One of our favorite “Camp Experts” is Bob Ditter, a clinical social worker from Boston, Massachusetts. He has been called “camping’s most articulate spokesman” by Sports Illustrated for his work with children’s summer camps since 1982. Many of our Camp staff have had the opportunity to attend Bob’s trainings over the years and no one has been disappointed. Below is an excerpt from Bob’s new book, “Summer Camp Rules! Thirty Years of Practical Wisdom from Bob Ditter.” It really hit home with me about my own, and I’m sure many others,’ responsibility to our Camp. I hope it hits home for you as well.
“What makes camp so great is that it is all about you, and it is not all about you. It is your experience that makes you feel like you own the place and your realization that camp does a lot of good for a lot of people, which will make you want to save and protect it for the future. After all, generations of children have gained newfound self-confidence and independence at camp. Many campers have acquired a keen sense of responsibility and accomplishment there. Indeed, camp is a place where each new, successive generation of children can develop a kind of resilience that comes from being “on their own,” away from their parents in a safe, well-monitored experiment in purposeful, cooperative group living.
“The fact that camp can and does have such tremendous positive impact on young people is what makes me say that camp is a sacred place. Truth be known, most counselors don’t think about camp this way. As I suggested previously, many counselors see camp only through their own personal experience. Yet, camps have been providing this kind of safe learning space for young people for generations! Camp is not just for this summer, but every summer. In other words, if you truly love the place you call camp, you will want to do everything in your power to preserve its reputation and make sure it is around for years to come. The more you love what camp has done for you, the more you will want to make sure it is there to offer those same benefits to youngsters who have yet to come.
“If you behave in a way that compromises the reputation of the camp in the surrounding community or with the current crop of camper families, you aren’t just hurting the present day; you are jeopardizing the future. If camp is going to be around next year and the next 20 years, every adult member of the community needs to see beyond their own experience, profound or meaningful as it may be, and think about how to care for and protect the name and reputation of the camp. Thinking about camp as a sacred space–a perennial scene–where young people get something they can’t get most anywhere else is what makes your passion and enthusiasm a mature and positive force.
“So, I have a suggestion. Sit down with some of your camp friends, and think out loud about all it has given you: some of your best lifelong friends, as well as some of the best times of your life, where you gained confidence, responsibility, opportunity, adventure, and fun. Share these things in a group, with as many people as can enter the conversation in a serious way. Then, talk about what it would be like if camp didn’t exist–if it hadn’t been there for you. The true act of mature love for camp is making a commitment to guard, look after, and care for it in a way that will preserve it for time yet to come. Then, go have your fun–in a way that honors and preserves this place for future generations.”
Bob’s book is written for Camp staff as a guide on how to be a great counselor and role model for children. However, I feel this passage was written for anyone who loves our Camp. We are all “keepers of the flame.” Over the past few weeks, I have been doing many interviews for Assistant Counselor positions at Boys Camp. Almost every single applicant is a former camper. Every one of them spoke of “giving back” to the place that has given so much to them. So as much as I identify and agree with what Bob has written here, I have to respectfully disagree with his comments about staff not thinking about Camp in this way. I believe the vast majority of our staff do see beyond their own experience and do view our Camp as a sacred place. They have protected and continue to protect our Camp’s reputation and future. I urge each of us to take Bob’s suggestion to heart and have that conversation with our Camp friends. It can only strengthen our bonds with this sacred place. This blog is dedicated to Brennan Downey, a true protector of Camp’s reputation and future (and a big fan of Bob Ditter!).
Brent Birchler
Boys Camp Director