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by Peg L. Smith, Chief Executive Officer
We are tethered by invisible wires. I am not sure children today can
feel the unspeakable liberation of moving, dancing, and running in open
spaces free of realized or unrealized confinement. Maybe that is the
reality of today's world. Maybe it is important in order to enhance
safety. Yet, at what cost?
I was visiting camps last week and heard a number of camp directors
talk about the camp community and the impact of today's world on
our environment. As I talked to camp directors, I found it odd that in
a world of connectivity we all suffer a frightening disconnect.
We have lost sight of gratitude and have replaced it with a sense of
entitlement. When I asked a camp director last week for her perspective
on trends, she lamented the loss of gratitude and appreciation for what
we have versus what we feel we deserve. We rarely stop and pause in order
to reflect upon the beauty and friendship around us, the joy of community,
but, instead, worry about what is next for ourselves.
We have lost our understanding of child and youth development and the
need to nurture and provide opportunities for independence as a result
of our unrelenting fear for safety. One camp director indicated he was
selling independence, but fewer seemed to be buying. “Parents are
more apt to ask me about their child's bunk than discuss the opportunities
for growth and development.” Over the years, so many have told
me how camp has made a positive change in their lives. Yet, we have grown
up and lost that connection.
During my last camp visit, the camp director shared an observation that
may illustrate the greatest disconnect. He indicated that the gap between
home and camp was greater than ever. Today's child has to leave
much more behind today than in the past. We use the term “unplug” but
in reality the term describes a stark contrast from home to camp. The
world of camp looks, feels, and sounds so very different than home. Suddenly,
we have a population of young people who may never have seen the stars,
heard an owl in the darkness of night, or been surrounded by the miracles
of nature versus the “progress” of man. We must help parents
and children alike make that journey from one world to the next. I fear
what we lose if we fail to build that connection.
Today, the camp community may be faced with its greatest challenge,
as well as its greatest opportunity. We are seriously challenged by the
fear many feel—a fear that often can't be defined but is
palpable and apparent in our behaviors and decisions. We are seriously
challenged in a world of connectivity that binds us and holds us bound
to the point where we can't see beyond the horizon. Yet, the very
things that challenge us serve as an opportunity. It is the human spirit
that is liberated by nature. Relationships, real and primary, replenish
us for they are basic to our survival. Humans seek communities. We must
step forward, working together as a community, to transform the barriers
created by fear into solid bridges of opportunity, hope, and confidence
in the value of the camp experience.
Originally published in the 2007 September/October
issue of Camping Magazine. |
