Written by Hayden (Lakehouse B)
Appreciation is often missed in our daily lives. We always are onto the next, never really stopping to appreciate what we’re doing. To me, appreciation can take many, many forms. It can be returning a favor, doing something kind for someone, or simply saying “thank you”.
I came to camp starlight as an upper junior. At the time, I did not know how much I would come to appreciate this place, my second home. However, my appreciation for camp runs deeper than just being here. I find things to appreciate at camp every day, like my amazing division and my opportunity to live in the Lakehouse with them. The beautiful sunsets I watch on Friday Nights with my best friends in the world.
This summer, when I went to outdoor adventure, I had one of those small but special moments that happen when you’re at Camp Starlight. Normally when I have outdoor adventure, I head right for the fire – building, but that day I decided to try the high ropes. I got all geared up and headed for the zipline. It was very hot, and let me say, I am not the best climber. That didn’t matter to me. I climbed all the way to the top, listening to the encouragement of my friends below. When I finally reached the top, I was nervous and couldn’t stop shaking. Suddenly, right before I leaped off of the edge, I looked around, and the world seemed still. I looked over camp and just appreciated the view and how hard I had worked to get there. I almost succumbed to the day-to-day lack of appreciation.
So, that zipline taught me a valuable lesson. It taught me that sometimes we all need to take a minute in all of our fast-paced lives to just appreciate. Appreciate this beautiful camp, the wonderful people in it. The views we get to take in, and so much more.
The campers who arrive at camp are not the same campers who go home at the end of the summer. After weeks playing, exploring, dancing, connecting, singing, running and trying new things, they leave camp better than they arrive. There is so much change and growth that happens between the first day and the last day. The first day of camp often looks very similar to the last day of camp, but for very different reasons.
To have a summer of fun and happiness as a counselor, you need to ensure that your campers are having just as much fun and are just as happy. The best way to make sure both you and your campers are having an amazing summer is to connect with them. Here are ten ways to connect with campers that will help everyone have a summer to remember.
Thanksgiving is a time to reflect and think about all the amazing opportunities and qualities in your life you are grateful for and appreciate. A time spent with family, Thanksgiving reminds everyone to say what they are thankful for and to thank others for positively impacting their life. To celebrate this holiday, here are a few reasons campers are thankful for Camp Starlight.
There is something about spending the summer at a sleepaway camp that allows kids and teens to connect in a way they just can’t at school. Maybe it’s the extended time they spend together or the fact that selfies and Instagram and the social media comparison epidemic is taken out of the equation at camp. Whatever the reason, campers are able to interact and build relationships on a deeper level at camp than they can at school or on sports teams at home.
When asked the question, “What’s your favorite part of camp,” I am sure many campers would say everything. Personally when I get asked the same question my response is everything as well. But what does everything really mean? Is it the sunsets on the lake every night? Is it the reveille that wakes me up every morning? Is it the laughter that I share with my friends every day? Or is it all of the small moments that count just as much as the big ones? Over the previous summers here at camp I have finally found the meaning of everything, which is a combination of each and every laugh, smile and memory made at this place. Sometimes small moments can go unnoticed, however appreciating special moments here can go a long way. When I was younger the walk to alumni field from my bunk was a long and tiring experience. The struggle of putting on shin guards then the socks and finally the cleats was a difficult process as an 8 year old. Now, as an upper senior the time spent putting on the equipment and walking to the field is all worth it. Searching for my shin guards, doing cartwheels to alumni, and the little thrill you get when you walk down the steep hill leading you to the rocks or being greeted by Whatley greeting us on the field are all the little things at camp that I appreciate. So, the next time you are asked about your favorite part about camp, take a moment to think about the times you’ve cherished and appreciated no matter how big or small the memory may be because, the underestimated moments are what make you appreciate everything that this camp has to offer.
Spending a summer at a sleepaway camp is a fun way for campers to gain a new sense of responsibility and independence. For many campers, their first summer camp experience is their first experience away from home. As they learn to navigate a new place, adhere to a new schedule and new rules, and adapt to many new personalities, they gain a sense of independence that will help them mature and grow in new ways. However, the kids aren’t the only ones who do some growing over the summer. When parents say goodbye to their kids for the summer, they get to see the result of all of their hard work, modeling, and teaching as their children go off without them. Although it’s a bittersweet moment, it’s a milestone for both parents and kids.
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 Starlight gets campers out of their comfort zones and allow them to catch a glimpse of how much world they have to explore.
Team sports like baseball, basketball, flag football lacrosse, soccer, and softball bring campers together towards a common goal. These sports encourage campers to work together on the field or court, which then translates to working together in other areas of camp life too. Playing a team sport allows campers to connect with other campers whom they may not have met otherwise.
Sixteen is not an age you would associate with a summer camp. When you think of a sixteen year old, words like “rock n roll,” “rebellion,” and “sleep in extremely late” flash like snapshots of your own teen years into your head. Teenagers typically want to get away from it all and live in the moment, but at Camp Starlight, sixteen year olds break these stereotypes as Counselor Assistants. Pushing the limits of responsibilities and taking the initiative to embrace upcoming adulthood, Counselor Assistants spend another summer at Camp Starlight in the in between stage of camper and counselor. Not yet counselor, not entirely camper, these kids enter a role entirely their own on campus and even though it is a unique role, these kids enter this sphere for a reason.