Way More Than Fun
August 10, 2016 by Don Gentle
Today’s Pictures
We sure had a blast today. While it has been a little wet, most of the rain has been overnight. We have had a misty shower here and there, activities have been going full swing! The sun was here and there and it was plenty warm. Our second two-day hike went out today. The boys headed out to Pisgah for their big adventure. Our only Green River trip of the session also had some fun today. the regional rain also added a little flow to today’s event.
So does camp have to be fun all the time? It would be easy to say yes, but the magic is in the truth that it isn’t always fun or easy. It sure is worth it, though. What I am trying to say is while camp life at High Rocks is awesome, it is also educational. Sometimes that education can be frustrating and even difficult. For some of the youngest boys this session, the hardest part was getting out of the car on opening day. The learning continues everyday as they not only learn skills in their activities, but they also learn how to interact with one another. The challenges of living with six other people that are not your family members should not be overlooked. While the cabin experience can be fun, it can also be challenging. I’m pretty sure your son did not say that the first thing on his list for coming to camp was to learn how to live with six other boys. The cabin experience also holds some of their greatest memories. You can’t have one without the other.
In their activities, the boys work hard everyday to learn new skills and attempt to get better. The new challenges make it more exciting, which encourages them to work hard to get to that next level. While it is a lot of “Wee Ha” we like to think it is a lot more than that. Even going off the rope swing for the first time can be a big deal. It’s a new challenge that takes us outside of our comfort zones. These boys are living that everyday and loving it!
The biggest contributing factor to success at camp, outside of the parents’ willingness to send their child, is the staff that mentor them. We spend a lot of time hiring and training our staff. They are a hard working group of young adults that enjoy educating young children and adolescents. The biggest edge they have over parents is that the boys think they are the coolest. Add some fun and a cool location void of the distractions of electronics and you have an opportunity to overcome all sorts of what life will throw at you. I have heard it phrased in many different ways, but I think it goes like this… “It’s not what we do for our children, it is what we teach them to do for themselves that is important.”
I will add some reminders and details about parents’ day tomorrow. One thing I will add tonight is that you can still order a USB jump drive of all the photos to have ready on closing day if you did not pre-order one. If you like all of the photos and would like to purchase a cool little jump drive of high resolution versions of these photos, drop a note to our office manager, Mirenda. She will add one on the list for you and have it in your envelope for closing day. You can email her at office@highrocks.com.
I sure hope you enjoy the pictures. Thanks again for letting us guide your boys for a few days. We wouldn’t be here without you.
Don Gentle