Hi!
Well we finished our second week and while the counselor's and most of the campers had a good time- it was very disheartening getting phone calls from parents this afternoon. Last week all I heard were wonderful things about how much the girls loved camp. This week we had so many parents with concerns. I would encourage your daughter's to make sure they tell the counselor's when they don't feel well, or have something wrong. It is so hard to fix a problem after the camper's leave.

We try our best to make every girl have a good time at camp- just this morning watching all the girls at breakfast talking and singing- hugging each other good-bye. Telling the counselor's good-bye- it made me so proud of everyone. To see your daughter's come into camp- learn about our different traditions- and by the time they go home know exactly what to do at the end of the week. Who is the sweeper, who is the wiper, the scrapper, or the runner. They all have jobs to do- and they do it! I just stand there and beam- because of how much they grow over the week.

I know many girls do not like all the walking, or the bugs- but it is  the ones who get what camp is really about- the people- the friends you make and learning how to cope being away from home- that is what camp is really about! Some just don't get it- and I feel so sorry for them. They can't get over wanting to go home, they just aren't prepared for camp. And that ruins it for them. They never come back. I run into people all the time who say they had a bad experience at camp because they were not prepared enough.

I would like to tell you about one of the unit's this past week called- "District Gallahue". This unit was patterned after "The Hunger Games". The girls learned survival skills on Tuesday and then on Wednesday spent the day and NIGHT out in camp finding their lunch- and then setting up their tents, and building their fire and cooking their dinner. on their own! They were so proud of themselves and I was too! They had to canoe from the beach to Ardath to get their sandwiches, and then perform some tasks to earn it. They walked all around the camp- earning prizes from sponsors, and had to figure out how to get along with everyone. And they did it! they built their fire- cooked their dinner, survived within their own groups- with some help from us. But how cool is that!

Please prepare your children for the world- don't think by sheltering them and doing everything for them is loving them- it only hurts them when they finally have to go out into the world and have to figure out what to do on their own.

I also apologize for anything my staff does that you as a parent do not like. Sometimes the staff are tired and snap at your daughter for screaming because a spider is on them. That is not right and I talked to them about how that behavior is not what I want going on at my camp. I have staff that love your daughter's and try their best to make their week wonderful. We don't always exceed at that. They make mistakes and learn from them. But we always try to have your daughter's safety first and want you to know that.

So- with a heavy heart from complaints from this past week- I sign off- hoping next week will run so much smoother with parent and girls. I hope everyone arrives happy and leaves happy!

Yours in Camping,
Barb
BC