In The Words of 2021 LIT, Connor Mercer: Take Advantage of New Opportunities

 

During my time at William Lawrence Camp, I’ve always made a point to do something at camp that I can’t do at home. In my case, this thing was pretty much anything except for archery. When not at camp, I spend any time I can get practicing for my next competition whether it be after a long day at school or on the weekends after I finish my homework. You, like most people, are probably thinking to yourself that camp would be the golden opportunity to spend as much time as possible doing what I so deeply enjoy. However, I see camp as a chance to take a break from the normal routine. Starting with my first summer here at WLC, my activities consistently excluded archery. Instead, I signed up for things such as Challenge Course, Wilderness Skills, Woodworking, and many more. These activities inspired new interests in me and carried over into the outside world. Now, I spend time taking short walks in the woods enjoying nature and building things with my grandfather in our workshop. These new activities also taught me important lessons such as problem solving, patience, and resilience. The skills I learned and the interests I discovered have enabled me to be a better person both socially and academically. None of this would have been possible if I had just stuck to the same old routine. Yeah, sure, I would be better at archery, but I would have just been practicing the same old thing and probably wouldn’t have learned anything new. Instead, I learned skills that I will utilize throughout my life no matter where I am or what I am doing. I hope that by reading this I have inspired you to take a break from your normal routine and take advantage of new opportunities.

In The Words of 2021 LIT, Noah Beston: We Need to Appreciate What We Have

My LIT year at William Lawrence Camp has really shown me that we have to appreciate what we have. Throughout my years between camp, I have taken for granted all of the good times I’ve had here. All of the dining hall chants, the really fun evening programs, like Nitro (a camp favorite), Goldrush, and all the daily activities that I would never get to experience at any other camp. These are all things I’m now realizing how much I’ll miss, now that I’m moving to another country. Through my year as an LIT, I’ve gotten to see all of the happy times we provide for campers. I was assigned to riflery, and I saw kids grow to love the sport and really improve upon it, but most importantly the smiles on their faces when they hit a good target, or when they entered the riflery range. And with the campers in my cabin, I loved to hear them talk about the activities they had done that I wasn’t there for and how they were all great friends with each other. They all talked about what they did with their friends and cabin mates. William Lawrence Camp has always been a great place for me to explore new interests, make new friends, and get to experience things that you couldn’t experience anywhere else in the whole world! And through all these things that I’ve had the pleasure of doing, William Lawrence has taught me to really appreciate everything I have in life, and has encouraged me to look for more.

In The Words of 2021 LIT, Jake Burgess: Stay in Contact

Camp has brought many new friends into my life. Whether it was meeting new people or greeting old friends that I haven’t seen in nearly a year, camp has shown me the importance of keeping in contact with friends. Some of my favorite memories of camp are trading contact and social media information with friends on the last day of the session. I remember my first year, writing my phone number on little slips of paper and passing them around to my cabin mates in hopes that we could all stay in contact throughout the year and be able to see each other next summer. Getting a random text from someone during the year and instantly remembering all of the fun moments from camp always made me eager and excited for the next chance to see them. Being able to talk to friends that I see only during camp is one of the many reasons that I return each year.

Tips from a Seasoned Camp Family

Our whole family has been excitedly awaiting the return of summer camp. The anticipation has been a bright spot in an otherwise dim year. Now, seemingly all of the sudden, opening day is almost upon us. June 27th will be here before you know it!

 

The realization has, honestly, snuck up on us as we work to finish out the school year and spring sports strong. The hot weather reminds us that it is time to shift gears and start thinking about gathering up our supplies, pulling out our trunks and duffels and strategically packing for camp. As a seasoned camp family (this will be our 8^th summer sending a child off to camp), we’ve got our systems, and we thought we’d share a few pointers with the WLC community and invite any additional ideas, too.

 

THE PACKING LIST:

The packing list provided by camp is definitely comprehensive but we have a few suggestions:       

• Our TOP recommendation: Include a foam egg crate mattress topper with the bedding; a comfy bed is a happy bed.
• Pack additional socks and underwear factoring in multiple changes on any given day.
• Sneakers will get beaten up so send old sneakers if you have them and hold off on buying new ones for school in the Fall.
• A toiletry tote makes getting to and from the wayside easier.
• Siesta is a great time to get summer reading (or pleasure reading) done; consider sending an old school (not back lit) Kindle fully loaded and fully charged so your son doesn’t have to lug heavy books in his luggage or write home for you to send him more. Just make sure it can’t connect to internet and has no games on it!
• Also consider dropping off some books for the camp library that are appropriate for campers and counselors to give the shelves some fresh inventory.
• A small clip-on battery powered reading light makes for hands-free reading.
• Swim goggles that your son is comfortable wearing.
• To keep cool on those hot days on the Knoll, a small, battery-powered fan that can clip on to the bunk or hang from a nail on the wall or a water bottle with misting fan like an O2Cool.

 

PACKING TIPS:

Whether your son brings a trunk or large duffel to camp, starting out organized will help him find what he needs every day. A few suggestions:

• Pack items that will be unpacked upon arrival (bedding, laundry bag, towels, shoes) in a separate bag that can be folded up and stored away.
• For trunk packing, pack most used items (socks, underwear, shorts and t-shirts) on the top for easy access. If your trunk has a tray, pack those items in the tray so it can be lifted out to access other items used less regularly.
• For duffel bag or trunk packing, look into using packing cubes and pack each cube with one type of clothing for easy access. 

 

ITEMS TO MAKE HIS CABIN MORE HOMEY:

The first few days at camp might be met with some homesickness. Know that his counselors and the senior staff are ready to help him settle in, but a few thoughtful items from home may help too. A few pictures of your family, pets, or friends that he can look at may make him feel better, and a steady stream of upbeat, enthusiastic letters from home are always exciting to receive. Think about packing a few encouraging notes in his bag that he may be surprised to find or label them for “night 1”, “night 2” opening. Also, share his address with friends and family so they can send him letters, too.

 

Now that we’ve dusted off our packing pointers, it is time to pull it all together. Please post any suggestions you may have, and see you on the Knoll soon!

 

The Crellin Family

 

PS – Send additional suggestions for posting on the WLC Blog to knoll@wlcamp.org.

The Life-Changing Benefits of Being a Camp Counselor

 

At William Lawrence Camp, the bedrock of every summer is our staff. Every summer, we’re thankful that a large percentage of our staff and LITs return. We rely on these returning staff members to help carry the tradition of camp forward and bring their familiar faces to the Knoll each summer. It’s this continuity of community that we cherish here at WLC.  

While we often focus on the benefits of being a camper, we think that the continued staff experience can be extremely beneficial for many young adults. As we discussed last month, the LIT program is a great way to start the transition from camper to staff member. But the benefits of being a staff member don’t end at the LIT year. Some of the most important takeaways come from many years on staff. 

We talked with several former staff members, of varying ages, to see how their experience has shaped and benefited them over the years. Here are a few themes that have popped up. 

Part of a Team

 

At WLC, we rely on our staff members to work as a strong team all summer long. Learning to be part of a team is a crucial skill to develop. Camp is a great place to acquire this skill, whether it’s being the leader of a team or finding a way to contribute. 

Being a staff member at WLC often puts you in a leadership position well before many jobs. Unlike an internship, you’re not just grabbing coffee - you’re leading classes, wilderness trips, and even other staff members. Getting that leadership experience early on has proven valuable to many former counselors. 

John Swanson, a staff member from 2003-08, spoke to the leadership experience. “Many of the more difficult challenges involved those leadership roles at Camp which prepared me for a career where I am again in a leadership position.” 

 

While not all roles at Camp involve direct leadership, they all allow you to contribute in meaningful ways early on. At Camp, there isn’t any "busy work” to be done - every task brings tangible value and offers a chance to gain experience. 

Ben Marston, a staff member from 2005-16, commented, “You get used to jumping into jobs and tasks that you're likely unfamiliar with and so you develop a humility with starting each task. And you learn in those situations to be a team player. You may not always know what you're doing, but you can be an extra hand to hold up a boat mast or help problem-solve a way to fix a broken fence. And after a few summers, you're then the experienced member of the team helping others start their own journeys.” 

The WLC staff is an exceptional team every summer. We rely on our staff to step into leadership roles, find new ways to contribute, and chip in on all levels. Even our most senior staff help clean the waysides. It’s clear in talking with former staff that their experiences engendered an all-hands-on-deck mentality that they have used throughout the years. 

Find Your Path

 

While many of our staff members don’t go on to be archery or sailing instructors for their careers, being a camp counselor exposes people to new paths they may not have considered. 

Ross Fidler, staff member 2009-14, discovered a love for teaching at camp. He said, “As a staff member I discovered that I had a passion for working with kids. That passion has led to a career as a teacher that I love very much.” 

Looking through our staff alumni, you’ll find many former teachers and coaches. Our former staff often credit Camp as the place where they got their first exposure to working with kids and teaching. 

Develop Essential Soft Skills

 

The lessons that come from being a staff member at Camp extend beyond their applications in a job or career. Some former staff members spoke to how working at Camp helped them develop crucial personal skills. 

 

Tom Cleary, staff member 2011-17, said, “The most useful skills were around working with children, getting along with peers, and managing people. Everyday parts of the job like fostering relationships in the cabin or resolving conflicts between campers forced me to grow as a person and especially expanded my social skills.”

 

One of the frequent skills that popped up over and over again was problem-solving. As we’ve alluded to, being a camp counselor involves wearing a lot of hats. It’s a challenging role that requires our staff to think on their feet and build those crucial problem-solving skills. 

 

John Swanson noted, “Every new challenge overcome was an experience in dealing with a new situation. At Camp, in general, you learn how to approach learning a new skill or solving a new problem and how to handle yourself when faced with something you’ve never experienced before, but as staff you have a daily opportunity to teach, which forces you to learn and problem-solve twice as much. I still draw on those lessons daily.”

 

Personal growth is one of our main goals for every camper, and so it’s no surprise that growth doesn’t stop when one graduates to a staff member. Some of the strongest periods of growth come from stepping into the leadership role of being a camp counselor. At WLC, we love to see that our staff continues to grow with us year after year.

Disconnect and Have Fun

 

However, it’s not all about developing skills and personal growth. For many, Camp provides a space away from everyday life. 

Ben Marston spoke to the benefits of spending a summer at Camp. “It's hard in our society to get to spend long periods in nature. Camp provides a space to explore nature, escape the constant barrage of notifications and social media, and embrace a community-focused way of life.”

 

As we often stress with campers, we think Camp is a great space to be your authentic self, away from the pressures of society.  And while being a camp counselor is hard work, we’re happy to report that it’s fun, as well.

 

John Swanson said, “You think being a camper is fun? Try being staff. There’s some work involved for sure, but my best memories of camp come from my years as staff, and the longer you’re staff, the more fun it gets.” 

Surprisingly, a common theme among many staff members is that the staff experience often exceeded their experience as a camper. 

 

…

For many former staff members, Camp was a formative part of their lives. The friendships, experiences, and personal growth all stood out as important parts of the opportunity. Those experiences are still having an impact today - whether it’s stepping up into a leadership position at work or just knowing how to fix an old Sunfish sailboat. 

 

Alex Camerino, staff 2010-19, summed it up this way: “I have learned how to be a hard worker with multiple skill sets, and, above all else, I have learned how to take responsibility for both the actions I am proud of and those that I am not. Camp is essential and can be life-changing for counselors.”

Written by Alumni, Ben Marston

The "Secret Sauce" of the WLC Experience

If I asked my boys what they love about Camp, they would mention many things: the food, making new friends, overnight hikes and canoe trips, the food, Olympic Day, Goldrush, the food, riflery, archery, and the FOOD! However, most certainly, the first answer they would give is the counselors and staff.  These relationships are what keep the boys coming back and what makes each year’s camp experience so very special, memorable, and unique.  What is it like to be a Leader in Training (LIT) or staff member at William Lawrence Camp?  We asked some two seasoned counselors to let us in on what it’s like to be the “secret sauce” of the WLC experience.

 

One is eligible to become an LIT as long as he is in 10th grade or, if International, is age 17.  The LIT Internship is often a natural progression for campers who have come up through the ranks and have completed their Senior camper years. Adam Muhith, who was a camper for five years before becoming an LIT and remains a valued staff member to this day, says the choice to become a counselor was easy. “My last year as a camper I knew that I wanted to keep coming back, and that I wanted both to see what it was like as a counselor and to ensure that future generations of campers had just as good an experience as I did.” LITs and staff hail from not only the U.S., but also all over the world. Says Kyle Schophaus about his decision to become a WLC counselor, “I have worked in the camping industry in South Africa and always wanted to know what it would be like to work at a proper summer camp.” 

In addition to receiving a world of experience in managing and molding the lives of younger campers, there are many practical benefits to the Internship, including trip leader, belay and American Red Cross lifeguard certifications, and even writing opportunities in the form of drafting your college essay and publishing a blog post on the WLC website. LITs gain all of this training while continuing to enjoy the traditions of camp and sharing them and making memories with experienced and new campers alike. To this point, Schophaus adds, “You are free to be your own person and you are encouraged to be that person all the time.” In fact, Muhith explains, some of the greatest lessons are less tangible. “Being an LIT taught me that it’s okay to say that I don’t know how to do something and how to ask for help on a project. Knowing when to stop and acknowledge that you don’t know, or when to ask for help, or when to bring in a second set of eyes for a project is a simple skill that really goes a long way. It was something that I had to do almost daily as an LIT. The entire program is a learning experience like no other, and its value can’t be overstated.”

Being a WLC staff member not only trains young men to be leaders in the camp environment, but it teaches them skills that can be applied much later on and throughout their lives. Says Muhith, “Most of all though, working at WLC has helped me further my love for the outdoors – in the off-season, I work as both a camping trip guide and at a climbing wall. I never would’ve learned the necessary skills to do these, the two things I love best, had it not been for the bounty of knowledge passed on to me from so many different leaders and co-counselors.”  Schophaus adds, “It has helped me to be more confident and think way more out of the box then I normally do.”

Weathering the COVID-19 Storm

We wondered what our campers have been doing during the pandemic, so we asked a few of them for an update.  Included below are comments from four campers:  Nick Rimalovski; Brady Johnson; Gabe and Russell Aitken.

Nicolas “Nick” Rimalovski will be 16 in May, and he is a sophomore at Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in New York City.  His school is in Queens, but he is a life-long resident of Brooklyn.  His first year at WLC was 2017, and he will be back for his 4^th year in the summer of 2021.  He recently completed his LIT essay.

Nick has been attending classes remotely since March of 2020, and he is okay with online learning.  He is pleased to report that the New York Regents Exams will be canceled in January due to COVID, and the decision on the spring and summer exams is TBD.  He played on a travel baseball team last fall, and he plans to play baseball this spring.  He has been bicycling all over New York City with friends.  Family activities include a two-week vacation on the Maine coast last summer. 

Nick’s favorite activities at WLC are the hiking and canoe trips.  He also likes baseball and tennis.  The things that he missed when Camp was closed are daily ping pong, the apples at Free Swim, spending time away from home with people his own age, and the view from the Knoll.  He is excited about returning to Camp in 2021.  His brother Xandy will be returning, too!

 

Brady Johnson is 12, and he is a 7^th grader at the Hingham Middle School in Hingham, MA.  His first year at WLC was 2019, and he will be back for his second year in the summer of 2021.  Brady has been attending classes on a hybrid basis.  On Monday and Tuesday, he is in the actual classroom, and Wednesday through Friday he participates via Zoom.  He does almost all of his homework assignments using Google Classroom.  Last fall, Brady played football on a “7 on 7” basis with no contact, and he is playing hockey this winter.  Despite COVID, he has made a lot of new friends on his sports teams.

Brady reports that family activities have been limited due to the pandemic, but they like to watch family movies and play Mexican Train Dominoes together.  He and his dad have been hooked on multiple seasons of particular shows such as The Mandalorian.  Brady also plays video games with his friends.  One of his favorite games is Oculus Quest, a virtual reality product.  The new member of the Johnson family is an Australian Labradoodle named Murphy, and she takes family members on walks frequently.

Brady has several favorite activities at WLC, including riflery, archery, and woodworking.  He is very enthusiastic about tubing, even though Meg the snapping turtle is a bit of a hazard!  When Camp was closed last summer, Brady missed being outside and learning new things about nature.  He appreciates the fact that Camp gets people away from technology and their phones.  Brady also missed his buddies on the Knoll.  He is looking forward to the summer of 2021, and he thinks that his brother will be attending WLC, too!

 

The Aitken brothers provided an update on their activities during the pandemic.  Gabe recently turned 12, and he is in the 6^th grade; Russell is 9, and he is in the 4^th grade.  They live in Mountain Lakes, NJ.  The first year at WLC for both of them was 2019. 

Gabe’s school schedule is a hybrid arrangement.  During the mornings, he is either in the actual classroom or he is on Zoom, depending on the day and week.  In the afternoons, he is on Zoom.  He plays baseball and lacrosse, and he likes to snowboard, especially at the Mountain Creek Resort in NJ.  His hobbies include bicycling, video games, trampolining, and listening to music.  He has an app on his phone on which he can record music.  His favorite activities at WLC are fishing, sailing, riflery, ping pong, carnival night, and BROG.  

Russell is in school in-person every day until 12:45 PM, and he uses Google Meet to participate remotely in the afternoons.  He enjoys basketball, golf, and baseball, and he likes to ski at Mountain Creek.  Other hobbies include bicycling, skateboarding, and video games.  Family pets include a dog, a cat, 6 fish, and 3 snails.  At WLC, Russell likes riflery, archery, kayaking, canoeing, carnival night, and BROG.  

Aitken family vacations last year included trips to North Carolina and Vermont.  When asked what they missed most about Camp last summer, Gabe said that he missed the food, and Russell said that he missed the people!  Both boys are looking forward to attending Camp in the summer of 2021!

 

We sincerely hope that you and your families have succeeded in weathering the COVID-19 storm, and we wish you good health, good cheer, and good luck in 2021!