Sometimes life has a funny way of tying things together. Yesterday I had a chance meeting that reminded me of the lasting impact a camp counselor can have on a child.
Last night I had some time off and decided to go out with a good friend from my CIT class. After we had sat down a man approached the table and asked, “Are you Dave Kaubin?” It took me a few seconds until I realized it was Ken, my first swim coach and karate instructor.
Ken worked at the Y I went to as a kid. The first time I jumped in the water was during one of his Daddy & Me swim lessons. I spent a number of years on the swim team at the Y and joined his Tae Kwon Do classes as well. Nearly every day after school I was at the Y in one of Ken’s classes. My first camping experience was when the karate class camped out at Camp Moore for the weekend.
Ken and I talked for a while last night, catching up on a gap of over 12 years. We exchanged phone numbers and made plans to catch up further in the future. As I reflected on the memories that started to surface I remembered that my parents found out about Ockanickon through a flyer at the Y. If it wasn’t for Ken and the trust he had earned with my parents, camp for me here would have never occurred.
I sit here now in the middle of summer camp with hordes of campers flying around, all of them looking up to the great staff we have here. The great experiences Ken gave me and my family at the Y early on led to the friendships I formed here at Ockanickon and the career path I chose. What an awesome responsibility we have here at camp this summer. The paths that we choose have long lasting impacts on the children we serve.
Dave Kaubin
Boy’s Program Director