A Parent's Letter to Counselors and Staff

Dear Camp Chatuga Counselors and Staff:
I never got to attend summer camp as a child. So, when we had our family meeting last January about what we’d do this summer, I just couldn’t understand why my kids would choose attending Camp Chatuga again over any kind of vacation package that I dangled in front of them. With finances tight, we could either take a family vacation, or they could attend camp. Without hesitation, they chose camp. And, until now, I just couldn’t “get” it.

But “Guys,” I said. “All those rules, the hot cabins, the bugs, sleeping on the ground, and all the classes and activities you’ve done so many times before. Aren’t you getting too old for camp?” Without any kind of logic, they held firm to their decision, using only their hearts to decide.

I attended session two as a camp mom with my fourteen-year-old daughter. Each time I caught a glimpse of her with her camp family, I saw something I rarely see at home as she passes through the early teens, a smile. And not just any smile, one of those ear-to-ear kind, which lasts a long time and almost splits your lip. And that’s when I started to get it. The relationship my daughter develops with the counselors remains in her heart forever and is one of the things that makes her want to return to camp. So counselors, when you think you can’t go another day without privacy or a warm shower; when you think you can’t take another bug bite; and when that kid does what “you won’t believe”; please never forget how important you are in the lives of the children you work with. They’ll never forget how you make them feel. And right now, no one else in their lives is as cool as you are. Being cool means they believe in everything you do and say, which means you can have an incredible influence on them.

Well, my daughter stayed for session three, and my son joined her as a service camper. I went home after session two. I went home to all the luxuries: a stocked fridge, my soft bed, and a warm shower. And, that’s when I realized something else. Deprivation brings appreciation — the more we appreciate something, the more we enjoy it. At home we are rarely deprived so we rarely appreciate what we have. At camp we are deprived. We wait in line. We wait our turn. But, when we do get that warm water with pressure, that can of Cheer Wine, that last piece of cornbread on the bar, and the Big Mac on trip day, oh, how we appreciate it, and oh, how we enjoy it!

But why isn’t camp getting “old”? Why wouldn’t my kids opt for something they haven’t done before, perhaps try a different camp? As the scenery blurred by during my twelve-hour drive home, I realized that so many things in kids’ lives are uncertain. Will there be another 9-11? Will a loved one beat cancer? Will dad lose his job? Will dad and mom get divorced? What teachers will I get next year? Will I pass Algebra? Will I make the soccer team? Will that special someone notice me?

There is a great comfort in predictability. Knowing exactly what to expect makes you feel safe. And safe is good. That predictability and associated comfort must be why we treasure traditions — carving pumpkins, dyeing eggs, decorating trees, and eating turkey. At camp, you will wake up to a bugle, “Good morning Camp Chatuga,” and “nothing could be finer.” You will sing about a yodeling Austrian and see a skit about the world’s ugliest man. You will sleep on the ground, square dance, and throw an egg at someone. Cottage cheese will be applauded, and you will eat as a “family” three times a day in a society where families rarely eat together. Camp is very predictable and loaded with traditions. Traditions, that instead of making my children tire of camp, become one of the factors that make them long to return.

OK, so what about tolerating all those rules at camp? Well maybe as my rebellious teenagers are screaming for freedom and independence, perhaps what they’re actually longing for are structure and guidelines. And, that’s exactly what they get at camp.

Even though I never got to attend camp as a child, now I think I finally get it — why my kids chose to return to Camp Chatuga this summer over all other options. The reasons can’t be explained with words, but they can be felt as you fondly recall the sights, sounds, and smells of Camp Chatuga months and years after returning home.

Much thanks to all of the counselors and staff of Camp Chatuga for all that you do.

Donna Donovan has worked at Camp Chatuga in Mountain Rest, South Carolina, as a “camp mom” for six summers. She lives with her family in Indialantic, Florida, where she is a high school teacher.