I know that they session is nearing a close:

• Each day has a new special activity. Today is Trojan-Spartan, Division afternoon and the Olympic Dance. Tomorrow is Free Choice (campers get to choose what activities they want to do all morning) and fireworks. Friday is lots of goodbyes, Awards Night and Memory Lane.
• The campers are writing letters to their counselors and the counselors are writing their camper reports.
• Susie Ma’am is reading ALL of the camper reports.

As you know, we do not hire counselors based on writing samples. We search for counselors that are emotionally intelligent, empathetic, optimistic and high energy. Their handwriting and writing syntax are not critical to their ability to comfort and encourage a child.

The only time writing skills matter is the camper reports.

But some are not gifted writers.

Are you feeling sympathy for Susie Ma’am yet? She gets the joy of correcting and editing the reports. Sometimes the corrections are simply misunderstandings. One girls’ cabin (9 year-olds) has been telling stories about what they want to do when they are adults. One girl declared that she wants to pursue medicine. Since then, she has pretended to be the cabin physician in a silly, playful way. The international counselor then writes in the report “She loves to play doctor in the cabin.” This counselor had no idea that “play doctor” had any negative connotation. Rather than try to explain the cultural difference, she will simply re-write the report.

Other counselors are grammar-impaired. Susie Ma’am, on the other hand, is grammar-gifted. She can spot lack of pronoun-antecedent agreement at 50 paces. She uses the subjunctive correctly.

As a result, reading the reports can induce more than a few groans.

As she reads the reports, she wants to ask you a favor: give the counselors some grace on the quality of the reports. We want you to know that your child is loved and known, but we also realize that most of these pages are not worthy of publication.

Also, please take the time at closing day to ask your child’s counselors about camp. They will be delighted to share some stories and some insights. You know your child better than anyone, but camp is a different animal – life is different when you have 6-10 brothers or sisters. We want you to know what your precious one is like in this unique environment.

Meanwhile, we will focus on a having a great final 3 days. We look forward to seeing you, but not to saying goodbye to our campers.

Steve Sir