It’s Friday and I’m on a plane heading to see families in the NYC area. But, I’m still thinking about Campfire. Today, I’m bringing a little outside help – Joshua Medcalf.

Josh is a wonderful writer. He genuinely wants his reader to succeed and gives so many examples, quotes and stories to help get there. In his recent book, Chop Wood Carry Water, his student, John, receives many important lessons from his samurai sensi, Akira. All of them are important and useful.

Today, I want to focus on just one: being faithful to the little things. Akira quotes two of my
heroes to highlight this point.

Mother Theresa, one of the most selfless caregivers our world has known, told followers, “Be faithful in the small things for it is in them that your strength lies.” Ben Hogan, winner of nine golf major championships in the 1950s who set the standard for the modern golf swing said, “Everyone thinks greatness is sexy, it’s not. It’s dirty hard work.”

Both choose very difficult paths and had terribly hardships to overcome. But, because of their faithful attention to the small things, they became known throughout the world for their service and triumph.

Small Things at Camp

No, I’m not talking about the JJ’s or even Carter Stassen. (Though, why wouldn’t we talk about them?! The Junior Juniors are fantastic and three-year-old Carter is a rock star.)

When I think of small things at camp, I think about each interaction our campers have with their bunk counselors. The opportunity we have to serve every time the phone rings. The care needed to be shown to a tired staff member who just needs to be heard.

Each of these small interactions is hugely important as they give us a chance to show we care.

When I came to Weequahic, however, I took a different approach. Rather than the little details, I focused on the big items – a new program, updating the bunks, etc.

A bunch of bananas showed me how wrong I was in this approach. Stick with me here….

Bananas

It’s the Summer 2010 and our growing camp is having a lot of fun. Our staff members are great, our kitchen is running smoothly, and everyone seems happy. But, I was missing something; I was not paying attention to the small things.

After playing some taps with the older boys, I headed to the office for a few pre-dinner phone calls. Waiting by my desk was Cammie, now our incredibly productive, funny and loyal office manager but then a “first summer” secretary.

With trepidation in her eyes and a little waver in her voice, Cam handed me a petition – my first (and only) in camping. Signed by 75 staff members, all were asking, nay – demanding – we put bananas back on the salad bar.

“What do you mean we don’t have banana’s on the salad bar?” I asked.

“We haven’t had them for weeks and people really miss them. And, people are a little too afraid to ask so I thought we could do this to show how much we want them back.”

At first, I laughed thinking this was a fun joke. Only at camp, right?!?

Nope, she was serious. The staff was serious. And, they didn’t feel I was approachable enough to talk about such a small thing. Jeez….

I needed to make some changes and fast. First, I picked up the phone, asked our head chef to start ordering bananas for everyone that day. Secondly, several of us got together to create a weekly survey for the kids and staff which includes lots of things at camp, including food.

More importantly, I had to change. If our staff did not feel they could approach me about such a little thing as bananas, then how could they approach me with the bigger issues? I started smiling more, asking more questions and listening a lot.

Learning to Be Faithful to Small Things

A big part about growing up is developing the habits of a healthy, productive life. And, yes, you guessed it… starting to become faithful to the small things.

Clearing the dishes after dinner. Making your bed. Being kind to someone, even if you don’t ‘have’ to be…. These are all small things we practice at camp that, believe it or not, add up to big things later on. (*The opposite is also true – the less honest you are with the small things, the less faithful you’ll be with the big responsibilities. Just sayin’….)

If you want to succeed in the long term, start taking care of all the small stuff now. Do it often enough, you won’t even have to think about it. When it becomes a virtuous habit, things will start to get really interesting – I promise!

Have a great week,
Cole

Ah, what a wonderful time of year. Kids are out of school, there is a festive feel in the air, and families and friends are gathering. It’s a time filled with tradition, much like camp.

Tradition plays an incredibly powerful role in summer camp and Weequahic is no different. Small (going to bed talking about our daily ‘happies’) and large (Tribals and Olympics), Weequahic is filled with tradition.

The traditional aspects of camp bind us together, give us a sense of personal belonging to the same ‘tribe.’ Our traditions are different than other camps and from home That is one of the reasons Weequahic feels special – we do things in our community not enjoyed anywhere else.

Traditions Change

We have been helping families build great humans since 1953. The Lustig and Seffer families built a camp deep with tradition and caring and fun. When Kate and I arrived in 2009 for our turn to carry the torch, there was so much good to enjoy.

And, there were a few things we wanted to change.

Campfire, one our most important and enduring traditions, was our first change. This change also led to my first… disagreement, let’s call it… with our beloved Camp Mom Judy.

“So, where do we hold campfire,” I asked CMJ on my first day at CW. “Behind gymnastics,” she responded.

Huh? I mean, it’s got a nice hill and good grass but… the gym?

After asking about 15 fewer questions than I should have, I bulldozed ahead and said, “Well, we are going to hold it at the lake instead.” This went over like a lead balloon with CMJ. Sure, as director, it was my right to make the change. However, I did not lay any groundwork for CMJ to see it from my point of view.

Thankfully, the kids and staffed loved the change (after about 3 weeks), and it’s become the only place we could think of holding one of our important traditions. (Yes, CMJ did come around. And, yes, I did apologize for barreling ahead.)

Traditions Feel Eternal

One of the beautiful things about traditions are that they feel old and unchanging. Because of this, you feel they have the mark of wisdom.

Does it take our beautiful setting to make it work? Does it take the 120 foot tall spruce pines or crystal clear lake? Our great field space and fun dining hall? While these aspects of camp are great, they are not the drivers of tradition.

Truly eternal traditions are those which rest upon an idea and our common belief in that idea. For us and the fantastic young men and women with whom we work, that idea is creating an amazing experience for everyone we meet through gratitude, attitude and courage.

What does this mean? It means as long as we have the right people, we can have a great camp in an open parking lot. Sure, it’s a lot easier to have an amazing experience in our incredible setting but it’s really not that necessary… but really, really nice.

Your Traditions

This time of year is rich with tradition. Some families celebrate Christmas while others celebrate Hanukkah. (Some families have created their own traditions at this time of year.) While these traditions now involve gifts and gear, when you boil them down to their essential purpose, they are both about celebrating a miracle with those who feel the same as you.

The celebration of your tradition doesn’t change whether you are looking out window at snow coming down, the palm trees flowing in the breeze, or buildings lit up with the holiday spirit. You, and those around you, connect with each other and the tradition binds you closer.

We hope you and your family enjoy a wonderful holiday season. We look forward to getting everyone back around Sly Lake to enjoy the traditions we’ve built together in the past and see what new ones we build for Summer ’17.