|
 A
few weeks ago, I heard an Ira Glass piece
on public radio, where he said "People
who love camp say that noncamp people simply
don't understand what's so
amazing about camp." Mr. Glass was
absolutely right. And this is the time
of year when those of us in the camp profession
realize all the amazing things about camp.
Each summer, over eleven million adults
and children participate in the estimated
12,000 camps in the United States. Unfortunately,
that means that an additional forty million
children and youth are "noncamp people," who
do not understand the value of camp like
we do. They don't get to experience
the renewal that we feel from spending
a summer at camp, the closeness to nature,
and the joy of sharing good times with
friends, both old and new. We are indeed
the lucky ones, because we have found that
camp isn't just about activities,
but about life, how we relate to each other,
and making friends that last a lifetime.
The public's interest in camp peaks during
the summer, and the American Camp Association
(ACA) has become the source of information
about camp. Our Web site is visited thousands
of times a day, hundreds of thousands of
people read stories about camp in newspapers
and magazines, and many more see or hear
camp news on television and radio. In addition,
ACA is partnering with Sony/Tristar Pictures
to provide Web copy for a resource page
on their "Daddy Day Camp" Web
site. Camp will be in the news this summer
and at the box office! Tristar Pictures
has provided a select group of ACA-accredited
camps with activity books filled with fun
projects and activities specifically designed
for campers between the ages of six to
ten.
With most of ACA's accredited camps
in session during the summer, hundreds
of volunteers in the standards program
are visiting camps as a part of the accreditation
process. All of us appreciate the dedication
of these volunteers, most of whom are taking
precious time away from their own operations
to participate as visitors.
In addition, ACA board members and volunteers
continue their work on behalf of the organization
in sections and at the national level,
advancing our profession, establishing
collaborations, and preparing for training
and other events scheduled for the remainder
of the year. And all of this occurs, of
course, because we camp people know how
amazing this experience is, and we want
it to continue to improve and to reach
more of those "noncamp" people.
Best wishes for the best time of the year,
sharing special moments with camp people,
and introducing your new campers to the
joy of camp.
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