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| summer youth camps |
It was 1966 and it was my first year at Camp Minocqua, a boys camp in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Dr. John P. Sprague founded Camp Minocqua for Boys in 1905 on Tomahawk Lake. The history of the camp was part of the camp culture. Historically, the camp was designed to taking young boys out of the cities and the finer things in life and allowing us boys to live out in nature with others boys, while our counselors just seemed like older brothers.
Such was the beginning of residential boys camps in America. Later camps for girls were established by the Girl Scouts of America and Camp Fire Girls. Sleepaway summer camps continued round World War I when many charities opened summer camps for working-class children giving them a chance to get away from urban life.
Anyway, here I was at a residential camp where I would be staying for 7 weeks, that was a long time away from my parents. Was I ready? Absolutely not. I cried often during those first few weeks and when the storms came I was even more scared. But, I made friends that I still remember today, maybe better than my school friends. Camp gave me a chance to make decisions without my parents. Some were good and made me feel great, like when I got to name the sailboat "Stormy Weather". Others were not so good and resulted in me taking a bite out of a bar of Ivory soap. But they were my decisions and the natural consequence fell where they would. From this independence, I learned that when I make decisions and fail, I learn more than when my decisions result in success.
I returned to Camp Minocqua for 7 summers giving me almost one complete year living at camp. So I guess it was not all that surprising when at the age of 38 I got this idea to start a summer camp. Shortly thereafter I opened Swift Nature Camp. Yes, some of camp Minocqua’s history can be seen at SNC but times have changed and so has the overnight summer camp experience. No longer is Ivory soap cut in wedges nor are kids left unsupervised. No, Swift Nature Camp is an intentional place, filled with support and encouragement, a place that comforts children on their journey to adulthood. We help give kids the skills they need to be productive parts of society. Sleepaway camp should be part of every child’s summer.
