As a camp owner, I am always looking for teachable moments– opportunities when children are able to see beyond their immediate needs and recognize that sometimes there is a bigger picture. Sometimes these moments are obvious. Other times, they are a bit more subtle.
Our Sunday Mornings are called Lazy Man’s Morning, because we push back reveille, and give the boys an opportunity to have a leisurely breakfast in their PJs. The campers love the concept of a casual breakfast and look forward to seeing Dunkin Donuts. After breakfast, we continue with a relaxed theme, and our boys have the opportunity, to step away from the structure of routine and select a morning activity of their choice.
On a warm summer morning, as you would imagine, banana boat riding and tubing were high on the list. As the boys assembled on the dock and prepared for the first ride, two boys needed life jackets. We have many life jackets. Others who were not scheduled for the initial ride had already buckled their life jackets. The two boys on the first ride asked those who were not scheduled until later boat rides to share the life jackets. While a few of the boys felt that by taking off their life jackets they would lose their place in line, some took a different approach. They immediately gave up their life jackets to the two boys scheduled for the first ride, which made quite an impression on those who were less eager to share.
The simple gesture of kindness and consideration made a huge impact on those who were more focused on their own needs. To the credit of those who were less eager to share their life jackets, they saw the end result of their peers’ kindness and apologized for not being as considerate. Sometimes a simple gesture can make an indelible mark.
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In the afternoon, we had a session on the Junior field going to goal. We attempted to coach both sides of the ball, teaching the players the correct defensive stance, attempting to put pressure on the ball, and forcing the attacker wide. James stole the show and won the SST t-shirt!
