Each day, we stress the “Four R’s” at camp.  Please allow me to tell you a little about them.     Our mission is to “help every child grow into the Champion they are intended to be.”  A Champion is someone who knows they are unique, capable, loving, and wonderful.  A Champion believes that their life is a life that must be lived.  A Champion embraces the responsibility to help other people become Champions as well.

To further our mission, we focus our attention on what we call the “4 R’s:” respect, responsibility, taking reasonable risks, and reaching out.  Here is an overview:

• We encourage respect by modeling RESPECT ourselves in our interactions with each other and with the campers.  A simple manifestation of this is our tradition of calling everyone “sir” and “ma’am” (my children call me “Steve Sir” and I call them “Wiley Sir”, “Liam Sir”, “Terrill Ma’am,” and “Virginia Ma’am”. The dog is “Dodger Ma’am”). 
• We reinforce RESPONSIBILITY daily.  Every camper and counselor must take care of his or her own possessions (even if we have to help with a robust “lost and found” effort).  We have cabin inspections and after meal clean-ups.  As campers get older, they are responsible for selecting their own activities and getting themselves there.  Our senior campers are part of an elaborate 3-year program designed to transition them from thinking like campers (responsible for themselves) to thinking like counselors (responsible for others).
• Psychologists agree that children will take risks, so the challenge for all parents is to engage them in REASONABLE RISKS (trying out for a play, learning a new skill) rather than allow them to experiment with dangerous risks (drugs, promiscuous sex).  At camp, we help children take reasonable risks each day.  Ascending our climbing wall, learning to ski, and performing at Torchlight are just a few examples of the reasonable risks of camp.
• Finally, we want campers to learn to REACH OUT to others.  As mentioned above, a true Champion has a responsibility to help others.  On certain evenings, campers recognize and acknowledge other campers that have helped them or others.  We celebrate anyone that helps and supports cabinmates.

This is about as heavy as we camp professionals get, but I thought you would enjoy knowing more about what we strive to achieve at Camp Champions.  Do our campers have amazing amounts of fun?  No doubt about it!  Yet this fun is intertwined with a strong intent to facilitate your child’s development into a Champion!

Steve Sir