1) Play games the first day that force physical interaction. Nothing will ensure that your shy teens and introverts have a terrible start
to camp like making them participate in icebreakers and community
builders the first day that force them to do things like getting tied
into a human knot with a bunch of strangers or build a human pyramid. Those "repeat everyone's name in order" games are pretty intimidating,
too. (Interaction is important, of course, but don't force it and don't
introduce too much too fast. Community builders are great but it's important to allow the introverts
to opt out as needed...within reason. My suggestion is to start with
activities that are low threat -- like the "Would you rather" sort of games
where there's not a lot of physical interaction and no single person has to
be the focus of attention-- and then you work up to those more elaborate
team-building games as the teens get to know each other.)
2) Do skits/pranks where someone is the butt of the joke.
Don't you just love those camp skits where some unsuspecting teen gets a
bucket of water dumped on his head (or down his pants) or a whipped
cream pie pushed in her face? Don't you just love those pranks
where the new kid gets his clothes thrown on the roof of the cabin and
shampoo in her sleeping bag? (Well, many people don't. Even if the
"victim" laughs and plays along, s/he may quietly resent being ridiculed
for everyone else's amusement. I could write a book about the problem
with camp pranks, but let's move on...)
3) Sing songs the first few days to which only alumni campers/staff know the words. How much fun is it going to camps where there are those clever gimmick songs ("Star-Trekkin!") that only the teens who have been coming to that camp for 3 years know the words! Enjoy the hilarity as everyone else has to awkwardly stand around and just listen or else prove they are "one of the group" by anxiously memorizing the words by the end of the week! This approach will serve to alienate new members of the camp community and send a loud message: "You don't belong...yet." (Of course, shared songs are important. I didn't mean to imply you shouldn't sing old songs. But include everyone by providing written lyrics on paper or powerpoint so everybody can participate from the beginning. ) Which leads us to #4...
4)Perpetuate inside jokes and "remember when" stories from camps past. Nothing is funnier than the counselors reminding everyone about "that wacky thing Phil did in the girl's cabin last year" or "the talent show skit that got Cindy into trouble with the staff," even though none of the younger campers have any idea what everyone is laughing at! (Again, this a great way to send the message "We of the inner circle have a history together. You gotta earn your way into the inner circle here by putting in your time.")
5) Encourage talent show acts that promote stereotypes and prejudices. What's
a talent show without ethnic stereotypes: the napping Mexican in a
sombrero, the "swami" with his head wrapped in a towel speaking
gibberish. And don't forget the unwritten law that there must be camp talent
show acts where guys dress in drag. (Ever stop to consider that for some
teens, cross-dressing may be a reality in the life of a parent,
relative, or friend...or may even be part of their developing gender
identity?). And that leads us to #6...
6) Make a big deal about "purpling!"
You know how it goes: boys are "blue" and girls are "pink" and if they
get too close (e.g. amorous hugging, kissing, girls in the boys cabin
and vice versa) they make "purple!" Talking about this a lot,
particularly making a joke out of it, helps sends a silent message that
we all know that everyone at camp is really fixated on hooking up and
finding a date for the Friday night dance. (Consider that too much talk about this might alienate the youth who are not sexually mature and just came to camp to have fun. It also may send
confusing and often alienating signals to youth at camp who are not
heterosexual or who are not certain of their sexual identity yet. Perhaps consider including rules about "double blues," and "double pinks.")
7) Program every minute of the week. Youth live over-programmed lives. Why shouldn't camp be the same way? (Maybe because one of the ways to make camp unique and special is to provide space for youth to be quiet, to hang out, to experience Sabbath, to just "be" for awhile without any more stimuli than the feel of the breeze and the sounds of bees buzzing.)
Want to add any others?
4 comments:
Hot pink and baby blue are the two additions beyond purple in our camp. And of course I get some future art major who wants to argue with me that red and pink don't make purple, lol. I also walked the line about how big a deal we made of this for a while. I emphasize that it's time away from their regular routines including anyone who might arrive dating. Relax, have fun and be part of the larger community. Getting all into one other person pulls you out of the larger community. That's the approach we take these days.
That's a good thoughtful approach. I think we can address this issue without going overboard about it.
Our youth group just got back from camp and we are supposed to use this Sunday evening as our time talk about camp. About half of my group is scared to death to talk in front of the church. Does anybody have any specific questions I could give them to answer so they can focus in on one thing and not be so afraid?
100This is a great a helpful list. Now that I look back, I think my camp experience included most if not all of the things on this list. Thanks for calling them out and helping us recognize barriers to loving community!
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