Campers are Given the Opportunity

By Sara Schmidt on July 29, 2013

 

On any given day at GRP, campers are given the opportunity to surround themselves with people with similar tastes and interests (namely everyone who attends this camp). vSee, at GRP we like to foster the sentiment that we’re all a family tasked with taking care of ourselves, our friends and fellows, and our environment.  Campers generally form steadfast friendships with their fellow cabin mates, and on each Closing Day, everyone is sad to see their friends leave.  We like to promote the feeling of Fellowship throughout camp. For Mentor Hikes, campers are divided into groups of campers that they remain in (for hikes) throughout the session.

 

 

 

This way, while the mentors rotate in and out of each group, the campers are able to experience learning about nature and discovering new things together, forming a unique kind of bond.  I feel I should interject for a moment and note that the majority of the camp bonding experience occurs within each cabin. Cabin groups dominate much of GRP life, from Evening Programs to various special activities.  It’s just easier to create that idea of fellowship in smaller groups. The nice thing about that is the children begin to look out for each other, and if something seems a little off, they take notice.

 

 

                                              

 

 

I was on campout during the first two-week session of the summer and one of my campers came up to me and pointed out another camper who was quietly crying in a corner, albeit discreetly. I had been organizing the campsite, and odds are I wouldn’t have noticed the camper until a bit later. It turns out he was homesick and thanks to that first camper, I was able to take care of the situation. Granted, that’s not the kind of thing a person sends their kid to camp for, supervising their compatriots but it’s an interesting thing that occurs. Regardless, the summer camp experience is truly a unique one, and I firmly believe the Green River Preserve experience numbers among the most unique. Not only does it foster a understanding and appreciation of the surrounding world, but it allows people to learn how to grow closer to each other without expecting anything from one another, something that is often hard to come about in the “real world”. 

-Orion

Sara Schmidt
Sara Schmidt

Sara Schmidt serves as the Administrative Director and Registrar for Green River Preserve. She is excited to be part of the GRP family in her role which focuses on “all things camper.” Her primary responsibilities include camper registration and billing, camper retention, and the GRP Camp Store. Sara also serves as the Editor of Green River Preserve’s seasonal newsletter, Whispers From The Preserve, and she manages the camper scholarship committee. Her newest endeavor is to help build GRP’s Annual Fund and partnership program.