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by Matthew Carroll
In the summer of 2008, I decided to work as a counselor at a traditional
American summer camp in upstate New York. This trip to New York started
out as a journey of procrastination and meditation, but quickly turned
into a journey of discovery. I'd finished University only one
week before, and had no idea what my future would hold; I thought that
a couple of months working in a camp would assist me in my pursuit of
avoiding the real world.
It was exactly this mission that made me realize
something — camp was not the real world. It hit me on the first
day of camp when everyone was dressed the same — white T-shirt,
shorts, sneakers, or flip flops. Kids were dressed the same as counselors;
counselors were dressed the same as kitchen staff; and office staff
were dressed the same as the head counselors. You couldn't distinguish
the kids whose parents had saved up for months to send their kids to
camp from those who had spent the spare change of a week's pay.
Everyone here was truly equal. While the campers and American counselors
recited the Pledge of Allegiance on the opening
day, the international staff looked on in silence. Different faiths
and different cultures were respected and tolerated. Coming from Northern
Ireland, this was not only a novelty but something that impressed me.
People of all faiths were observing Jewish culture with respect, while
back in my home country Christians struggle to tolerate the cultures
of other Christians.
Camp was about the basics. Mobile phones were banned;
Internet access was limited — even electric fans were banned (as kids didn't
have their own personal fans in the interest of fairness, counselors
couldn't either). A strong emphasis was put on keeping camp tidy.
If you saw litter on the ground, you picked it up and put it in the
trash bin. Kids were banned from watching television except for special “movie
nights.” The surprising thing was that the kids didn't seem
to miss it. Bringing down the veil of technology led to more open conversation
between friends, better networking, and unlikely friendships.
During
rest periods, I was amazed to see the main campus
was absolutely heaving with games of stickball, basketball, tennis,
or catch. Older kids played with younger kids; brothers played together;
twenty-one-year-olds challenged eight-year-olds to games of chess .
. . and lost. Kids were able to play outside in a safe environment the
way they used to. Today, with so many concerns about crime, it's very hard for parents to let
their kids go outside to play after breakfast and for them to return
after dinner. But, at camp kids are safe.
Everybody knows and trusts
each other. At camp there are no locks on the doors.
Kids and counselors leave iPods®, PSPs, books, and toys in their empty bunks all day
and know those things will still be there, exactly where they were left.
It is this sense of community that made me fall in love with camp.
At camp, you eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner together in your division,
otherwise known as your family for two months.
Camp meal times are a place for conversation, joking around, dares,
games, and occasionally songs. Campers and staff feel completely relaxed,
and there is no shame in doing embarrassing things for the entertainment
of others.
So what can the world learn from camp? In short, to let kids
be kids. We should be sending children to camp,
allowing kids to get the exercise and the fresh air that is so vital
to growing up. Camp allows children to spend time with their friends
and develop the social skills that are so vital, instead of sitting
inside in front of a television set. Adults can also learn that work
doesn't have to be work, it can also be fun. Camp
taught me that even though modern technology has opened up so many opportunities
for us it can also trap us.
Anyone who has worked at a camp will agree
that you won't understand camp without trying it. Without trying
it, I wouldn't have learned as much as I have.
Originally published in the 2009 July/August
issue of Camping Magazine.
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