Kudos to the weatherman who provided an accurate forecast. We woke up to grey and gloomy skies. By the time we left the dining room after breakfast, a light drizzle was falling. All three age divisions in camp spent the morning rotating through our two indoor sports complexes, giving all of our boys an opportunity to get their heart rates up and have bursts of energy and excitement, while breaking a good sweat. All of our hobbies were in use throughout the day. Campers enjoyed the slower pace, sitting with friends, and allowing their creative side to emerge. In the afternoon, our counselors performed the highly anticipated counselor talent show, which is always a camper favorite. During the pre-season orientation the counselors put together skits, created musical numbers, and displayed other talents that made for the perfect rainy afternoon activity. The campers love seeing their counselors on stage. Now that our boys have created bonds with our staff, you can see the sense of pride on our campers’ faces when they see their counselors perform.
While the great majority of our campers are feeling settled and have transitioned beautifully to camp, we continue to have pop-ups, moments in time when some of our boys seem to lose their traction. This could be for a host of reasons, a lack of sleep being one. There are boys who struggle when they leave the comfort and privacy of their room at home and find themselves sleeping in a bunk with others who don’t share their sleeping habits. Overstimulated boys and the use of flashlights can prevent some boys from getting a good night’s sleep. We manage these moments by leaving a counselor in the bunk after taps to help the group get settled and do our best to find a balance to allow those that wish to stay up that opportunity without impacting those who are tired and desire a good night’s rest. Sometimes we’ll take one of our OD’s (on duty) staff counselors and station them on the porch of the bunk to provide a gentle reminder to have fun but lower the volume.
A few of our Senior boys, surprisingly, had challenging transitions to camp, but in a few cases we learned that they didn’t turn their cellphones in when they arrived at camp, or in some cases, they brought a second phone to camp. This is disappointing on a number of fronts. It teaches children that they could ignore rules, and it prevents the camper from truly being immersed in the camp program. I would make the argument that most individuals are addicted to their phones. Camp provides a needed opportunity for children to give their thumbs a rest and focus on the long-lost art of communication, human interaction, and face-to-face conversations with thoughtful and respectful interaction. I love looking around the dining room during a meal and seeing our boys talking and laughing. We all know that if our boys had their cellphones during the meal, their heads would be down, and there would be no personal connection at the table.
The cellphones that are in bunks are a detriment to a camper’s experience and while it may be the intention of a parent to help their child when he feels the need. In reality, we are teaching our children to be more dependent upon us and less self-reliant. I believe our children need age-appropriate coping skills, and it is my hope that we are creating a safe and open environment where boys can come to us if they’re sad or struggling. In an age of instant gratification, where we have grown accustomed to getting what we want quickly, what I often refer to as the “microwave generation.” I believe our children will benefit from an old-fashioned, slow-cooked, experience, rich in healthy ingredients that take time to prepare but are far more tasteful in the end.
