1996 Director Report

Introduction

There are several goals I am seeking to accomplish is writing this report. The first is to provide the Board

with an overview of the 1996 summer program. A second purpose is to add to the Board’s understanding of

some of the less practical and more spiritual aspects of what happens at camp. The third goal is to detail

some of the specific tasks that the Director and summer staff must accomplish in order to plan and carry out

a successful program each summer. Finally, I will try and make some recommendations for the Board to

consider in planning with the next Director for the future.

It was interesting to return as Director after being out of the summer picture for the last three years. My

absence allowed me to observe some changes which I might have missed had I been in the midst of them as

they were occurring.

The most immediately obvious of these changes was the maturity of the staff. As a family camper the last

few years I had felt that the staff was becoming more aware of camper needs and was relating more easily

to the adults. As the Director this summer I discovered that the staff had grown in numerous ways. They

were more intricately involved in the planning that goes into every aspect of daily program. Many times

tasks were completed before I even realized they needed to be done. Campers with special needs were

identified quickly and staff sought help in serving camper’s needs. Safety was emphasized in all aspects of

planning. Staff members approached their program planning and their interactions with campers with

aforethought and understanding that was startling. Credit is due to Aimee Spong, whose work in staff

development is probably responsible for these improvements.

Another noteworthy change was the number of campers with special needs. Especially during Channing, it

was a daily occurrence for staff to approach me with concerns about campers whose behavior was

troublesome and cause for concern. The inadequate sharing of crucial information about children with

special needs by their parents, noted by Aimee Spong in her report last year, continued to be a problem.

Several times we discovered after the fact that a camper had a history of emotional difficulties.

Camper registration continues to be solid, with the exception of the Intergenerational session. The campers

in general continue to embrace the UU principles underlying what we do here together. They have

inquiring minds. They are open to the camp council process of reaching decisions through consensus,

where there are only winners. They bring poignant, funny, and challenging contributions to all aspects of

our day, especially campfire. Most noteworthy, they see the camp as a part of themselves and themselves as

a part of the camp. There is an ownership of the place by campers that I believe plays a major role in the

continuing success and growth of Unirondack.

Parents report that returning to camp each year is often the center of their children’s lives. They express

gratitude for what the camp gives to the campers, noting that kids return home demonstrating increased

maturity.

Channing 1

The resource program for Channing 1 was led by Chris Buice. The theme was “A Bucketful of Dreams”. The

program challenged campers to decide what was important to them. Chris shared stories that told of courage and the

struggles for people to make their dreams come true. Each day campers broke into small groups, out of which grew

lists of such things as “ what are free things that enrich our lives”. There were also numerous opportunities for

campers and staff to produce skits illustrating some of the concepts being explored.

Feedback regarding the program was mixed. Everyone liked Chris and appreciated his passion. Campers obviously

were provoked to think about the nature of their lives and what is important. There was some feeling that the

program rambled a bit, and lacked cohesion. Also, the program needed a bit more variety in terms of activities and

location. It took place in the Lodge each day and generally followed the same routine, often culminating in skits.

Campers expressed a desire for more variety.

Workshops offered for Channing 1 included Arts & Crafts, Dungeons & Dragons, Discussion Group, Muse in

Nature, Nature, Music Thang(music for beginners), Creative Writing, Mural Painting, Canoeing, Newspaper,

Drama, Field Games, and Indoor Games. Evening programs were Message to Garcia (a game where campers work

in groups to accomplish tasks that lead them to the solution of the mystery: “Who is Garcia?”), Capture the Flag,

Clue (the board game brought to life; with award winning performances by numerous staff playing the villains),

Counselor Hunt, Talent Show, and Dance.

Camp council (our daily community meeting at 5p.m.) was particularly challenging and useful in Channing 1. There

were a number of camp wide issues raised, including: consideration for each other, keeping the camp clean, curfew,

program, individual camper’s needs, and expectations for campfire, the spiritual part of our day. Campers were very

outspoken. They had difficulty at first really thinking about what others were saying. There was a lot of arguing

without resolution. However, as the week progressed campers began to respond to the underlying motif of camp

council, which is listening and seeking solutions to problems that are accepted by everyone.

Campfires were rich and varied, with both campers and staff offering songs, readings, stories, activities, and

thoughts that gave depth to our experience together.

There were many individual camper issues during Channing 1.

There was female camper, who had been here last year, who quickly emerged as having special needs. She needed

virtually constant one to one attention. In her cabin staff had to be on the watch for remarks that frightened or upset

cabin mates. She had difficulty relating to others because of some developmental lags that got in her way of

understanding what was happening in group situations. Also, due to a difficult history, she brought with her a host of

behaviors which were difficult to manage. She would become obsessive about male staff members, talking about

nothing else. Her counselors cared a great deal for her, and did a fabulous job of helping her have a good experience

in spite of these obstacles. While we originally considered sending her home at the beginning of the session, staff

perseverance and caring allowed her to complete the whole week and to leave with a positive feeling. I

communicated with the parents regarding the whole experience and the level of her needs. They were accepting of

her leaving on an up note after one session rather than staying for two, as had been originally planned. One note for

the future: the parents had not realized that the child had a good experience at camp last year because we provided

one to one coverage through the use of a CIT. When we are successful because of extraordinary measures we need

to make certain parents are aware of what we did so that they understand the level of their child’s needs.

There were several male campers who were unusually physical and making comments about hurting others. We

addressed this in camp council, emphasizing the UU traditions of non-violence and caring for each other.

Counselors successfully reinforced this with the campers involved and by Channing 2 the situation had improved

markedly.

There were also two campers whom I had to confront about their inconsideration of others and disrespect for staff. I

almost sent one of them home because of her refusal to come and speak with me. That was particularly challenging

to resolve positively because it had never happened before in my time as Director. Eventually we did speak and she

became one of my favorite campers by the end of Channing 2.

There were 32 female campers and 24 male campers in Channing 1. Of these, 37 campers stayed for Channing 2.

Channing 2

The resource person for Channing 2 was Don Birdd. The theme was “Care for the Environment; It’s a Web of Life and It’s

Yours!”. The program was highly developed. Every moment was planned and tied to the theme. From the moment that

Don appeared at campfire as an owl there was a sense of showmanship in his presentation of material. Generally, campers

reacted positively to this, although some complained initially that they felt it was too much of a performance, particularly

at campfire.

The resource program as a whole was responded to very positively. Don mixed hands-on activities, such as leaf rubbings

and painting with pine branches, with discussions about the environment. He got to know many campers and staff

personally and co-led a nature workshop in the afternoon in addition to leading morning program. He also led a star gazing

activity one evening, and granted a camper’s wish for a human chess game on wish night, which took an incredible

amount of work.

We were also privileged to have Betsy Spaulding join us as Minister of the Week. Betsy contributed in many ways. She

talked with campers individually, did a service for a cabin, led some graces, helped move campers in positive directions

during camp council, and regularly contributed to campfire. Betsy suggested that from a minister’s perspective, it would

be helpful in the future for us to have a specific activity (such as worship) in the daily schedule for them to plan.

Workshops offered for Channing 2 were Canoeing, Printmaking, Dungeons & Dragons, Newspaper, Random Acts of Art

(a workshop that produced art that could be seen around camp), Dance, Discussion group, Field Games, Random Acts of

Kindness, Arts & Crafts, Nature Hikes, and Reclaiming the Chapel (a work project group to restore the area). Arts and

Crafts, as a point of information, generally focuses on a particular media each day. Examples are Tie-Dyeing, Pottery, Silk

Screening, Paper Marbling, and Candlemaking,.

Evening Activities were Orientation/Cabin Fever (a game where each cabin grabs all they can to bring to the meeting

place and then items are called out by a counselor and groups rush up to be the first to present the item, if they have it);

Dating Game (just like TV, only funnier); Double Dare (an outdoor activity where campers compete in teams to complete

gross and hilarious tasks, such as seeing who can get the most marshmallows in their mouth, climbing an oiled pole, water

balloon toss, running to a pole and circling it ten times then running back (relay fashion), and mud wrestling; Renaissance

Fair (The staff set up a kind of carnival, that began with Don’s granting the living Chess Game wish. It included fortune

telling, wandering minstrels, sponge toss (at a very wet Director), games, and oodles of silliness); Wish Night (Each

person or a group of people make a wish at the beginning of the week. Their wish is given to others, who plan a creative

way to grant the wish on wish night); Talent Show; and Dance.

Camp Council, as often happen in the second session, was demonstrative of the growth of the community. Issues that were

raised were met with increasing numbers of campers who wanted to find solutions that everyone could live with. There

was an increase in participation and a deepening of concern for each other. At the end of the week there was an intense

discussion about a group of campers who wanted to sleep alone in one particular section of the lodge during lodge

sleepover (traditionally every Friday night). The suggestion was made, after a great deal of emotional discussion, that the

group meet and discuss among themselves all the feelings that had been discussed and that the community accept

whatever they decided would be a solution to the dilemma. This was agreed upon by everyone. The groups’ decision was

to not make their space an exclusive area. It was very moving to recognize how much growth had taken place in these

campers as they struggled with their needs versus those of the community.

Campfires were also richer, as more campers brought material to share. Don Birdd also contributed a lot with his focus on

the natural surroundings and our connection to them. One particularly wonderful moment for many campers was when a

camper of many years told a story (told every year by Marcus Catlin, who is not on staff this year). It was notable because

the importance of staff continuity, and the connections campers make with staff, was so much in evidence.

There were less extreme camper issues in Channing 2. During registration Ruth and I met with a mother who had not

given us information on her daughter’s suicide attempt earlier in the year (about which the camper had spoken during

Channing 1). We attempted to impress upon the parent that our need to know was in order to serve her child’s needs. The

same parent was also dropping off a second child for Channing 2 who had a history of anorexia.

One camper, who had left on Wednesday last year, wanted to leave again this year, even though she was apparently having

a good time. We delayed her leaving, in coordination with her mother, and she stayed until Thursday morning. She

insisted on calling her mother Thursday morning to come and pick her up. Mom came, and by the time she arrived the

camper had decided she wanted to stay. Mom could not let her, unfortunately. Another camper also left early, due to

sickness.

There were 36 female campers and 24 male campers in Channing 2.

Intergenerational

The resource program for Intergenerational camp was led by Mara Bennett. The theme was “Sacred Circle Dance”.

At the last minute we were able to add Alan Thomson, a musician who has been a resource person many times in the

past, to provide the live music for which Mara had expressed a desire.

The week presented many challenges. The foremost of these was the extremely low registration. There were four

families registered, totaling 7 adults and 6 children (who ranged in age from 5 to 16). Mara and I spent some time

considering whether or not we should recommend canceling the week before finally deciding to go ahead. Her

willingness to do so was my first indication of her spirit, which helped us overcome the small numbers.

The resource program was able to succeed remarkably well in spite of the small numbers because the counseling

staff participated enthusiastically in the dancing each day, giving us a circle of 12-20 people, rather than 8. The

dancing was not as varied as we have had in the past with the Locke’s. It was primarily circle dances from different

countries. It was made interesting and constantly new by Mara’s clear love for what she was sharing.

Alan’s music, supplemented by the talented musicianship of several staff members, gave an added excitement to the

program. Music, in fact, became a central component of the success of the week, as detailed below.

The session began presenting additional challenges almost immediately. The fourth family did not arrive until well

into dinner. After dinner, the family’s father approached me at the waterfront to tell me that he needed my help. He

explained that he had pushed rather hard for his family to come and that his wife and two children wanted to go

home rather than unpack. After some discussion of what the camp could offer he decided to have them stay at least

the night. At our staff meeting that evening we planned ways in which we could engage the family, particularly the

children. The next day it appeared futile, as the mom and kids did not leave their bunk until it was almost lunchtime.

Dad participated and loved it, however. After lunch it began to rain. We were able to entice the children into a

storytelling workshop. They seemed to enjoy it.

Then the lights went out. We lost electricity until 11 o’clock that evening. Campers kept in good spirits as staff

shifted gears and provided indoor programs for the children and the adults, including board games, imagination

games, music, and more dancing for evening activity. Our generator provided light for Gilman.

Despite the fact that the recalcitrant family seemed to be getting more into program (mom even joined the evening

dancing), they informed me after evening activity that they wanted to leave in the morning. After the decision was

made they finally seemed to relax and let themselves enjoy the camp. The family joined us in making smores after

campfire and stayed up late into the night talking and joking in the lodge. It was sad when they left anyway the next

morning.

The rest of the session was all uphill. At the beginning of the week we had given out an interest survey. The low

numbers allowed us to easily provide everything and anything that a camper had expressed interest in doing. This

included sailing, juggling, music lessons, yoga, evening and early morning swimming, volleyball, stargazing, and a

host of other activities. Especially noteworthy was the spontaneous playing which was available to all the children at

the drop of a hat. Our staff kept them active and excited throughout the week.

Evening programs were aimed at engaging the whole family in an activity. They included a game of live action

Clue, a coffeehouse, dancing to a live rock and roll pickup band, and another evening of folk dancing with Mara.

However, this really doesn’t tell the story. What made the evenings so special for the family campers was the

incredible talent of the staff. When we had the coffeehouse (which was so good we repeated it prior to the Friday

night dance), we were treated to opera, classical guitar, jazz, poetry, children’s stories, folk music, fiddle music, and

all manner of moving presentations. Even though I hired the staff, until this session I had no idea of the range of

what they had to offer. Campers were equally impressed, as they all said they plan to return next year.

We also had late night snacks, jazz and snacks before dinner, late night games of cards and trivial pursuit stage 2 in

the lodge, wonderful food, and our traditional excursion to Whitaker Park on Wednesday.

The excursion was a big hit. We hiked, played volleyball and ultimate frisbee, laid around and read, went swimming

in the gorge, had a barbecue, and returned to camp for the above mentioned coffeehouse.

This week was Unirondack at its best, creating community in the face of incredible obstacles!

Emerson 1

The resource program for Emerson 1 was led by Thom Ward and Barbara Valente. The theme was “Coyote, Turtle

and Grandfather Rock: Native American Stories and Environmental Activities”. Thom and Barbara told wonderful

Native American stories each day, illustrating often and well the solid connection that Native Americans had with

nature. Their program included a number of arts and crafts projects like making dream catchers, making necklaces,

and creating sand art. It also included a more active game called predator and prey, which many campers liked. At

times the presentation lacked a certainty in regard to the Native American traditions which were being espoused,

causing some discomfort among staff and campers. An example of this was when the dream catchers were described

first as catching evil and then as catching good. Overall the program was well received and diverse enough to keep

the interest of Emerson campers.

Workshops offered for Emerson 1 included Drama, Field Games, Arts & Crafts, News Comix (newspaper with a

comics theme), Jug Band, Random Acts of Kindness, Canoeing, Discussion group, Indoor Games, Nature Hikes,

and Water Games.

Evening activities were Monte Carlo (a carnival with a few more active games than the Renaissance one), Wish

Night, Capture the Flag, Talent Show, Dance, and Counselor Hunt. Generally, evening activities for Emerson are

more active, and this was the case. The campers need to run around a lot and to have a lot of variety.

We planned an all camp excursion to Mosher Falls (previously called the Rock Slide, but we no longer allow sliding

on the rocks as Aimee spoke to the Health Department and decided it was not safe). I went with the hiking group.

There was also a group that canoed there and then hiked. When we were within about a quarter mile of the Falls the

skies couded over and it looked like thunderstorms were on the way. I had everyone head back to camp. We drove

the canoers, as well. Of course, as soon as everyone was back at camp it cleared up. Surprisingly, everyone took it

well. A game of wink was quickly formed and fun was had by all. We even managed an outdoor barbecue.

Camp council was surprisingly mellow. The campers were a thoughtful group, exhibiting very little of the inability

to sit still that is usually associated with this age group. No major social issues were raised, but there was a lot of

sharing about what campers enjoyed each day. Also, one of the counselors started a bragging about cleaning part of

the meeting. Campers embraced this idea, and a good part of each meeting was taken up with campers bragging

about special cleaning they had done.

Staff decided prior to the session to emphasize group sing alongs for campfire, as we had done in Channing as well.

The campers joined in singing such old favorites as “She’ll be coming around the mountain”, “ Yellow Submarine”,

and “Row, row, row your boat”. Readings ranged from philosophical and spiritual material to “ My Little Brother

and I”, read proudly by my five year old son Jonathan.

Camper issues in Emerson 1were fairly minor. We had concern about one camper who made some inappropriate

remarks in group settings at the beginning of the camp session. He had a history of ADHD and was not taking

Ritalin during the summer. After I spoke with his mom and she spoke with him everything ended up going well. The

only other issues were a few squabbles between campers who knew each other outside of camp. These were easily

resolved with some limit setting by the staff and I.

One of the more notable aspects of Emerson 1 was that the campers as a group had a much better attention span then

the staff has come to expect. They also got along very well with each other as a group.

There were 16 female campers and 13 male campers in Emerson 1.

Emerson 2

The resource program for Emerson 2 was led by Josephine Kearney. The theme was “I’m in Charge: Knowing

Myself and Exploring My Relationships With Others”.

This session was directed by Matt Catlin and Chuck Kistler, my Assistant Directors, as Loraine and I were away

beginning the second day. However, I was present for the initial meeting with Josephine, which took place at 10:30

at night due to the lateness of her arrival.

The program was not planned out in detail ahead of time and focused heavily on sendentary activities. Josephine

asked to meet in Gilman so that the campers could work at tables filling out ditto sheets and having whole group

discussions. The material was heavily focused on relationship issues, some of which seemed over the head of the

campers. For example, one questionaire around goal setting asked the campers to detail what they hoped to

accomplish in a month, a year, etc.. The same questionaire also asked the campers what they expected from their

boyfriend or girlfriend.

Keeping the campers interested proved to be a challenge in the first few days. Later in the week, in response to staff

suggestions, Josephine planned discussions in smaller groups, with each group having a staff leader. This worked

better. She also had planned an “unbirthday party”, which consisted of two plays which campers performed. Many

campers found this the highlight of the program, as they got to dress up and throw stuff at each other. The plays

were “Enemies”, which was about finding positive ways to end conflict, and “The Butter Battle Book”, which

demonstrated the futility of the arms race. Also, staff contributed by doing sing alongs and other musical

performances at the party. Camper evaluations were generally positive about their overall experinece.

Workshops were brimming with creativity as staff sought to maintain the interest of the many campers who were

returning from Emerson 1. They included: Active Life ( a variety of outdoor activities including a lunch at the

campfire circle, canoeing to the rapids, and an overnight at Francis Lake), Arts & Crafts, Discussion Group, Drama,

Field Games, Personal Book (Each camper created their own book about their image of themselves which included

taking photos of themselves in various guises, printing and copying them, and then writing about what they thought

of each of their images, as well as other creative activities like paper marbling, and drawing their own footprints),

Water Games, Canoeing, Dance, Indoor Games, Random Acts of Kindness, Mazes (The campers created and then

went through their own outdoor mazes), and Adventure (a kind of daily treasure hunt that involved searching for

clues in the outdoors).

Evening programs were Capture the Flag, Clue, Crazy Wacky Evening Program (Similar to Double Dare but with

less emphasis on team competition), Talent Show, Dance, and the highlight of the week: Haunted House. For

haunted house the staff keeps the evening program secret until the last moment. All day props and costumes are

being prepared in Gilman. After dinner some staff takes the campers to the field for a pretend game for evening

activity down at the field. They are then brought in small groups up to Gilman. Each group goes through a maze of

scary and creepy crawlie activities in the dining hall. Matt and Chuck reported that this year’s haunted house was a

hit with campers, although camper evaluations generally picked Capture the Flag as their favorite.

Excursion was again to Mosher Falls and everyone got there without a hitch.

Camp council continued to run well, although there were a few campers who had more difficulty sitting in large

groups than there had been in the first session.

Campfire emphasized a lot of story telling and creative sharing, less sing alongs, and more individual musical

sharing. Campers in general presented more themselves, as often happens in the second session for an age group.

There were no major camper issues.

Throughout the session I was in touch with Matt and Chuck. I felt they were very much on top of all that was

happening at camp. The session seemed well planned and directed. Chuch spent a lot of time with the resource

person helping her refine the program and giving support. Matt, with help from some of the more senior staff, kept

up with the office activities and scheduling while Chuck focused on being out there with the campers. When I

returned the office procedures had been followed, and the office itself had been cleaned up and organized better.

There were 14 female campers and 22 male campers in Emerson 2.

Ballou 1

The resource person for Ballou 1 was supposed to be Jose Ballester. I finally reached him, after trying numerous times during the

summer, in the middle of Emerson 1. He reported that he was going to probably not make it because of a medical problem and

was probably going to get an intern from his office to fill in for him. We agreed that he would call me as soon as he knew

definitively what was happening. He has never called. During Emerson 2 Matt called him three times and during Ballou 1 I called

him twice, but he never returned our calls.

We decided that I would be the resource person for the week with assistance from the staff. In preparation for the week a list of

ideas was generated and I downloaded some interesting material from the Internet about various social issues.

Each day the program would begin with my reading several striking statistics regarding various social concerns, such as poverty

information, facts about families in the US and other westernized countries, statistics on jobs and college graduates, crime

statistics, etc.. Then we would do a survey in the group to see how many people’s lives had been touched by these and other

social issues. The first day everyone wrote down ten things thast were imprtant to them and then narrowed the list to one item.

They then searched for others with a similar item and groups were formed. These groups worked together for three days. The first

day they brainstormed issues and concerns around this issue. The next two days they designed aprogram working from a budgte

of $100,000. We then shared our work in the larger group. On the final day the staff led some trust exercises and talked about the

people issues that enhance or take away from things getting accomplished.

The campers felt the program was challenging and well enough organized. They indicated that they would have liked to have

more opportunity to work with other people in the group. Some felt that there could have been more active time. Many thought

that the program had raised their consciousness and given them ideas about how to get more involved. We did not get to doing a

community service activity, although several staff talked with our neighbors around the area about what we might do, and I think

it would go over well in the future.

Workshops really took off in Ballou 1, as staff generated some of the most creative ideas I have ever seen here. There was Boat

Building (a catamaran was constructed using two of the canoes), Adventures of Rupert the Mouse and His Humanoid Friends( A

take off on dungeons and dragons that involved lot of problem solving in order to progress in the game ), Off, Off, Off Broadway

( A play was produced in one week, with intensive effort from campers and staff including rehearsals during free time ), Slappin’

Hands with the Creator ( An active workshop that began each day with a period of music appreciation and then culminated in

physical activity, such as a canoe trip and swimming across the lake ), Printmaking, Fire & Ice and Simple Machines (devoted to

making a Rube Goldberg machine, where various actions cause reactions until finally a task is accomplished, in this case

smashing a tomato with a rock), Hike-Kus and Written Whatnot( A Poetry and other creative writing experience ), and Zang! A

Mighty ‘Zine (An alternative magazine with creative writing, collages, computer generated art, etc.)

Evening programs were equally creative. There was Capture the President (a three team game of Capture the Flag that involved

diplomats, scouts, a president, negotiation, and running around), Gift (A letter was written prior to the session asking campers to

bring a gift for someone else and then during the activity each person took turns unwrapping a present and then thanking the

person who had brought it), Olympics (definitely better than Atlanta’s), The Newlywed Game(The couple’s were unusual, to say

the least, as we brought the TV show to life), and of course there was Talent Show and Dance.

The excursion was actually a number of mini-excursions. One group went out the night before for a campout at Whitaker Park.

Another group canoed and then hiked to Mosher Falls. And a final group drove to the Blue Lagoon and spent the day swimming,

playing cards, and talking. Everyone had a good time.

Camp councils were actually a bit of a disappointment. The Ballou campers, perhaps because this age group is so intent on

establishing their independence, had the most difficult time reaching decisions together. There was a lot of talking on the side,

repetition of ideas, and long winded sharing.

Campfire was notable because of the quantity of camper contributions. There were a lot of readings, but for the most part the only

music was staff generated. Usually in Ballou there is a great deal of soul searching sharing. These campfires had a lot of personal

and often depressing poetry but lacked balance. Also, some campers chose to share very long readings, which made some of the

campfires uncomfortably long.

Smoking was permitted during Ballou in the downstairs area outside the lodge.. However, there were only four or five smokers

and a discussion was held the first night that succeeeded very well in raising consciousness about smoking issues, like not

making it a social issue, watching out for children, and not getting new people started smoking. Generally it seemed to me that

smoking was less intrusive, less evident, and acknowledged as an addiction and a problem more than ever before.

Specific camper issues were minimal. There was some concern raised about the eating habits of a girl with a history of anorexia.

When we shared it with her mother, her mother indicated that actually the girl had done very well, for her. There were also a few

campers who tended to avoid scheduled activities, but they were responsive to staff efforts to involve them.

There were 32 female campers and and 19 male campers in Ballou 1. I should note that once again there were several late

cancellations for Ballou, which might mean that we need to review our cancellation policy again.

Ballou 2

The resource people for Ballou 2 were Val Adkins and Mary-Lib Whitney. The theme was “Quest for the Dreamer”.

It was evident before camp even began that an incredible amount of work had gone into planning the week. It was a

live action adventure game, complete with mystery, a history, clues to be found in the outdoors, wise old sages, and

groups of campers seeking the truth. Each day Mary-Lib and Val would hide the clues, which they had spent hours

developing, and the campers would have to find the clues based upon riddles that had to be solved. The clues would

then lead them to a sage where they would get a clue that brought them closer to the truth, which involved finding

the “dreamer”.

The only difficulty with the program was that the campers kept finding the clues much faster that expected.

Generally, campers enjoyed the challenge and creativity of the program in spite of this. Mary-Lib and Val indicated

an interest in trying this with Emerson campers next year.

Workshops for the week included Active Life, the second week of Rupert the Mouse, Banquet Rocks ( a new idea in

Banquet planning involving campers all week in making decorations and sets around the theme, which was “Mad

Hatter’s Teaparty), Cities in the Sand (they made cities in the sand down by the boathouse), Indoor Games, Funky

Art (doing art projects like painting an old toilet, body painting, etc.), and Walt Whitman Sucks the Marrow out of a

Canoe(a combination of canoeing and creative expression, like reading poems from the bridge near the rapids while

others canoe under you).

Evening programs were Capture the Flag, The Dating Game(A funny take off on the TV game show with some very

striking characters created by campers and staff), Murder (a game that actually took place all week, culminating in a

trial on Thursday, involving a murderer and victims who have to discover who the murderer is, if they are not killed,

at the trial), and The Personal Touch. The Personal Touch was actually a take off on Love/Hate, a Ballou activity

that has the whole camp sit together while campers take turns going up in front of a candle and saying something

they love and then something they hate. We changed it to encourage more positives. In Personal Touch they end

their sharing by lighting their own candle and sharing something they love. This is generally a cathartic activity that

demands a lot of support from campers and staff for each other. It is acknowledged by many campers as one of the

most moving and important experiences they have at camp.

Excursions were again a group of mini-excursions. One group went to Bald Mountain for a hike and then to the

Socci’s cabin nearby for an overnight. There were also excursions to Mosher Falls and Blue Lagoon again.

Camp council was more together than in the first session. There was a particularly productive discussion of the way

campfire was going. Some staff felt there was not as much spiritual content as in the past and that the themes lacked

cohesiveness. Many good points about how campfire feeds us spiritually were raised and we decided that we would

work on being more conscious of the choices we were making about what to share. It was also noted that tolerance

of different ideas of what is spiritual is part of the UU tradition.

Campfires improved late in the week, following the above discussion. They were long winded and sometimes

disjointed earlier in the week.

There were no major camper issues, although a few campers were notably sarcastic and negative at times. Overall,

most campers seemed to have more community consciousness and less personal agendas than I have witnessed

during past Ballou sessions.

I presented the Rochester youth group’s proposal that campers help plan the program for one of the Ballou sessions

next year. There was some interest but not a great deal. No one actually gave me their name to participate in it.

The election of the youth rep to the Board was held on the last day. I was very impressed with the campers ability to

look at candidates in terms of what they had to offer rather than voting for someone who was popular. Anni Socci

was chosen, with Sarah Jones as the alternate. Both are eager to get involved.

There were 36 female campers and 18 male campers in Ballou 2.

Work Week

I made a mistake in rescheduling Work Week directly after Ballou 2. Staff needs a few days to have closure with

each other at the end of the summer and I had not realized how many people would have to leave by the end of the

Work Week.

The design for Work Week is that everyone participates in some work project each morning for 3 hours. The project

for the children is an age appropriate activity led by staff, which frees all the adults for more demanding tasks.

This week we had very few people with specific skills but thanks to Matt there were plenty of projects to make use

of the avilable manpower. These included building and painting new picnic benches, continuing Phil Lewin’s

project of fixing up the Lodge windows, sewing a rug, fixing up the stage area, cleaning and repairing the costumes

there, finishing the rebuilding of the retaining wall leading to the kitchen, giving a thorough cleaning to the

showerhouse, cleaning all the cabin windows in camp, inventorying, and taking in the docks, among other things.

In the afternoons we planned some play and relaxing each day. Volleyball, swimming, art projects, UniBall (like

baseball only non-competitive), Ultimate Frisbee, Canoe excursions, reading, and music filled the time quite nicely.

Evening Activities were planned on the fly. The first night we played music in the Lodge. The next two nights we

either watched the Star Wars Trilogy or hung out in the Lodge. Wednesday night we had a coffeehouse where

people took turns playing music, telling stories, and sharing readings. Thursday we had a final dance with live

music. Each night the staff prepared a late night snack which we devoured while staying up much too late.

On Wednesday we went on an all camp excursion to Whitaker Park. We were blessed with perfect weather and had

the use of the pavillion there. Campers laid out on the grass reading, playing games, talking, and playing music.

Some people went swimming (at their own risk) down at the swim hole in the gorge. We also munched on snack

food and had a barbecue, followed by an exhausting game of Ultimate Frisbee.

Camp Councils were brief and mostly centered on planning activities and talking about what people had done during

the day.

Campfires were less formal. There was no preplanning and everyone would just come and share things

spontaneously. They were fun.

The campers were all wonderful. They worked hard, were interested in the camp, and were enjoyable to be around.

It was good to see two Board members at the week.

Many campers expressed a strong desire to see Work Week continue as a summer offering.

There were 9 adults, 4 teenagers, and 7 younger children at Work Week. We also had two old staff members

volunteer for the week to work full time to help finish the retaining wall and other major projects.