I have often heard my father tell me that in the old days, summer camp seasons were nine weeks long. Back then, there were far fewer options for children during the summer. Specialty camps, teen tours, and pressure from local coaches– none of these existed back when my father was a child. Today, we live in a world where we want everything fast and easy. It is all about instant gratification. The ability to get what you want can happen as quickly as your thumbs can move on your iPhone to find information.
The beauty of a traditional, full-season summer camp is that it teaches children self-reliance, adaptability, and other life skills. These skills cannot develop as thoroughly when children attend camps for a shorter season.
The transformation I witness with some children after visiting day is amazing. A camper came to me today and said, “I used up all my tears in the first few weeks of camp, and all I have left are smiles.” I have seen an incredible metamorphosis with this child over the past four weeks. His development, like so many others, could only happen over this length of time. Unlike so many aspects of today’s world, camp requires effort, discipline, and fosters great results because great relationships take time to develop.
This morning, I received a wonderful call from a Camp Takajo mom, who told me that her son, a first-year camper, looked at his father during visiting day and said, “Dad, you only get to do this today. I get to do this everyday.” What better confirmation than that to acknowledge how important summer camp is to the emotional and physical growth of today’s youth?
