Memories of Summer Camp

[Michael]

What your enjoyment of sleep-away camp, or lack of same, says about your character.

Three years ago, Timothy Noah dissected the camp experience and found that adults will never escape the patterns they exhibited as camp-bound children, no matter how many years removed. The article is reprinted below.

Slate (http://www.slate.com/id/2221857/)

I thought I'd share this because it is topical. It is typical navel-gazing boomer drivel that one expects from Slate, but it is mildly amusing.

Anyone have found (or horrid) memories of summer camp as kids?

[drgoodtrips]

I went to camp where we would go on backpacking/canoeing/biking trips for periods ranging from two to ten days. When we weren't on such trips, our time was spent learning various outdoor skills that would prepare us for the trips, mixed with participation in various sports and recreational activities. I remember it being a very good time. That lasted until I was 13 or 14 when I got a job as a golf caddy and money trumped camping. :shrug:

I do feel nostalgic at times for all of that time I got to spend outdoors, seeing impressive natural terrain.

[Michael]

I definitely had fun doing the summer camp thing when I was quite young, though I remember mostly a long series of practical jokes and silly stupid games rather than arts & crafts. I also remember getting in trouble a lot at camp since I wasn't one for the regimentation - often getting caught outside our cabin after curfew and stuff like that.

However, summer camp did introduce me to canoeing and that has been one of my long-standing passions ever since. By the time I was 14, I was doing 15 day canoe trips up in Algonquin Park with a local youth group that I joined just for the canoe trips.

As a matter of fact, I'm planning a 7 day canoe trip vacation at the end of August this year - up in Algonquin Park again - that place is truly spectacular old boreal forest and the rocks of the Canadian Shield. If anyone knows what Canada's famous "Group of Seven" art looks like, that's what Algonquin Park looks like. And I always encounter wildlife up there - always moose, deer, beavers, otters and the magnificent blue heron. I try to avoid bears as I'm not fond of them at all. ;)

[The Drunk Guy]

I try to avoid bears as I'm not fond of them at all. ;)
But bears love YOU! They want to give you hugs and kisses and more hugs and more kisses!

I never had summer camp. My community was quite poor, you see. There were alternatives, such as government assisted 4-H Camp, but I never went. I went real camping during the summer until my folks got too old. Great times, though. Anyone been snake hunting before?

[Michael]

But bears love YOU! They want to give you hugs and kisses and more hugs and more kisses!

I never had summer camp. My community was quite poor, you see. There were alternatives, such as government assisted 4-H Camp, but I never went. I went real camping during the summer until my folks got too old. Great times, though. Anyone been snake hunting before?

I come from the other side of the railroad tracks. ;)

Summer camp was fairly rare for me. I usually spent my summers staying with relatives in England or in British Columbia. Or down at the family vacation home in Florida... :cool:

[The Drunk Girl]

I attended Camp Andrew Jackson for a few summers. It was the usual arts and crafts, canoeing, hiking, and swimming deal. Each age group would come up with a name so we would always be screaming out in song to the other groups telling one another that we were the best there.

There was the swim and lake test that you could take as well. If you passed the test in the pool, one was special enough to sport a red piece of thread around their wrist that allowed you to swim in the deep side. I forget what color the thread was for the lake, but you were awarded a life belt instead of a life jacket.

At the end of the week all the counselors would dress up in costumes and hide around the camp. Each one was given a set amount of points assigned for how hard they were to find. Whichever group found the most counselors or acquired the most points won something. Needless to say it was pretty fun for an 8-10 year old.

I do believe my fondest memory is of Marc. He was a counselor of a different age group, but I had the BIGGEST crush on him. He had the early 90s Kid 'n Play haircut :lol: and anytime I saw him I turned to mush. I was in love. Before everyone left, we would all sign our tie dye t-shirts and he asked for mine. When he returned it there was a drawing on the back of Bart Simpson holding a heart. I still have the t-shirt to this day.

[Michael]

I do believe my fondest memory is of Marc. He was a counselor of a different age group, but I had the BIGGEST crush on him. He had the early 90s Kid 'n Play haircut :lol: and anytime I saw him I turned to mush. I was in love. Before everyone left, we would all sign our tie dye t-shirts and he asked for mine. When he returned it there was a drawing on the back of Bart Simpson holding a heart. I still have the t-shirt to this day.
Yes, summer camps are famous for those 'first crush' type things. :)

I'll spare you the grusome details of my experiences there! Suffice it to say that summer camps are not nearly so chaste as one might expect. :D