Dear BLC Families,
It was a Green & Gray for the ages! From experience I can say that no one who was at camp this summer will forget how special this one was. The final score was 53-51, meaning if the last game (which came down to the final minute) went the other way, it would have been a tie. Maybe even more rare — not just in Green & Gray, but I think in the world of sports and competition — was that the JOY, the dancing, singing, and cheering was equally as passionate as the play. Campers gained invaluable experience competing their hardest, accepting defeat, building resilience, and feeling the reward for putting everything you have into something as part of a team. An incomparable sense of community, togetherness, and emotion among friends you treat like family.
As is tradition, the Sophomore show was the evening Green & Gray ended serving the unofficial purpose of “reuniting” us as one camp laughing and singing all together while celebrating our youngest campers. Last night, the Green & Gray Campfire marked the official conclusion of the special event (a day late due to thunderstorms). I tried to give our campers some BLC historical perspective of what they just experienced, while Richie G added some context to carry beyond camp.
The last few days of camp have been/are littered with special events — lazy morning, halloween carnival, faculty show, final campfires, banquet, awards ceremony … while the message to campers and counselors is to soak in all the little moments of time spent with each other, spreading kindness and calm.
It’s not long until you all get to hear the stories first-hand, and shortly after that the “campsickness” really sets in. Enjoy these last few days of camp knowing you’ve given your boys a truly meaningful experience and that those special first hugs off the buses and planes are coming very soon!
Please keep reading below for Richie’s Musings.
Warmly,
Max
Richie G’s Musings: Key Staff and Atmosphere in the Dining Hall
As I mused on earlier this summer, it can be hard to discern differences between camps because marketing (especially with social media and AI) can make all camps seem beautiful and thoughtful.
If I were a parent (or member of a referral service) looking at camps today, I would pay particular attention to two things: (1) The quantity and quality of mature adults (we call them Key Staff); and (2) the atmosphere in the Dining Hall.
I would ask for bios of Key Staff (not just the Directors); find out how long they have been at camp. Counselors can be great — and are important — but they are not yet adults (studies indicate that the “judgment” portion of the brain does not fully develop until on average 24 years old). Good counselors will be GREAT if given expectations, supervision, and feedback from more experienced people.
As for dining rooms, in my 40+ years of being a camp director, I have always taken note of the pulse of camp by looking and listening during meals especially. There is a nice buzz that one can hear when campers are relaxed and content. Unscripted singing and dancing are good indicators of how camp is going. A lack of running and pushing are revealing, as well as healthy, joyful, carefree interactions between campers and counselors.
Best wishes,
Richie G
It was a Green & Gray for the ages! From experience I can say that no one who was at camp this summer will forget how special this one was. The final score was 53-51, meaning if the last game (which came down to the final minute) went the other way, it would have been a tie. Maybe even more rare — not just in Green & Gray, but I think in the world of sports and competition — was that the JOY, the dancing, singing, and cheering was equally as passionate as the play. Campers gained invaluable experience competing their hardest, accepting defeat, building resilience, and feeling the reward for putting everything you have into something as part of a team. An incomparable sense of community, togetherness, and emotion among friends you treat like family.
As is tradition, the Sophomore show was the evening Green & Gray ended serving the unofficial purpose of “reuniting” us as one camp laughing and singing all together while celebrating our youngest campers. Last night, the Green & Gray Campfire marked the official conclusion of the special event (a day late due to thunderstorms). I tried to give our campers some BLC historical perspective of what they just experienced, while Richie G added some context to carry beyond camp.
The last few days of camp have been/are littered with special events — lazy morning, halloween carnival, faculty show, final campfires, banquet, awards ceremony … while the message to campers and counselors is to soak in all the little moments of time spent with each other, spreading kindness and calm.
It’s not long until you all get to hear the stories first-hand, and shortly after that the “campsickness” really sets in. Enjoy these last few days of camp knowing you’ve given your boys a truly meaningful experience and that those special first hugs off the buses and planes are coming very soon!
Please keep reading below for Richie’s Musings.
Warmly,
Max
Richie G’s Musings: Key Staff and Atmosphere in the Dining Hall
As I mused on earlier this summer, it can be hard to discern differences between camps because marketing (especially with social media and AI) can make all camps seem beautiful and thoughtful.
If I were a parent (or member of a referral service) looking at camps today, I would pay particular attention to two things: (1) The quantity and quality of mature adults (we call them Key Staff); and (2) the atmosphere in the Dining Hall.
I would ask for bios of Key Staff (not just the Directors); find out how long they have been at camp. Counselors can be great — and are important — but they are not yet adults (studies indicate that the “judgment” portion of the brain does not fully develop until on average 24 years old). Good counselors will be GREAT if given expectations, supervision, and feedback from more experienced people.
As for dining rooms, in my 40+ years of being a camp director, I have always taken note of the pulse of camp by looking and listening during meals especially. There is a nice buzz that one can hear when campers are relaxed and content. Unscripted singing and dancing are good indicators of how camp is going. A lack of running and pushing are revealing, as well as healthy, joyful, carefree interactions between campers and counselors.
Best wishes,
Richie G