Hello all! It’s a chilly afternoon in Georgia and an evenly cooler up at our beloved Sly Lake. While I do enjoy the changing leaves, I must admit that I miss the flowers of summer. (Almost as much as I miss you kiddos!)

Did you know, however, that there are a few plants that bloom in the winter? It’s true.  My favorite is the aptly named Snowdrop. It’s a pretty little flower that blooms from Maine to Florida in the winters.

Why am I thinking about flowers at this time of year? A couple of reasons. First, flowers bring a bit of color to the normally cooler, darker days of Autumn. Second, they remind me that the light and warmth of Spring is not too far off. And, third, they bring some fresh air to the surroundings.

You know what else will bring these great benefits? Your friends.

Friendship and Flowers

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. – M. Proust

When you think back on your summer days at Weequahic, I’m certain you think of your friends first. Yes, the rock wall is great, the lake amazing, and Canteen a complete treat. But none of that really matters without your buddies.

As a father of three campers, I can honestly tell you our boys’ closest friendships in the world are those they’ve built at camp. And, as a camp director who witnesses tears from just about everyone the last night camp… well, I’m certain my boys have plenty of company in that regard.

The question is then, how do you express your gratitude? I’m not suggesting you call up you camp friend and say, ‘Hey, I was just calling to say that I’m really grateful for our friendship.’

Well, ok… sure, you can do just that. However, I don’t know a lot of 10 to 44 year old boys who feel comfortable expressing themselves or receiving that message well.

Actually, I think Maya Angelou said it best when she counseled us to give cheerfully and receive gratefully. When you call on the phone, send a text, or – gasp! – write a letter, give yourself cheerfully to your buddy. When you receive a note from them, treat it with gratitude.

It’s a little thing. But, as we talked about a few weeks back, little things add up very quickly, especially in a friendship.

A Grate-Full Month

It’s the Thanksgiving month in the States and, yes, my thoughts will certainly lean that way all month in these Campfire talks. I’m grateful to have a way to express my thoughts to you and hope they are useful.

Yes, I’m giving cheerfully. I really enjoy thinking about camp, our campers, and the humans they are becoming. It’s a great part of each week for me.

For the week ahead, think of the friends, family members, and mentors in your life who help you bloom. Receive their gifts gratefully

A camp director in China asked me how our program, our daily schedule, creates meaning for our kids. (These are fun conversations while hiking the Great Wall….)

I thought a moment and answered, “It doesn’t. Meaning is built at the margins.”

It’s true.

Meaning at Camp

Anyone who tells you how they teach tennis or waterskiing or ceramics builds character or meaning is wrong. Sure, our campers improve skills that way. And realizing they’ve developed or deepened a skill will increase that kid’s confidence.

This is a wonderful, important outcome. But character? The instillation of meaning?

Nope.

Parents, think about how you developed character in your life. You did not sit in a class called ‘character development.’ (Or, if you did, you probably didn’t listen much.) You did not have a paid professional bearing down on you.

Rather, you had parents, teachers, volunteers, rabbis, priests, books, friends, mentors, poems, etc.

You took in information over your lifetime. At certain moments, some one or some thing prompted you to think: This is important. This is wrong and I have to do something about it. I need to remember this.

Building Meaning

Character is built this way. Drip by drip. Mentor by mentor. Examined experience by examined experience. It takes time… and effort. Meaning comes only to those open to changing their way of thinking and behaving.

This is why camp is so important for our kids.

Our campers are growing and questioning and searching for a way to become. They are washed in playful connection with other kids, surrounded by mentors interested in serving, and reminded of meaning… at the margins of their day.

Once a week at campfire. Each night before they go to bed and have some quiet time for reflection. At the flagpole celebrating, with the whole community, that day’s small victories over self-involvement.

Our kids are open to these moments of meaning because the whole experience has built trust.

Campers see with their eyes the actions of the staff and older campers. They hear with their ears words and cheers. They overcome hesitation and playfully participate.

And, when they are ready, they awaken to the meaning infused in the moment. Whether it comes in the form of a question, a smile, a memory, or a story, the meaning is there… but always at the margins.

Have a great week!

It’s easy for children to think of their entire lives in the context of their “nucleus,”’ their home, their community, their school, their family, their friends. They typically have no need to seek beyond their immediate surroundings, and their perspective of the world is seen through a restrictive lens based on where they live and the things they’ve experienced. Attending a sleepaway camp gives children and teens a way to broaden their worldview, to see themselves as a small (yet important) part of the bigger picture. Camp Weequahic gets campers out of their comfort zones and allow them to catch a glimpse of how much world they have to explore. 

Exposure To A New Place 

For campers who have lived their entire lives in the hustle and bustle of a big city are in for a shock when they step foot onto the campgrounds. For some campers, the first time they explore the wilderness or really see a constellation is at camp. Even campers from rural areas are in for a treat as they spend the summer in a place busy with people, excitement and adventure. The experience of the journey from home to camp can help campers see that there is much more to explore outside of their familiar life. 

 Exposure To New People 

Camp Weequahic brings people together from all across the globe, and is responsible for thousands of lifelong friendships. Boys and girls spend night and day with others who come from different backgrounds, cultures, religions, and experiences. Working, playing and growing together at camp allows campers to break through stereotypes and appreciate diversity in a brand new way. Some campers come from places where everyone thinks, looks and acts just like them. It’s refreshing for them to see that the world is full of incredible people with so much to teach them. 

Exposure To Independence 

Sleepaway camps give campers the opportunity to venture out in a new place without their parents walking them through it. This experience helps campers gain a sense of independence and realize that they are strong enough, smart enough and more than capable enough to make positive decisions on their own. Giving campers this sense of freedom and independence allows them to do some self-discovery to understand further who they are and what they can contribute to the world around them. They learn things about themselves that they didn’t know, and they begin to ask the questions that will help them determine who they are becoming outside of their family and friends. 

Exposure To New Activities 

Camp Weequahic packs every day of the summer with fun and adventure. Some campers arrive never having been on a boat before, or never having access to a dance class or have never been rock climbing, but camp changes all of that. Camp is the place where so many “firsts” happen, all of which open up new windows in the brain and increase their understanding of the countless adventures and travels awaiting them. Some campers fall in love with sports they never even knew existed, which can be the first step in a lifelong passion. Campers who have the sleepaway camp experience go home with a desire to learn more about the world around them. This exposure to new things and people shifts their perspective and helps them realize that there is so much to the world than what they know. 

 It’s important for children and teens to understand that the world doesn’t actually revolve around them. They are part of something bigger, and the sooner we can ignite the excitement in discovering just what that “something” is, the better. The sooner campers can grasp the idea of a big wide world just waiting for their gifts and talents, the sooner we can develop leaders who are excited to serve, lead, love and explore the world beyond their comfort zone.