Andrea's Corner: AIJC in Action
Camp is a place where magic happens, and community is at the center of it all. I know that one goal at each of your camps is to enrich the lives of all your campers and staff. I was fortunate to visit six AIJC camps in action, and see firsthand how you make that happen.I appreciate you opening your camps to me, and I hope to visit more camps next year.
Here are a few snippets of what I saw over the summer - some of which make your camp unique, and some that make camp, well, camp! All of which enrich the lives of so many. {I hope you’ll read this with a little bit of humor.
Let’s talk about the food…Which came first? The chicken or the egg? Clearly, the chicken! There were fried chicken legs, roasted Shabbat chicken, chicken wings, chicken tenders, and bbq chicken. That was at four camps in five days, and if your math is as good as mine (ha!) you’ll deduce that one of those camps had chicken twice in one day, thanks to a missed Sysco delivery. Sound familiar? I do have a special shout-out to the amazing chef Frank at Camp Solomon Schechter…I had the best meal I think I’ve ever had at camp. Ever! Also, “when in Rome”, do what the Alonim-ers do. Add a scoop of baked beans to a small bag of potato chips, add a few drops of hot sauce, and BAM!, you’ve got a cookout delicacy. If any of you have a name for this camp treat, please share it with me. The best we could come up with was “bean bags” or “Sh’beans”…
Canoes, cabins, and clean-up… Are you looking for a way to repurpose old or unused equipment? Aluminum boats are great for water sports and so much more. Canoes are used at some camps as decorative markers around camp. Open side up, they make great flower boxes. Bottom up, and painted, they mark a variety of activity spots. Both ways, they come in handy and campy. Got a cabin that’s falling apart or being rebuilt? Take those old (camper signed) 2x4s and put them to good use! They make great slats to use as the back of a new set of Adirondack chairs, and honor alumni as an added bonus. And that takes us to cabin clean-up. Long gone are the days of competing for a slice of watermelon for having the cleanest cabin at camp (or maybe that was just my experience). To quote one of my favorite movies, “Trips to Europe, that’s what the kids want.” Short of that, I witnessed the efforts of several cabin Nikayon (cleaning) and the incentives were awesome! They included everything from cabin trips to Dairy Queen, staff getting extra time off, to ice cream parties on the last night of camp.
Having good footwear at camp is something we all take very seriously. I wonder now that I’ve completed my summer travel, and observed many aspects of your camps, how on earth would Chaco stay in business without summer camp? And, if sandals aren’t your thing, what about investing in a pair of Blundstone boots? They’re all the rage and make kicking around camp safe and fun for staff of all ages. Regardless, you all do such amazing work, leading from the front, and your shoes are indeed big shoes to fill!
Celebrating even the little successes within your community are critical, and sometimes hard to see through tired eyes. Allow me to share a few that I saw during my visits. I enjoyed seeing a counselor leading daily t’fillah (prayer) with the hopes of attending rabbinical school in the future. I met an art specialist integrating cross-curriculum programming for teens (peer interviews and Shrinky Dinks). I attended two mid-day leadership meetings, giving staff a chance to unwind, laugh, and collaborate all at the same time. Mostly, I spent time with dedicated and hardworking staff that gave all their energy, enthusiasm, and grit toward making camp an unforgettable experience.
I give you all so much credit for running fantastic programs. You are all inspiring in so many ways. You have so much for which to be proud. As you reflect on what was likely another challenging summer, I hope you remember what makes you, your team, and your camp awesome! Kol ha kavod (all the honor)!
Now, go take a nap! Why? Because I said so!