Camp Changes, Our Ideals Don't
A Changing Camp for a Changing Youth in a Changing World - That is the title of the 6 page report that was compiled by one of my predecessors, Cap Cavins, and a cohort of camp directors in 1967. I recently discovered it while cleaning my office. Never mind that this is a lot of “change” for one title, what is striking about the piece is its prescience. It could have been written today. Their list of concerns included: generational communication gap, separation from nature, societal divisions, urbanization, and new technologies!
More than just a run-of-the-mill criticism of the younger generation by their elders, the piece does a wonderful job of laying out the case for a camp experience amidst all this change. They posed the question, “How can we implement the focus on building character and idealism.” One of their answers - create an “atmosphere” of creativity and trust, and one that celebrates change itself. They expressed concern about an emphasis on ideals, rather than focusing so much on skill development. “Will parents ‘buy’ this”, they asked.
In a section entitled “Characteristics of Today’s Youth,” the assembled camp directors list:
*They challenge authority *They feel insecurities and anxiety - citing the Vietnam War, and the atomic bomb *They are more sophisticated in matters of sex, drugs and experimentation *They are concerned about the world as a result of the new media *Their value systems are changing *Their patterns of recreation and use of leisure time are changing *They have increased mobility
If these folks only knew what was coming.
But maybe they did?
Amidst all this change, some things haven’t moved at all. The needs of a young person in development remain very familiar, even as the way to meet these needs has evolved. The ideals that Camp Mishawaka espoused in 1967 are much the same. The delivery method is familiar, but not identical to the approach our predecessors took. I think this is the reason that when former campers return for a visit, the important stuff looks and feels the same. It’s not always easy to measure in a data set, or numbers, but when a child sees it, and experiences all that Camp Mishawaka is and provides, it’s like nothing else.
Some 30 years after this gathering, I sat in a circle with camp directors from across the country discussing much the same topic. The facilitator told us we were selling typewriters in a computer age, LP’s in a MP3 era, and that we had to change. We had to fundamentally re-invent what we were offering in a way to meet the reality of the youth of the time. Some in the circle talked about fancy new program additions (think inflatable water play structures that eventually spring a leak.) Some talked about arranging it so kids could return home on weekends to recharge and presumably get their technology fix. When it came my time to share my thoughts on re-invention, I proclaimed that we weren’t going to do a damned thing as we waited for the pendulum to swing. The group fell silent, though a few nodded their heads.
The truth is a bit more complex; we have implemented changes. But these changes support the ideal, they don’t depart from it. I like where we are, and more importantly, so do our campers and parents. People are still investing in experiences for their children that support ideals, and build character, not just diversions. I guess we really do sell LP records in an MP3 age, and the last time I checked, long play albums are all the rage. Maybe everything old never really got old.
