We all grow so much during our teen years.

From experience, kids are pretty capable at 10 years old. They can make their beds, choose what to eat pretty well, clean up, handle homework, build relationships. They can do a lot!

But, by the end of our teens, they will have learned to drive, cook, clean, and become (mostly) independent. Every decade shows a lot of growth, for sure. The teen years, though, serve as the greatest launching pad for the future.

As we move into the 2020s, I’m struck by how much Weequahic has grown and changed during the Teens.

People

During the first summer of the decade, campers from twelve states and four countries arrived at Weequahic for a remarkable summer. This past summer saw those numbers change a bit.

We now have campers from sixteen different countries and the same number of states. The number of campers has gone from… well, let’s just say we went from using half our bunks to building new ones!

Just as our camper population has grown, so has our summer staff.  Our staff grew from just over one hundred young men and women to well over 200 young men and women (and a few of us gray hairs….). I may be most excited about this number in regards to staff:  we’ve gone from three former campers on staff to over 20 last summer. We can’t wait to watch that number grow.

Summer 2010 was a big year for Weequahic in that so many full-time staff started working for the first time: Camp Director Kate, our Assistant Dana ‘PSP’ Stassen, and our Administrative Director, Cammie Brennan. Associate Director Sue jumped on board for Summer 2011. Dana’s husband, Scrappy, joined us full time in 2017. Chef Daniel arrived six summers ago. Alex Nichols arrived and happily returns each summer. Thankfully, Jerry and Camp Mom Judy never left!

Place

A birds-eye view of Weequahic shows a bit of change: The Cove has been a wonderful addition for our Senior Campers, new toys in the lake and beachfront for the kiddos to enjoy, new courts and fields,  a few new docks in Sly Lake, and more.

Our bunks have gone from ‘rustic’ to ‘camp comfortable.’ Instant hot water heaters, new bathrooms, new bunk beds, new siding and windows…. They are a lot nicer without losing their purpose: a place where community is built.

Thinking about the facility, I can’t of a spot that hasn’t been modified or improved in some way.  Program areas have been improved or modified, the Dining Hall got a facelift, our fields and grounds have been rebuilt…. Oh, I know – my office hasn’t changed a bit. Fine by me – I don’t like being in their much anyway!

Traditions

The Rec Hall continues to show the glories of the past in the plaques and banners, the bunk signs and awards. Campfire happens every Friday night, flagpole each morning and evening, and the Tribal and Olympic competitions make for a memorable end to each session.

Weequahic was lucky when the last decade arrived: it had great bones and deep traditions. Our founders and their family built camp around the idea of caring for children. Along with some wonderful long-time staff and help from friends, we took that torch up and added a few new ideas from old sources.

Present & Future

Camp Weequahic hopes to create a remarkable experience for everyone we meet through gratitude, attitude and courage. Just as we did ten years ago, we meet every new family before their camper arrives at camp. We put every potential staff member through a thorough interview, rigorous background check, and extensive orientation. And, we work to build a community which draws out and celebrates the ‘best self’ within each person under the towering pines Mr. Lustig planted seven decades ago.

We have so much for which to be grateful. Our ‘teen years’ were those of growth and change. Alongside so many wonderful campers, trusting and supportive families, and diligent team members, we’ve built a launching pad for the future. And, oh, what a bright future it is!

Thank you for being on this journey with us. We can’t wait to see what happens next. Happy New Decade, Weequahic!

Every day gives us all ample opportunities to practice both gratitude and fear. It doesn’t matter if you are taking your semester ending exams, helping to clean the house to welcome company, or spending some break-time with friends.

We can be fearful of the upcoming situations or the consequences of their aftermath. The test didn’t go well and our parents will be upset. No matter what we do, the guests will be critical of how the place looks. Try as we might, our friends would rather be somewhere else.

A Grateful Rope

The fear you feel and dwell upon in these situations draws you inward. It becomes a bit of black hole, speeding you down a path of increasing anxiety. Not a good place, is it?

What lifeline is most available to you while drowning in that cramped world of fear? You guessed: gratitude.

You’ve had good teachers and are thankful of the time you had to prepare. If the test didn’t go well, then you are grateful to know you need to change your preparation habits. The place may not be as clean as you’d like but you are more grateful to spend time with your guests. Getting to do anything with your friends out of school is just great!

Gratitude puts an exclamation point on the end of the day. Think about how we practice that at camp: someone always asks you for your ‘highs’ of the day. (If you are a 7^th grader or younger, Cole and Kate ask for your two happies.)  This is a great way to practice a bit of reflection by thinking about your day and gratitude by expressing your thankfulness for a few great moments.

A Rich Year

As we near the end of 2019, many of us will spend time reflecting on the prior 12 months. This is a good practice to do daily but, with the turn of the calendar and bit of breathing room, it’s more often an ‘end of year’ practice.

During the process, make sure to spend some time practicing gratitude. That means you’ve got to think about the good things and say ‘thank you’ to those who helped make those good moments reality. These stress of the preceding months can weigh you down a bit as can the bustle of the holidays. If we aren’t careful, we can switch back over to worry and fear leading us to feel overwhelmed and alone.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer reminds us:

In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.

Be rich in during the end of this year and in the start of the next. Give thanks to those who have impacted your path in this past year. By practicing gratitude you’ll be more likely to end this year with an !

(Hat tip to one of my teachers, Chuck H., for this idea!)

I’ve spent the last several weeks exploring the ‘camp as a gift’ idea. The deeper I dive, the further it pulls me along. I’ve spoken about it with camp parents, newly alumni-ed campers, and our own team. A recent conversation with Dr. Tina Payne Bryson really slammed it home.

(You’ll be able to enjoy the whole conversation with Dr. Bryson on January 3^rd.  It’s one of the most informative and useful campfire conversation I’ve enjoyed!)

I’m starting to see camp as a gift in lots of different ways. The only way I wrap my head around it is in terms of our family’s yearly goal categories. So, in that like, I think camp is a gift for the…

Body

What environment offers the same amount of vigorous all-day, everyday activity as camp? Sure, you could decide to a boot camp multiple times a day but it’s just not as much fun.

And that’s the key, isn’t it – the fun!

I’m not just talking about the kids who play in a WBL game followed by a WFL game and then spend time waterskiing or climbing. The benefits of such a schedule are self-evident. We have a number of kiddos who want to create rather than compete, build things rather than bomb around the courts. Their fingers become more dexterous, their endurance increases, and curiosity goes through the roof.

Plus, we have our free-play each evening that is full of gaga, sport court, chase and more followed up by an almost always active Evening Activity. Heck, just walking around camp will get you more than the steps you need.

And, let’s not forget the food, a key element to every body’s health. Chef Daniel and his crew do an amazing job combing good nutrition with good taste – an important combination at camp!

Mind

A ‘knock’ on camp is that it takes away from the gains of the academic year. I’ve got two counter arguments to such a viewpoint.

We don’t do a lot of book studying at camp, true. And, the learning goes into overdrive.

Whether you are a camper or a staff member, the amount of executive functioning, empathy, communication, leadership, and courage that gets exercised is off the charts. As all of these functions reside in the still-developing frontal lobes, the mind is literally being rewired by the summer camp experience.

Secondly, I think about a quote from an earlier ‘titan’ of the business world, JP Morgan:

“I can do a year’s work in nine months but not in twelve.”

With the demands of school and after school activities, our kids must have some time to get away and immerse themselves into something that captivates their imagination and rebuilds their reserves for the ‘work’ of school. The break allows our kids the chance to get some perspective by creating distance from which to view their world back home.

This is also good for the…

Soul

Personal joy. Lasting friendships. New-found capabilities and interests. Putting down the masks. A chance to be their best self. Flourishing.

These are all things that happen at camp when it’s the right fit for the kiddo. (And for the staff member, too!) How do you know when it’s the right fit? When there are more tears at the end than at the beginning.

This isn’t just for the kids and the staff who live at camp and breath the same air. This gift affects our parents as well. Seeing your child return home more mature, more capable, more confident and overflowing with fun stories of new friends and new adventures… it’s priceless. (And, a little jealousy-inducing!)

Camp is a Gift

Campers, camp is a gift for you. Make sure to thank your parents for making it happen. Often!

Staff members, camp is a gift for you. Few places on earth will help you grow and learn to care for others as much as a summer caring at camp.

Parents, camp is a gift for you. It will partner with you to help raise your child in the ways important to your family.

And, yes, camp is certainly a gift to me, too. Who would have thought Kate’s introduction of ‘summer camp’ would have led to this point? I’m incredibly blessed. Thank y’all for being a part of the gift each and every day!

Have a great week!