July 29, 2026

At this point in the summer, I have been writing this update every day (except 1?) since Monday, May 23rd. That is a lot of writing about the same subject, and you might think that it gets old, that I would run out of things to say. Aren’t you over it by now? The answer is an emphatic NO; I never get tired of camp life! It is endlessly interesting and filled with humor, connection with people of all ages, glorious weather, entertaining programs, great food, surprising conversations, great exercise, challenging situations, and inspirational moments. It is the best place in the world to live, and it is a delight to talk about it with people who care about what we do.

So today I am going to talk about what matters most to the campers: Classes! There comes a point where a camper no longer obsesses over her schedule (some Senior campers at Main Camp make a point of taking classes they have never taken before… the surprising schedules become a source of delight for the staff and other campers in those classes… those old campers know that those campers they would otherwise not meet will become highlights of their summer). In this session, the particular class matters A LOT to the campers. This is clear from day one and continues till banquet day next week.

Girls literally run to class when the bell rings; it makes me smile to see it at 9:50 every morning as they dismiss from Morning Assembly. The whole camp filing out of the Pavilion chatting with each other, then separating into groups pointed to the four corners of camp. When they have open space ahead, they break into full stride running. Arms pumping, faces intent on the goal (the place where the path diverts or the dock awaits). Talk ceases as they anticipate that moment when they can catch their breath before roll is called. As they stand and others join the class, the chatter begins again. Friendships are renewed or formed, and conversations that were interrupted yesterday when the bell rang to end class are resumed. The focus shifts from the activity to the people. This is how “older” campers do camp. The transformation has already started.

It is likely that your daughter is mostly writing about Waterpark, Aerial Yoga, Ceramics, Tennis, High Adventure, High Ropes, Metal Jewelry, Gymnastics, Cooking in the Garden, Archery, Farm Barn, or Mahjong. These are the most popular 12 classes at August Camp this year; each has 20% or more of the camp participating (almost everyone takes Waterpark… the most popular class we offer by a long stretch). These classes are all spectacular in different ways; a camper could take a full schedule of 7 activities and love every one. But the thing about camp is that the delight is actually in the people. The camper who you can’t wait to talk to, the counselor who tells you jokes, the camper who always stands next to you as soon as you arrive (saying nothing but listening to everything with a smile). All these people are what make daily camp life a delight; a never-ending source of memorable moments to be celebrated for a lifetime.

We never know when one of these people will prove to be important to our life after camp. Sometimes we don’t discover their status for years afterward! Camp friends are great because they do not depend on proximity. The friendship is established during a brief period of time, renewed a year later, for year after year. It does not need daily contact, just authentic connection. Real emotion, real conversation, real appreciation… put those things together over a couple of weeks, and you have a friend for life. Run into that girl in the airport ten years from now, and the friendship renews in an instant. Go to the same college, and that friend becomes a roommate or sorority sister. Get married, that friend will come to the wedding no matter where it might be. Such friends are what make camp great; they point to what awaits us in heaven (where we live forever in a city full of friends).

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