Latest ACA Blog Posts

Our Jewish friends in the camp community celebrated Yom Kippur this past weekend, the holiest of Jewish holidays. The holiday culminates ten days of reflection and is an opportunity to start anew — a fresh beginning for the new year. What a perfect time to celebrate the children and look forward to the future with joy in our hearts! Even in the differences that any of us may have, we share so much. When we are able to do so, we give so much to our children and the future.

I sit here in the Midwest watching the leaves turn colors realizing in another part of the country they have received an early snow. Regardless, whether weather or belief, seasons change . . . affording us the opportunity to reflect on what we have done well, where we need to improve, and how to capture the opportunities of tomorrow.
 

Today, October 5, is "Do Something Nice Day." Throughout history, camps have understood the value of service whatever the date may be.

For example, did you know that after serving as crowd control at President Woodrow Wilson’s inauguration in 1913, the Boy Scouts have maintained a tradition of serving in some way at presidential inaugurations to this day?

Did you know that throughout the years, Girls Scouts have undertaken initiatives to better the world, such as breaking down racial prejudices, helping Vietnamese refugee children adapt to their new circumstances, and creating a "Global Understanding" project focused on health care, hunger, literacy, natural resources, and cultural heritage?

What does your camp do in the spirit of service? Let us know how you and your camp make "Do Something Nice Day" a common occurance!

In 1929, Hedley S. Dimmock and Charles Hendry identified the critical connection between the camp experience and the development of character in their book Camping and Character. Character development remains one of the most critical outcomes of the camp experience to this day.

How does your program work to build character in campers?

I have a big magnet on my desk that says, “Whatever you can do or dream, you can begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.” It made me wonder if we fail to embrace boldness today. There are two definitions of boldness. One is more negative — related to brazen, brassy, or insolent. But the other is relates to being courageous, valiant, sturdy, and plucky.

Have we let the negative connotation of boldness usurp the positive possibilities? If so, what might we be losing? I so long to be plucky! Do we not want our children and youth to be able to muster up the courage and determination to face life’s inevitable difficulties? With all the fun at camp, do we not also teach kids to be plucky? I hope so. I so long to be plucky . . .
 

We really don’t say those words out loud, but often our behaviors get our meaning across quite clearly. We have to deal with so many complex and difficult situations that we just grow tired of “self-regulation.” Don’t you just want to throw a good old fashioned temper tantrum sometimes? But learning how to pause, “count to ten,” and consider alternatives is critical if we are to maintain a civil society.

The camp experience is a wonderful vehicle to help kids use their brains to practice “self-regulation.” Every time we are exposed to a new situation, we experience a low-level stress response. As parents and educators, it is our job to expose kids to new situations in safe and responsive settings so they can learn to manage feelings of discomfort without getting angry, fearful, dismissive, or even by becoming a bully. Discomfort is not necessarily a bad thing; rather, it’s an opportunity to...

Did you know?

Of the 15 million children growing up in low-income communities, only 1 in 10 will graduate from college.

You can help change that!

Apply for Teach For America by this Friday, September 16!

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