A Case for Camp
At its best, Camp brings about a physiological manifestation of personal growth and integrity. While immersed in Camp culture, children are routinely inspired through authentic experiences of actionable kindness, to make their community – and the world – a better place.
This is the time of year our staff is celebrating the successes of the summer, deconstructing our processes and regrouping for the year ahead.
Once sweater weather arrives, I begin to receive phone calls from parents wanting to ensure their child’s space at Camp next year, and also share their reflections on their child’s prior Camp Burgess & Hayward experience. This is one of the ways in which I am able to celebrate the successes of our Camp, by listening to – and revealing – the tremendous stories of impact that I am privileged to receive.
This week, I had a heartening conversation with a mother, who chose to relay her family’s Camp story to me. She told me that her son had attended Burgess this summer upon the recommendation of a friend, and had “a magical time…the time of his life.” She said it was the first time “he was able to just be a kid, in a very long time.” She depicted the struggles he’d encountered in school, the bullying he’d endured, and went on to portray some of the more personal family issues they had been trying to cope with together throughout the past year.
She said, a formerly “happy-go-lucky boy,” her son had begun show signs of depression, and a defeatist attitude. But, when she collected him from Camp, she said she picked up, “a completely different child.” She said he had “reclaimed his optimistic spirit,” and went on to marvel at the fact that his Camp experience translated to the start of the school year, where his teachers noticed he had re-emerged a confident and compassionate leader amongst his peers.
When she questioned her son about the dramatic change, he attributed the transformation to Camp. “I can’t explain it,” he said. “It happened at Camp.”
This boy’s enriched spirit is emblematic of the leadership qualities and character attributes that are infused in our programming, and in my mind, is the ultimate case for Camp.
by Meghan Hill, Director of Development & Alumni Relations
Meghan made her way to Camp Burgess & Hayward in 2010, subsequent to attaining her Masters Degree in Education. She has worked as an educator, reporter and freelance journalist, as well as a grant writer and program developer for non-profit organizations. She is passionate about meaningful marketing and financial development, through which she can help make Camp Burgess & Hayward’s programming – and the Great Outdoors – accessible to all. What Meghan most enjoys about her career at the Y, is getting to work closely with each camper family, while making a lasting impact.