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.