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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