We learned to believe in ourselves and our talents. I remember being a CIT, and hearing about the whole camp square dance that we were going to have. I had lots of piano lessons, and desperately wanted to help play for it, but didn’t have the courage to believe that I could do something that “off-the-cuff”. With encouragement, I tried it. I felt like a million dollars – and learned how to have fun with my music, something I continue to do to this day.
We learned to be good listeners. We learned the valued feeling of having someone else really listen to us, and how we could give that gift to someone else. The wonderful friendships that are built at camp come from the feeling that these people really know who you are, because you have not only shared experiences, but have listened, and been listened to. We got to experience being there for each other, and the innate value of silence, when there were no words. We learned to listen through tears and anger and cynicism and hurt, and hear what was really being said, not just get bogged down by the emotion.
At KMK, we were given the language and the vocabulary to express many of the things we already knew. We had a chance not just to participate in group building processes, but to discuss them and learn the theory that went with them – the whys and the wherefores.
Acceptance of all those at camp was a strong theme. We learned to value our similarities and our differences. We found that we could be loved and included, even with all of our own unique peculiarities. And the differences were legion! What an amazing opportunity to experience closeness with so many different kinds of people, from so many different backgrounds, and with so many different experiences and outlooks! As I moved from high school to the broader venue of university, and then on into the big, wide working world, I realized what a gift it had been, and how much more I was prepared to deal with the diversity in the world because of camp.
Leadership skills were taught, practiced, evaluated, and given room to grow. The honest and constructive feedback that we got at the end of each camp meant that we had the opportunity to become better and better. We could feel pride in what we had done well, and see the areas that we could work on. We learned to give the kind of feedback that fosters growth and learning, rather than shame the listener and shut down the process. There are so many places in life where that is an asset. From supervisory positions at work, to parenting, to working with volunteers, and in sports, it is a skill that is used daily.
KMK was a place where we were challenged to look closely at what we believed, and why we believed it. We needed to be verbal about our beliefs, to be able to express them to each other, and to our campers. But more than that, we needed to be able to live by what we believed. We had a chance to create a living space filled with good, clean fun, respect for the others who lived there with us, and really try out “putting our money where our mouths were”. I think that the experience helped to propel us out of the easy teen position of somewhat cynical armchair world critics into the belief that we, as individuals, and as a team really could make a difference in the world by the way we lived our lives.
During the time I was at KMK, I was very fortunate to have two wonderful female role models in the persons of Sylvia Brightwell and Holly Lenaerts. They were women who were capable, wise, both gentle and strong, and willing to acknowledge that they were still growing and learning, and share those growing edges with us. They fostered an atmosphere of team building and shared commitment, leading by example. They gave all of us encouragement to believe in ourselves, and to be all that we could be, without limitations that might have been imposed by others. What a wonderful gift they were!
Best of all, we learned all these things in an atmosphere filled with fun! We laughed and sang and played and hiked and swam. We found out what it is like to go and collect our own modeling clay from the clay banks. We built campfires, and learned how to make crafts of all kinds. What more could you ask for?
As I look back over my life, so far, I can see so many places where KMK has influenced, and continues to influence me. I went on to co-direct at Bimini, the Oxford County United Church Camp, for many years. And you know what they say – what goes around comes around? I remembered with a grateful heart the commitment and the sacrifice that my parents made to drive me back and forth to camp each week as I drove my three teen-agers to the camps at which they are counselled! It was wonderful to watch my kids become senior staff, and eventually directors! If I was ever tempted to grumble about the long hours of driving, I reminded myself of the myriad of benefits that come with the experience of camp, and my attitude changed immediately!
We who have shared the camping experience are indeed blessed!!!