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Dec. 29, 2006
Preparation is everything
It takes a whole year to produce one summer of fun for the kids.
PEARL SALKIN
I love a parade! Whether I'm standing curbside, waving a little
flag at a local celebration or comfortably slouching on my couch
on New Year's Day, admiring the flowery floats in the Tournament
of Roses procession, a well-choreographed, synchronized spectacle
of sound and sight stirs up something inside me, and I feel great.
When parade organizers are patted on the back at post-event interviews,
they're always quick to thank all of the people behind the scenes
who worked tirelessly to make that event a success. They smile and
let out a huge sigh of relief; then reality sets in as they readily
admit that intensive planning and preparation for the next year's
production will start the next day.
Well, the same thing holds true for the successful summer camp experience.
When the last camper leaves in August, directors and other administrators
take a moment or two to rejoice, then reset their countdown-to-camp
clock and start working on plans to make their next offering the
best ever.
Putting together a flawless production – summer camp session
– takes a lot of time, testing, thought and preparation. For
those in charge of camps, supplying kids with great programming,
superb staffing and supreme facilities just doesn't happen overnight.
Camps need counsellors, clerical staff, maintenance and cleaning
crews, food service personnel, health professionals.... Dozens and
often hundreds of applicants for these positions must be recruited
and screened, then trained and supervised.
Food, furnishings, sports equipment and arts and crafts supplies
must be secured. Special events, onsite presentations and entertainment
and offsite excursions must be evaluated and then scheduled. In
order to give campers a safe, nutritious and delicious, engaging,
stimulating, satisfying and fun time, resources must be checked
out, then given a thumbs up or thumbs down.
With all of the work that goes into making each summer spectacular,
it's hard to believe that a common question camp directors are asked
is, "So, what do you do the rest of the year?"
Mike Schneider, executive director of Camp Airy and Louise, a Maryland
camp that has served Jewish youth for more than 80 years, responds
this way to that query: "We run small (or large!) cities that
require full time attention just to get us to the summer."
And he's not exaggerating.
The September-to-June camp connection is not limited to a few administrators
in suits working in an isolated, cushy, off-season office. Running
a camp requires a lot of field work. Construction projects must
be overseen. Conferences, regional gatherings and annual meetings
present an ideal opportunity for camp representatives to get together
and exchange ideas. They also provide a venue for vendors of camp-related
supplies and services to exhibit their latest offerings.
For Jewish camps, the 2006 North American Alliance for Jewish Youth
Conference in Washington, D.C., was an invaluable chance for camp
professionals to network and be brought up to date on an assortment
of subjects of concern. The 2007 conference in Atlanta, featuring
workshops, peer-to-peer, roundtable discussion groups and presentations,
is scheduled to cover issues such as camp program enhancement, facilities
upgrading and, for nonprofits, fund-raising.
Numerous camps sent representatives to the Foundation for Jewish
Camping (FJC) Conference in New Jersey in March 2006, where they
had an opportunity to expand their horizons. The FJC, an avid advocate
for nonprofit Jewish overnight camps, organized this monumental
event to bring together camp professionals, lay leaders and Jewish
philanthropic leaders from across North America.
"Planning camp is a year-round project with lots of input,
lots of time looking into trends and interests of our campers and,
in some cases, even looking at new businesses that can serve the
camp's needs," said Schneider.
Since food is an important component of any camp's master plan,
attending food fairs and trade shows is on the calendar. Kosherfest,
an annual event held in New York City every fall, hosts Jewish camp
representatives from across the continent. Some camps send food
service managers to the International Hotel, Motel and Restaurant
Show, too.
Many members of camp administrators' teams convene at winter and
spring events, such as new camp parent meetings They are a priceless
tool in the first-time-away-at-camp orientation process for new
campers and their concerned parents.
Another function that brings everyone together and strengthens those
summer bonds is the camp reunion.
"We have a summer camp reunion weekend in January. And we will
have open-house (informational) programs scheduled in Vancouver,
Portland and Seattle," said Aaron Kafka, former camper and
now director of Camp Solomon Schechter in Olympia, Wash., which
identifies itself as an independent camp with its roots in Conservative
Judaism.
Kafka is not only busy preparing for a winter reunion weekend and
next summer's sessions, he is working on other non-summer events,
too. "We have incredible facilities that can be rented and
are great for a retreat, weddings, b'nai mitzvot and other events,"
he said. After a successful launch last year, another men's camp
is planned for June, too.
What's on Kafka's mind during this time of year? "You think
about how much you miss the campers and the experience," he
observed. "I sit in the office in the winter and think about
the kids being outdoors, having a great time, learning."
Talk about lots of winter work – David Berkman, newly appointed
director of the new Union for Reform Judaism Camp Kalsman in Arlington,
Wash., one hour north of Seattle and at the base of the Cascade
foothills, is literally starting from the ground up. The longtime
dream of having a URJ camp in the American Pacific Northwest is
coming true in 2007.
"We have to do everything," said Berkman. "The buildings
are under construction. Staff and campers are being recruited; programs
are being planned and we must buy everything – bunks, bats,
balls, arts and crafts supplies, mops.... And I have a long wish
list." Berkman, who admitted to being a die-hard camper, a
trait common among camp administrators, sounded as excited as a
kid about to open a big Chanukah present.
One of the jobs that camp office personnel do during the off season
is to process camper applications. Since the most popular camps'
slots fill up fast, it's never too early to make your choice. The
camps might not have big brass bands, but the excitement is already
building. If you want your children to join in the fun, sign them
up now, before the parade passes by.
Pearl Salkin is a Florida-based freelance writer. She can
be reached at [email protected].
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