2019 Assistant Director’s Commentary

This past year has brought a lot of newness into my life: the opportunity to be a student again, a new degree, a new school community, a new apartment, and a new title at camp. A professor of mine once wished us the joy of “fresh eyes” as we entered our next endeavors. One only gets to be a new person once in a community, she contended, and with that distinction comes the opportunity to see what the old-timers might be missing and be truly unbiased in your opinions.

It was with this spirit in mind that I endeavored to get some perspective within my camp experience. With absolutely no regret, my entire camp experience has been Kingswood, and this comes with consequences. For example, aside from Woodsville, NH or Wells River, VT, I have no idea what people do for 4th of July. So I ventured to my first American Camp Association conference and accompanied my new school on their orientation trip to the woods of Connecticut for two nights at a much more commercially oriented camp. Through this added perspective in hearing other camp people and seeing another camp for myself, I realized the state of the Kingswood Camp union is incredibly STRONG.

I would like to use this commentary to share some appreciations (in no particular order).

SPACE TO GROW

Spending a session away from home is an extraordinary gift. Certainly homesickness is real (for both campers and parents!), and every camper, counselor, and administrator experiences down moments, but multiple weeks away from home allows the time for real growth and emotional development. Camp does not “work” the same way if you go home every day. A session gives you time to get over that anxiety and ultimately feel proud of your accomplishments in ways a day camp could never hope to achieve.

A GREAT STAFF

It is no secret to the Kingswood formula that “the staff is everything,” but we often forget just how good we are. Kingswood never worries about staff not buying in, not having the best interests of the campers in mind, and not stretching the boundaries of creativity for a cheap laugh or hilarious sponsorship. It continues to amaze just how innovative we are; Spanky and I were totally justified in leaving a workshop on “Making Something Out of Nothing” after thirty seconds because we could be teaching the workshop instead of participating in it. However, many of the most valuable workshop sessions were on staff development, health, and culture – areas where Kingswood continues to work hard in crafting an orientation week schedule that both readies our campus but also readies our staff to be both physically and emotionally ready.

UNSTRUCTURED TIME

Having just entered the high-powered world of Long Island middle schools, I have come to deeply appreciate the fortune of unstructured time. I just went on a shorter orientation trip in which the after dinner activities were: karaoke, silent disco (don’t ask), and a campfire where all the kids were taught a song with drumming accompaniment. There was not a single aspect of choice, nor did the kids have a meaningful break between the meticulously programmed events. The entire time my internal monologue said “where is B block?” over and over. Letting kids hang out, figure out their own fun, and even make up their own games seems like a lost art Kingswood is dead-set against losing. I am thankful.

DELICIOUS FOOD

It goes without saying, we eat unbelievably well at camp. For us school people, we are used to eating “cafeteria food,” and Kingswood blows that out of the water. The kitchen staff puts out incredible food every meal without exception, and what comes to the tables is both tasty but also varied. I recall having an off-season discussion in which we had to convince Taylor to repeat a few meals over the course of a four-week session. I doubt many camps have those kinds of “debates.”

TRUST

Perhaps the most important element of my gratitude involves pointing out the extraordinary level of trust embedded in our community. From parents to administrators to counselors to campers, the trust is evident everywhere. It astounds me daily that after the more “regimented” morning clinics and afternoon activities, our staff still has the energy to offer fun and creative sponsorships with the encouragement and faith of the administration. Just as importantly, we trust our campers to do the right thing, follow the rules, and look out for others. I am willing to bet other camps have to work a lot harder to build the culture Kingswood has developed over the years.

Speaking of years, I will close with my sincere thanks to the Wipflers. Everything written above starts with them and continues through them every day. Personally, summer 2019 was my 25th, and I am so thankful, humbled, and honored to have the privilege of coming to the shores of Lake Tarleton each summer. The time has moved too quickly.

Shout it loudly,

Klaus