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I've been reading The Gardener and the Carpenter by Alison Gopnik, a philosopher and developmental psychologist, who studies how children learn and grow. One passage has stood out, and I've been thinking about it ever since in relation to camp. Bear with me, because I think it's worth reading in full: "Love doesn't have goals or benchmarks or blueprints, but it does have purpose. The purpose is not to change the people we love, but to give them what they need to thrive. Love's purpose is not to shape our beloved's destiny, but to help them shape their own. It isn't to show them the way, but to help them find a path for themselves, even if the path they take isn't the one we would choose ourselves, or even the one we would choose for them." She continues: "The purpose of loving children, in particular, is to give those helpless young human beings a rich, stable, safe environment — an environment in which variation, innovation, and novelty can blossom … Loving children doesn't give them a destination; it gives them sustenance for the journey." This past month we have been through many staff interviews, with more to come as summer approaches. And there's one thing I hear consistently, from returning staff and new faces alike: "I love working with kids," or "I love spending time with kids," or "I love being around kids and supporting them." Every time I hear it, I feel it too. That love for kids is exactly why I do this work. It's why camp exists. And when I read Gopnik's words, I kept thinking: this is camp. Camp is the best environment I can imagine for “variation, innovation, and novelty to blossom”. It's a place where love leads the way, with fun, play, and learning following right behind. Staff arrive carrying care, compassion, and empathy that's already part of who they are. Camp gives them the chance to share those gifts with campers in real, lasting ways. What that looks like in practice is a week of genuine connection. A safe space to try something new and fall short without it mattering too much. Friendships formed around campfires and through cabin connections. A low-stakes environment designed for kids to succeed at the simplest and most important thing: enjoying who they are and getting to be their happiest or favourite selves. At camp staff don’t focus on fully clearing the way, but instead help campers find a path for themselves and then walk it together. That's what we're here for. And we can't wait to walk the paths of camp again this summer.
Carter Mahoney / Executive Director
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