Our Takajo campers woke up to bright, beautiful sunshine– the kind of weather that puts a smile on your face and gives you the motivation to make the most of your day. As I walked across the campus, every field and court was in full use and our hobby program was filled with enthusiastic artists.
As we reach the midpoint of our first week in camp, I am often asked by parents whether they can breathe a sigh of relief if their son has not experienced any signs of missing home. The answer is no. The excitement and stimulation that takes place in camp are contagious. However, it is unrealistic to separate from the ones you love most and not have moments of sadness.
You should be receiving your first letters any day; and, while you will run to the mailbox with great hopes of receiving detailed information about your son’s first few days of camp, some of you are likely to be left feeling unfulfilled. Unfortunately, you are not seeing the complete picture. In just a few days of camp, your son is becoming part of a community.
He starts his day with his bunkmates, fends for himself at breakfast, takes the responsibility of making his bed and cleaning the bunk, finds his athletic gear, and makes his way to his first activity on time. Throughout the morning, he functions as a member of a team, trying his hardest for the best outcome, but never leaves the game without looking his opponent in the eye and offering him a firm handshake for a game well played. This routine continues throughout the day. Your son has to navigate through social and emotional situations without the support of his most trusted allies.
There is tremendous excitement and enthusiasm all over this campus. At any given moment, you can hear the sounds of laughter from the bunks to the dining hall, but measuring one’s success in camp is based on a far larger criterion than scoring the winning basket in a league game. As parents, we all have hopes that we can judge our son’s camp experience by this sense of euphoria. But, in reality, what matters most is that camp is teaching our boys a sense of independence, self-reliance, and appreciation for other members of our camp community.
