I was recently introduced to Horatius at the Bridge, a poem written in the 1800s by Thomas Babington. It depicts a battle in ancient Rome. Three men, led by Horatius, volunteer to hold the foes as they tried to cross the only narrow bridge across the Tiber and into the city.

As a horde of thousands gather to cross the bridge, all looks lost. Horatius looks at his commander and says: 

“Hew down the bridge, Sir Consul,

  With all the speed ye may;

I, with two more to help me, 

  Will hold the foe in play.

In yon straight path a thousand

  May well be stopped by three:

Now who will stand on either hand,

  And keep the bridge with me.”

The poem in its entirety speaks to my romantic side as well as my affinity for the Roman and Greek myths of old. This passage, however, is yelling at me in a different, more relevant way for today.

The World We’ve Built

Parents, the ‘world’ in which we grew was very different than the one we’ve made for our children. Technology, of course, is at the forefront of this change.

A great deal of this change is certainly an improvement. When I feel the desire to rail against the advances of the modern world, I think of writer AJ Jacobs’s admonishment: “Repeat after me: surgery without anesthesia.”

With the host of advantages our ever-modernizing world delivers, there come a few challenges as well. Two things, in particular, jump out at me: the images our kiddos see on a daily basis and the lack of real-life human interaction in our young people’s lives.

The photoshopped and filtered perfect worlds, clothes, parties and bodies of ‘influencers’ is something we never had to contend with. Sure, we got to see the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous once a week and could thumb through People or Sports Illustrated. But these images were a small part of our weekly digestion. Now, new images – and the self-comparisons they inevitably create – are a thumb swipe away all day, every day.

Screen time is certainly having an effect on our young people and it’s not very positive.

The fall of free-play with friends and true connections with interested near-peers and adults is having disastrous effects. There have been several studies confirming the rise of anxiety and depression in our kids. As writer Kim Brooks recently reported, “kids have fewer opportunities to practice social-emotional skills.”

In simpler terms, we’ve taken away the opportunity for our kids to play, create, and interact in the places and ways we did and their grandparents did as children. This deficit is truly harming our kids’ futures.

At the Bridge

Valiant Horatius had only two companions at the narrow bridge into Rome. That proved enough.

The bridge to our future is much wider and requires more people standing shoulder to shoulder. Thankfully, at Weequahic, we have our two hundred staff members who choose to live by our values of gratitude, attitude, courage, and kindness. And, we’ve got a huge cohort of families who feel the same way.

With the help of our families and staff, Weequahic will continue to pick and choose the most beneficial of our ever-growing technologic powers for our community and shun the rest. We’ll set the standard of behavior (and dress) that draws our kids’ community together in reflection of our values rather than apart by comparison. And, we’ll continue to foster growth and creativity through play and laughter, challenge and training, community and connection.

Parents, thank you for standing at the bridge with us. And, thank you for helping us support SCOPE who is making this same stand available to others.

Let’s keep it up… together. Have a great week!

Dr. Tim Elmore is someone I enjoy following. In a recent blog post, he talks about the 14 skills every young person should own before leaving ‘the nest.’ While some of the items aren’t covered at camp – we don’t teach balancing a budget – many skills are practiced, honed, and owned at Weequahic.

New Skills

This past summer, campers developed distinct skills. We learned to build new friendships, developed deeper levels of empathy by living together, exercised our ability to choose an attitude as modeled by our staff, and deepened our courage by trying new things away from the safety of home.

Yes, we learned to waterski, climb a wall, project our voice, throw a pot, and more. However, these skills are secondary to the primary importance of the personal and interpersonal skills we fostered together.

Cooking a Meal

Most of us learned to cook real food. Sure, we enjoyed some playtime in the kitchen – who didn’t love the s’more fondue?! But, we also learned how to truly cook and clean, an important skill set for the future.

Needing Less

We developed an understanding that we really don’t need a lot. Dr. Elmore talks about ‘minimizing our needs.’  This is an important mindset both when you are starting out – you don’t have a lot anyway – and as you age.  At camp, it’s a bag of clothes, a good pair of shoes, bedding for a small bed, and a whole bunch of friends. No phones, no video games, no malls….

For three or six weeks, we were reminded that life can be better with less.

Managing Our Schedule

Because of our choice-based program, we learned to manage our own schedules. That, combined with living away from home, is the single biggest factor in the growth of your independence. You get to decide what you’d like to do.

Is there structure? Of course. But camp provided a wonderful opportunity to practice using your voice over your choice.

Clean Up

While it may have been grudgingly, we learned how to clean. Admiral William McRaven wrote a wonderful short book on changing the world…  by first making your bed. While the first thing we do is get breakfast, we all must make our bed, help with our chores, and put on sunscreen before starting the day.

Valuing People

Finally, we learned to value people. Let’s think back to a few paragraphs above. Without the people we love and with whom we laugh, camp is pretty pointless. Henry David Thoreau said, “The language of friendship is not words but meanings.” Woodrow Wilson also had something good to say about friendship: “it’s the only cement that will hold the world together.”

The relationships we fostered, whether they started for the first time or were rekindled a 10^th time, will warm our lives for a long time.

Hone Your Skills

Campers, take these skills you learned this summer and practice them at home. Make your bed, clean your room, smile (with meaning) at those around you. Continue to develop your courage, empathy, and independence. Value all around you and seek those who will continue to lovingly push you to develop in all ways. And, be aware and grateful for the gifts in your life.

You learned the basics at Weequahic this summer. Now go make them yours out in the world!

It’s the final Friday Night before the kiddos arrive and I’m excited.

We’ve enjoyed a wonderful day of Orientation. The vibe among the staff is energetic and interested, engaged and excited. They’ve taken the stunning amount of ‘liquid sunshine’ we’ve received over the past four weeks in stride and sloshed their way to knowing Weequahic.

Like the staff, I can’t wait for the sun to shine when our campers arrive!

I spent some time with just the guys on camp this evening. Kate was with the ladies. It’s the only night orientation that we divide this way.

While the activities and conversation differed between the two groups, the message was the same: will you, the counselors, show the courage needed to connect? Will you connect with one another? And, will you show the courage to truly connect with the kids?

(Leaving the huddle, I know our young men are ready, willing and able!)

Our Need to Connect

When you strip everything away, it’s connection that we crave, isn’t it? I know that is what our new campers want to start right now. They just want to find a friend. And our returners come back for one reason: to rekindle the connections they love so much.

At camp, we remove all the barriers and do our best to connect. We drop our masks. We let our true and best selves shine through. We remember who we are and those around us join in on the party of that knowledge.

We talk about the summer burning brightly at Weequahic. The light of camp, though, does not come from the Friday night campfire by Sly Lake. It comes from the light of connection created between the 650 souls who run through our forests, sleep in our bunks, and play… together.

Soon…

We are excited to get the rest of our crew here. We’ve got two pieces of the puzzle so far – the place and the staff. We just need the kids.

But, before our campers arrive, I’ve just one question for them: Will you show the courage to connect?

See you seven sleeps.  Can’t wait for camp!