First full day of B Session
Dear Parents & Friends,
Greetings from GV and so glad to have you join us. I just finished meeting with our SIT’s and if you don’t know who they are at camp, allow me to describe their position. They are our 16 and 17 year olds that are Staff in Training and in an apprentice role here. They work very hard in almost all activities and are here at camp for three weeks. They also work in the kitchen, washing dishes and set tables each and every meal. All of them are previous campers and between them they have close to 70 years of camp experience. We have a great crew this first term. We had a little ice cream social and talked about being more effective leaders in camp. Sounds heavy but it wasn’t. We’re always trying to improve on that program and we were interested in getting their feedback with a bit over a week into camp. They also live in cabins and are true friends and mentors to the campers. Hopefully they’ll all be staff in the future. A good many of our full staff this summer we’re previously SIT’s.
You may notice a few pics of campers milking Bernice, our milk cow. Milking is not as easy as it looks and we do have an automatic milker but it’s fun to try. The farm is really cranking this time of year and we’ve already got corn coming in. Those baby goats sure are cute as seek the higher ground of campers and counselors backs. Eloise the pig got a bath today and we’re hoping she’ll have babies soon. Pottery, basketry and archery were activities that got a lot of action today. It was a hot day, so the waterfront was open all day long for activities including sit on top kayaking and Jackson kayaks getting ready for that river trip in the future.
We said goodbye to our Mountainsiders today and will welcome a new group on Wed. All enjoyed their time with us and of course I attribute that to the staff up there in the cove. Riverside continues their adventure on the river today through Wed. and I hope to maybe join them on the last day.
Those of you returning to camp will notice a pic of Debbie, our camp musician. She is still tickling the 88’s and accompanying all the action on stage and in the lodge. She’s an amazing musician and has been at GV for 32 years.
As GV enters its 75th year I realize how camp is such an important part of a child’s experience in life and we thank you for sharing your children. A quality camp experience provides our children with the opportunity to learn powerful lessons in community, character-building, skill development, and healthy living — a meaningful, engaged, and participatory environment.
Camp promotes community. It creates this great space that shows kids how to live together and care for one another. There are norms and negotiation of boundaries; there are rules. Camp is a place where kids can “practice” growing up stretching their social, emotional, physical, and cognitive muscles outside the context of their immediate family. This is what childhood is supposed to provide.
Camp teaches critical thinking. We need to remember how important it is to be actively involved in the learning process, and camp affords that. We’re going to need really strong problem solvers in the next century. We need the science, math, and biology, but without the ability to relate, connect, empathize, or inspire innovation, how will our kids be able to make a difference in the challenges now facing us? Camp is an important piece to that growth. As you can see I’m a believer in Camp! Stay tuned!