by Rodger
Popkin
The real world skills that campers and
staff learn at camp are often difficult
for those who have not had the camp experience
to understand completely. The reality is
that work and life lessons occur when one
is immersed in the life of camp. Camp is
a human relations laboratory — where
people are encouraged to invent and re-invent
themselves. The process of self-invention
will involve all the building blocks necessary
for a life based on self-knowledge, focused
purpose, and a well-defined understanding
of our personal place in the world.
The camp experience is intimate, and its
lessons cannot be avoided. It is
a template for the development of insight
and empathy in pursuit of a common goal.
It is the work world stripped down to its essentials.
These essential competencies require self-awareness,
self-control, and self- discipline — all
used in the service of a working community.
The truth is, camp work offers great opportunities
for supervised and measured personal growth.
The willingness and ability to protect
the safety and happiness of a child begins
with faith in character and work ethic.
That profound act of trust will require
both accepting and offering constructive
criticism — to become a participant
and leader of a team, anticipate and resolve
problems, teach and learn, and adapt to
stress and fatigue. Essentially, to create
a world in miniature. The reverberations
of that world will echo throughout lifetimes.
Camps are a microcosm of the world. Mahatma
Gandhi said, "Be the change you want
to see in the world." Nothing in a
real world seasonal job or an internship
will offer that kind of practical
global vision. Impacting those around you
will help define strengths, as well as
weaknesses and flaws. This level of inspired
self-knowledge will serve the future well.
Knowing and understanding one’s self
is the best tool for a successful work
life.
The camp "work" experience
provides an environment that emphasizes
the ability to recognize, interpret, and
manage one's own feelings and desires.
Camps want staff who can self-regulate
and manage impulses, while incorporating
a realistic sense of proportion into interactions
with others. The act of living and working
in camp requires the mastery of restraint
and the acceptance of personal responsibility.
It is not coincidental that everyone in
camp from the oldest staff to the youngest
camper must define success in those same
terms. The camp experience can help define
and refine what is necessary for success
at work and in life.
Those who live in the camp community know
that it is a tolerant, forgiving space
where innocent mistakes become the nutrients
for future achievement — space to
navigate between temporary wants and long-term
self-respect. The lasting value of working
in camp will express itself in all future
endeavors. It is rewarding to know that
after having worked successfully in camp,
the "real" world will appear more
manageable. Of course, the easy part of
working in a camp is the fun, friendship,
and memories that lasts a lifetime.
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