I don’t know about you, but the big news in the US today makes me want to gather everyone around the campfire tonight. 

Wouldn’t that be great? We’d sit around a roaring fire, share some laughs, play some games under the stars, and think about the deeper things which unite us. Afterward, we’d enjoy some milk and cookies and head to bed with a full heart surrounded by friends.

If we were to sit by Sly Lake tonight, I believe I’d be talking about things that bind us as a camp community together.

The love of traditions such as Friday night campfire, singing the good night song arm in arm, dancing in the Dining Hall, and canteen raids really do bring us closer. Shared values such as gratitude, choosing your attitude and courage keep us grounded in what’s important. Practicing kindness and helpfulness with everyone really makes a difference.

Summer Lessons Lead to Lifetime Habits

One our great summer leaders, Amanda N., recently shared a story from her life as a high school teacher.

After seeing a young man drop some trash and start to walk away, she practiced courage by stopping his group, picking up the trash and saying, “Guys, this is your school. You should treat it with respect. Don’t throw trash on the ground. Be helpful.”

(And, yes, believe it or not, teachers have to show courage every day to help young people to learn both in and out of the classroom!)

A few weeks later, she found herself walking unnoticed behind the same group of young men. A young man in the group stopped, bent down, picked up a piece of paper on the ground, walked it to a trashcan, and threw it away.

One of his friends asked what he was doing and he just shrugged and said “Ms. Neary said to be helpful.”

That little change of outlook will make a big difference in that young man’s life if he continues to practice it. Way to go, Ms. Neary!

Disagreements

Just because we have a great deal that binds us together doesn’t mean we can’t disagree. In fact, if we don’t have some disagreements, then we can’t learn and grow. And, if we aren’t growing, well… we’d be going in a direction you don’t want to think about.

Of course we argue! But, as a community, we do it from the bedrock of a shared vision (to create an amazing experience for everyone we meet through…) and core values (gratitude, attitude and courage).

Because we agree on the big things, we can argue confidently about the smaller things. And, as long as we keep an open mind while talking through our different opinions and experiences, we’ll great results. That’s true at Camp Weequahic as much as it is true at your school, in your home, or in our country.

Make sure you know the ties that bind you together. Keep them safe and healthy. Once you are confident in those, practice courage and make sure you are heard. And then… enjoy a cookie and milk with your neighbor!

Have a great weekend,
Cole

“Courage is an inner resolution to go forward despite obstacles; Cowardice is submissive surrender to circumstances.
Courage breeds creativity; Cowardice represses fear and is mastered by it.
Cowardice asks the question, is it safe?
Expediency ask the question, is it politic?
Vanity asks the question, is it popular?

But conscience ask the question, is it right? And there comes a time when we must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because it is right.” – Dr. Martin Luther King

We talk a lot about courage at Camp Weequahic. Whether it’s reaching out to a new friend who looks like they need some help or getting to the top of the pamper pole and jumping off, courage takes many forms.

But those things are scary! Does that mean courage comes from a person who has no fear? Two lines from a recent story declares it differently:

“Bran thought about it. ‘Can a man be brave if he’s still afraid?’ ‘That’s the only time a man can be brave,’ his father told him.” – George R. R. Martin

A Camp Secret

Want to know a secret that no one talks about at camp? Here it is: everyone is nervous and a little afraid when they get on the bus to go to camp. First-time campers feel it and so do ninth timers. Heck, even I feel nervous before every summer and our team has been doing this for fifteen years!

What if… the counselors are not as fun as we think? The kids don’t get along? The chicken wings are too spicy… or not spicy enough? The kids in the bunk don’t like me? These are completely honest and normal thoughts!

But, if we allow ourselves to focus only on the fear or nervousness, we’d never move forward. We’d never be as creative. We’d never achieve what we want – to create an amazing experience for everyone we meet using gratitude, attitude, and courage. And you, mighty camper, would never know the joy that comes from being a part of Camp Weequahic.

Courage in Action

In a few days, we will celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King. He as a great man whose courage knew no boundaries. He stood up, spoke out, and helped shepherd a movement against the hate and ignorance that was holding our country and our humanity back.

Do you think Dr. King was afraid? Absolutely. But his courage was as deep as the oceans and strong as the mountains. His courage, in his own words, allowed him to live a “dangerously unselfish” life.

Dr. King’s courage flowed from his deeply held beliefs for justice and righteousness. His actions and words motivated many both then to do what was right even though it was hard. His life still guides us today.

Being courageous is not always about the big things. In fact, showing courage is almost always in the small things – sitting with someone who is lonely in the lunch hall, sticking up for a kid who could use some support, or spending time with an elderly person who would love some company.

Find a way to practice your courage this week in little ways. Then, each week, build on it a little bit. Like one of your muscles, courage builds with exercise. Don’t use it and you’ll lose it. Practice it and it will blossom.

Have a great week! With GAC,

Cole