I was standing in the field covered in food dye and soap, surrounded by bubbles and the sounds of seven-year-old girls laughing, shrieking, and running around. My fellow counselors and I had just introduced the activity that was currently taking place: bubble snakes. All of the campers were running around with homemade bubble-makers. They were blowing bubbles that reached the ground, making bubble mountains, and trying to get as many bubbles as possible on us. Everyone was having a great time with the only downside being that we were slightly light-headed from the blowing. This is just one of my many memories as a counselor at my favorite places on earth: Girl Scout Day Camp.
I first went to camp when I was six because my mom forced me to, but the following years I begged to go. This patch of forest between Maple Valley and Black Diamond is one of the most beautiful places on earth. The week starts with a loud field of campers, counselors, and adults at flag, singing silly songs. Some campers are shy and will squeak out “nice to met you” before running to a friend, and others will tell you their life story as if they have known you forever. After opening flag ceremony we are dismissed to our units. We go all out with the decorations, trying to win the unofficial contest for best decorated unit. Now is when the real fun begins, which consists of games, exponential amounts of songs, and activities. In cooking, the girls make some form of food and somehow get it everywhere, in crafts they make, in their eyes, the most beautiful cape or fairy blanket ever to exist, and in science, they have the opportunity to make goo or other such experiments. All of these activities are marvelous, but my favorite part of camp is just spending time with the campers by playing games and doing crafts while getting to know each other. Throughout the week it is amazing to watch even the most timid girls come out of their shells. Day camp is a fun, chaotic week that I would not give up for anything.
I couldn’t imagine my summer without my day camp experience. There is something about playing games in the dusty field, sneaking candy from the administration hut, and watching the campers form new friendships that makes me want to return every year. I continue to go because of the relationships I have formed with other counselors and adults who have grown to be some of my best friends and mentors. These friendships formed at camp will last a lifetime, and are a main component of why I continue to go every year.
At camp, we learn knife safety, fire safety, and basic knot tying. Fire safety is the most popular, on account of the “edible fires” they make from candy. Working at camp all of these years has taught me essential life skills that I would be lost without today, such as how to effectively plan and work with all types of people. Most importantly, camp has taught me the true meaning of being a leader. I have learned that to be a leader isn’t to be in charge, but to empower, build relationships with, and inspire others around you. By practicing this in my everyday life I try to be the best role model I can for the people around me.
Camp has also taught me how to work with different types of people. We have girls in our unit who are defiant and question every direction they are given and girls who are so shy they hardly talk. Working at camp has allowed me to learn when I need to be assertive and tell girls to “stop throwing sticks at the tree!” and when a girl needs some down time to just sit quietly. It is important to know how to read all different types of girls and respond appropriately so they will have a positive experience. Both of these skills will be useful for every endeavor I have in life.
One of the most impactful things that happened to me at camp was two years ago. The girls write letters to “fairies” and they write back. Some girls still believe and others pretend just to humor us. A mom emailed me and told me that before camp her daughter had given up on magic, but had started to believe again and was writing letters to fairies every night and leaving snacks for them. While this isn’t a lifelong change, it shows how much of an impact camp can have. The longer-term impact that I hope to leave on the girls is that they learn lessons much like I have. It amazes me to see the campers open up, and my goal is that they become self confident, and know that they will be loved and accepted. Camp may also teach them how to meet new people and make friends, which seems like an everyday skill but some girls are home schooled or only talk to friends from school. Learning this will have a lasting impact and enable them to form relationships with new people. This is one of the impacts that camp had on me as I was extremely shy and never would have imagined myself as the social person I am today. Without being forced to sing and play games, and then be the one leading these as a counselor, I would be a different person. Camp has shown me that I can be myself and not care what others think. Camp is also the place where I realized my passion for helping others. Without camp I don’t think that I would be considering the careers I am, such as teaching or dietetics, which both involve helping people. Day camp has been one of the most rewarding and impactful experiences of my life, and it has shaped who I am today and who I will become in the future.
By Corrine Roppel
