How many types of summer camp are there? Private, religious, athletic, weight loss, special needs, YMCA, the list goes on an on. All of them provide a space for kids to express themselves in a safe, judgement free environment, perhaps acquire life lessons such as leadership and service to others as well as have fun learning to ride a horse, backpack, mountain bike, create art projects, live action role play (LARPing), read, play games or spend time in a hammock.
I spent my summer working at a camp in the middle of the Rocky Mountains and I learned just how important camp can be for our kids. I also learned that the folks who work at summer camps put in long days, walking and riding many miles, challenging and counseling kids, modeling positive behavior, and having a great time doing it.
The pay is modest but the food is great and you can’t beat living in your own mountain cabin. With the exception of half days off once a week and two days every month, you are always on the job. Your cabin door might receive a knock in the middle of the night to chase off a bear or you might be asked to support a medical evacuation. Work begins before breakfast and often ends with staff meetings long after sunset.
And what do most of the camp counselors do with their day off? Climb, fish, run, bike or camp out. They love the outdoors even more than the campers. The counselors I have met are just the kind of people you want caring for and influencing your kids.
My camp has a very intentional process of instilling specific principles with each camper - respect, empathy, courage, teamwork, awareness - as well as a sense of wonder for the natural world. Weekly “ridge” meetings (arranged by age group) help to drive home the message of growth and community. Leaders call out campers who have shown great brotherhood values.
Outdoor experiences like day hikes, backpacking, climbing 14ers, or other adventure outings, often culminate in a debriefing where lessons learned are shared and amplified. Not only do campers share the facts of the event as well as their individual feelings, but they also talk about how those adventure lessons can be transferred to everyday life. It is in these post-adventure group discussions that camp can make a big impact on a camper. They learn something important about themselves and how they can take these lessons back home.
But camp life has another very important impact on campers - it is the bonds created during the month they live together in the outdoors. Strong bonds are a testament to what can happen when campers put away cellphones, follow camp guidelines regarding respect and appreciation for diversity and spend time talking, fishing, hanging out in hammocks or hiking to the top of mountains. The camp wifi is limited but the connections are strong!
As the last month-long session came to a close I joined in with the usual campfire songs and laughter. But this final campfire was different. As we sang our songs the kids put their arms around each other’s shoulders and swayed as they sang the familiar songs. Campers were more sincere, more serious, as the campfire was drawing to a close - especially the oldest kids, as this was their last year.
After the camp director spoke and we sang our final songs, tears began to fill the eyes of the young men with whom I had shared meals, taught photography, camped and climbed 14ers and spent many hours in conversation. They were realizing this was the last summer of camp for them. They would be moving on to another chapter in their lives. They might join camp as a counselor in a few years but this experience had come to an emotional conclusion.
Camp was a great personal journey. I already knew the power the outdoors holds for people. Kids learn so much from the free play and unstructured interaction in nature. Adults are recharged simply spending a day on the river or a week on the trail. But I also learned that when professionals plan and execute outdoor programs, something great happens to kids.
The weeks spent at camp provide life lessons that extend far beyond the front gates of camp. Campers are challenged and find themselves capable. They expand their comfort zones, they understand the importance of empathy and humility and they learn life lessons that make them better citizens.
In the big picture, the camp experience is a pebble that creates ripples throughout our communities. Young men come home from camp with great stories of adventure and the new friends they made and the new skills they developed. But often the greatest benefits are those observed by parents and teachers who witness the leadership and integrity and grit that was developed while these campers were learning to live with people from other countries and taking care of younger campers on the trail and climbing mountains in the pre-dawn morning.
Camp life allows young men to live together to build not only a a sense of self and community but also a sense of earth and a sense of wonder. I recommend you take your kids camping, challenge them to a tough trail hike, encourage them to cook their own food and watch the stars in their sleeping bag. They won’t miss a couple of days of snapchatting.