I've started working at a summer camp, so Teton Valley Ranch Camp (pictured above) has been on my mind. When I worked at TVRC, having never worked at a summer camp before, I was very aware of what I thought were problems in program, operation, management, etc. I was the typically arrogant low-level worker who feels underappreciated and overworked and so on. Now, having worked at two other camps and grown up just a very little bit (measuring maturity by milimeter), I see TVRC for the remarkable camp that it is, and TVRC's management as equally extraordinary (Tom, I'm talking to you--not that he or anyone from camp would read this in a bazillion years).
I had a dream in today's early morning: I was visiting camp and everything had changed. It was all business and science and "education"; the camp was under review and suspicion because it didn't produce quantifiable intellectual results. It was being sold and no one seemed to care about what would be lost. I tried to defend the camp (this part is ironic because I have done little to nothing in reality to preserve or support camp since working there despite my love for the ideals, for which I feel bad) and I spoke to as many people as I could about what camp does for kids that you can't quantify or see on a test, and how intellectual brilliance is not sufficient for society. It was actually a really depressing dream. I love that place.
I like analyzing my dreams (you may remember this from the TopRamen dream a while back.) This one, like most of my dreams, seems pretty clear. I have a new job, so camp is on the brain. Reading between the lines, you may guess that this camp...is a far far distant land other side of the world cry from TVRC, and I've been adjusting my expectations and standards. I had a brief conversation last night about "No Child Left Behind" and I'm frustrated by uniform tests across the board and how people have to sell out at various levels to meet standards that may or may not be effective. I'm frustrated by "what's best for the kids" not being what's best at all, and I'm frustrated by the complicated reality of summer camp here, which is a place to put kids so parents can do other things.
This bottom picture is me coming back from my rough ride at TVRC. That was a magical day.
2 comments:
TRVC looks gorgeous! I hope the new camp is...not too bad at least? :-)
Yay job! No more Office Team?
seriously! i think all the school programs that people make up to somehow magically help all children are usually bogus. each kid is different and by golly each kid just needs a happy family. if you need some ideas on camp songs, just give me a call.
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