the idea of camp.  As a child, I went to several different camps, and had both good experiences and bad;  but the good always heavily outweighed the bad, and I always started counting down to the next summer the minute I was home.  When I was 12, I went to Camp K for the first time, and I never wanted to leave.  Within a year or two, my mind was set on working at CK--not just as a summer job, but in some capacity, full time.  A few years later, I am amazed that I have the opportunity to follow my childhood dream and that the world of camp is still as enticing as it was to me as a 6 year old going on my first real independent adventure, a 12 year old who fell in love with CK, and a 16 year old who couldn't believe she was finally the counselor. 

I think my favorite part of my job is when I get to talk to a parent who is genuinely interested in what camp can do for their child.  I love getting to share my experiences and my passion for camp with others, and I love getting to tell parents what I have seen camp do in the lives of children.  In my ten years at CK, and my years before that as a camper other places, I have been changed by camp and I have seen camp change others.  Camp is an experience like no other, and I am so excited about venturing into the world of camping full time.  As summer approaches, I'm both nervous and excited to see what camp looks like from a different perspective, but I know one thing will never change whether I'm 6 or 60, and still lucky enough to be involved in camping:  I'm always counting down the days til camp begins.