Camps are used to people coming to camp.

Parents. Kids. Groups. Retreats. Coming to camp is basically the whole point.

But every once in a while, someone comes just to see what we do — and how the work extends beyond what happens by the lakes and in the cabins and at the dining hall.

That was the case with Chris Pappas.

A U.S. Representative Walks Into Camp

Chris Pappas is a U.S. representative from New Hampshire. But that could change soon, because he’s running for the Senate seat that Camp Caucus leader Jeanne Shaheen is vacating at the end of her term.

Chris cofounded the House version of the Camp Caucus earlier this year, so he is near and dear to our hearts.

He also went to camp as a kid. Pemigewassett, a great, longtime boys’ camp in New Hampshire. Chris loved it. So before policy or the inner workings of J-1 visas or advocacy conversations started, we knew Chris understood what camp can do for kids and staff.

Chris had a window of availability before a large fundraiser in a neighboring town. He offered it to me, and we turned it into a tour of camp.

Our regular camp season had ended by the time Pappas arrived.

A bit of background. I know Chris. Chris knows me. When he arrived, I introduced him to Jack Schott, the new owner and director of my beloved Camps Kenwood & Evergreen (K&E) as well as Kristin “Breezy” McMaster, who runs Camp Skywild in Michigan and also postseason at K&E.

We walked him through what we actually do here. The dining hall. The pictures and plaques on the walls carrying a hundred years of camp history. The families we serve.

Breezy took him through Skywild in detail and what it means for her neurodiverse kids to experience camp. He asked questions, listened, and took it all in.

For any camp director who has never hosted a member of Congress, the logistics are simpler than you might picture.

Pappas arrived with a single campaign aide, no entourage. An individual did show up 15 minutes in advance to check the environment. Every congressional visit requires this.

We rode the side-by-side around camp together. He was easy about it.

Why Visit Now?

The J-1 program comes up in the Camp Caucus work every month. Jeanne Shaheen has been one of the program’s most reliable Senate supporters and advocates. And she sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and an Appropriations subcommittee that funds the State Department. She is retiring, which is a real loss.

With Pappas running, the visit was a chance to make sure the next potential senator from New Hampshire understands what J-1 does for camps.

Visits like this one are a direct result of all of our collective work and all of your support. Because the Camp Caucus exists, a sitting House member takes an hour on a summer afternoon to walk through a New Hampshire camp and learn what it does.

Your Camp Can Do This Too

Any camp can host a member of Congress. ACA has a toolkit for it. The barriers are smaller than most directors think, and the person who represents your district is probably interested in the kind of place you run.

You have already done the harder work. You run a place that serves kids in a way that is easy to see and easy to explain.

If you have thought about this before and then let it drop, pick it back up. There’s plenty of time to get a visit on the calendar before next summer and make it happen. The caucus is here to help.

A U.S. representative came to camp last month. Every time that happens, the field becomes a little more visible to the people writing the rules that quietly impact us all. The caucus is how we make it happen more often.

Join the movement. Get updates on the Camp Caucus and learn how you can support camp advocacy in DC.

Scott Brody is ACA’s Government Affairs co-chair and leads the association’s advocacy efforts in Washington, DC. He served as ACA National Board Chair during the COVID-19 crisis, helping guide camps nationwide through safe reopening while securing unprecedented federal support. A camp director for more than 30 years, Scott is Director Emeritus of Camps Kenwood & Evergreen and owner of Everwood Day Camp and Camp Sewataro. He has dedicated his career to advancing the life-changing impact of camp and championing its value on a national stage.