July 31, 2023
Kids grow and change. It’s such an obvious thing, yet it is so important to us at camp. Fundamentally we know that kids are going to be different at 11 then they are at 8, and that they’ll be different when they’re 14 from who they were at 11. It would be a problem if they weren’t. Yet there are so few places in life that give kids the opportunity to try out new interests or to try on different parts of their personalities as they grow. From young ages they are grouped with other “similar kids” with “similar interests” and academic abilities. But I doubt that any of us would want to be stuck as our adolescent selves with only our adolescent friends.
This week we’ve watched campers who had historically been more reserved take control of running their College Days stunt show. We have seen campers who in previous summers struggle to connect with their peers forming deep connections. We have seen campers who at younger ages had difficulty following the rules be acknowledged for their leadership around camp. And one of my personal favorites is that one of our messiest campers is now one of our cleanest counselors, who takes pride in running cabin clean up very well for his entire cabin.
These opportunities to mature, to be seen in new lights, to succeed in a different social dynamic shed light on a few things that are important to our philosophy. One is the importance of having campers come from different places. We are proud that our boys come from 29 states and a few other countries and love that our campers get to spend their summers with friends different from the ones in their hometown. It also highlights why we are quick to have the kids be in different cabin groups from year to year. While the familiar is often the most comfortable, it doesn’t mean it is what is best for the campers at that time. Every camper deserves the opportunity to demonstrate his growth each summer, and each of these things contributes to making that possible.
We had a great day here at camp. It was another perfect Northwoods day with a high in the low 80s and a low in the upper 50s. College Days came to a conclusion after a wonderful three days. (more on that tomorrow). Cabins J-7 and I-3 left on their respective camping trips and we toured the Leadership Campers and Staff from our friends at Camp WeHaKee. The boys picked their next set of activities and tomorrow is all set for a great Cruiser Day!
Today’s Grace:
– Gabriel Garcia Marquez
“It is not true that people stop pursuing dreams because they grow old, they grow old because they stop pursuing dreams.””
