Already mid-week and our boys are flying high as reports from all trips are outstanding, and our Seniors are over the moon with excitement. Our Okees, our oldest boys, departed for Canada this morning. While seeing them go for a week may be sad, witnessing the enthusiasm as they boarded the bus literally brought tears to my eyes.
I sat with the Okees during breakfast and had flashbacks of these young men seven, eight, or nine years ago during their first summers at Takajo. It’s fascinating to watch the growth and the development of children over the years. While a normal maturation process occurs, that process doesn’t happen at the same pace for all of our boys.
There are summers when a bunk is incredibly cohesive and boys are socially and emotionally on an even plane. However, when the same group of boys returns the following summer after a year away collecting their own life experiences, the bunk dynamic may not always feel the same. We usually notice this change being most significant when our boys transition out of Warrior Camp into Junior Camp, and once again when they graduate from Junior Camp into Senior Camp, entering the adolescent stage of life.
While parents often feel that the most challenging age to manage in camp is our younger boys who have finished first or second grades, the reality is that these are among our happiest boys in camp. Emotionally and socially, these youngest boys are all very similar. Even when a child dominates athletically, it doesn’t seem to make his peers feel lesser.
However, when boys reach Junior Camp (finished fifth and sixth grades), they become acutely aware of who is taller, faster, and more athletic. We often see boys feeling insecure at this age— self-confidence is sometimes lacking. While some boys are able to bank social and athletic currency in a camp community and become leaders, other boys struggle to find what makes them unique in their home away from home. The diversity in our program often helps our boys feel empowered and allows them to build confidence. It could be down at the waterfront learning to sail or waterski, it could be a new-found passion in pioneering and exploring the wonderful trails we have in Maine, or it could be gaining recognition for their creativity on Hobby Lane or in our Big Shows. At camp, our boys learn that they don’t have to measure up to their peers in order to be accepted and respected. Rather, we help children find their passions and develop self confidence.
Our Okees have spent their summers living in separate bunks that defined their friendships during their early years within camp. Over the years, however, these friendships have expanded outside of the cabin. As these boys have grown and matured, there is less emphasis on the skills that make a camper unique and more focus on their moral fiber and how they treat one another. Through their summers, these boys have collected many experiences on the fields, in plays, and out of camp on trips. The friendships and bonds that have formed are based on all of these experiences. The boys’ desire to return to camp for this final summer is not based on their athletic acumen or the special trip to Canada, but rather on the trust and bonds these boys have formed.
